The Russian are Coming (Legally)..

[mandyjeancole]

Sell Overseas Property

Novinite news today..

Bulgaria will relax the regime for issuing visas for Russian tourists within days, the foreign minister has said amidst a snowballing controversy over the country's tough visa requirements.

“I have on my desk the draft of an order for considerably relaxing the procedures for the issuing of visas for citizens from Russia, Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus,” Minister Nikolay Mladenov told the morning broadcast of Pro.BG private TV channel, saying the first steps will be taken in days.

He ruled out the lifting of the visa regime, saying that Bulgaria does not have the right to do so as member of the European Union.

“What we can do is ease the access of tourists from Russia, Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus to Bulgaria,” he said.

Russia has been demanding that Bulgaria lifts the visa regime, which imposes tough requirements for its citizens willing to visit the country.

The new rules, which include a ban on online applications, an increase in the fees and more complicated procedures, were introduced just before the beginning of the summer season and have been harshly criticized by local tour operators.

[allet]

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Good news From a totally vested interest point of view though!

[Tiarnan]

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I would have thought the Russians were as entitled....visa permitting...to come to Bulgaria as any other nationality. Is there a reason why thier coming should present a problem. ?

[gimlet]

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Overstaying is a big source of illegal immigration. Visa free entry makes it easier.

But it's a fast moving business which relies on incentives. If the Russian economy continues to improve and overcomes the "curse of oil" that might not be a worry in the westerly direction.

Since visa waiver is generally reciprocal the Russians might have more to worry about from Brits and other EU nationals moving there, like Australia and New Zealand

[mandyjeancole]

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There are a surprising number of male Brits who have Russian wives & partners here in Bulgaria.. It has been very difficult for them to get long term visas & apparently the bureaucracy involved is somewhat overpowering. MJC

[mathew]

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Hello all

But what do you think about a russian Visa.
It is expensise to obtain and when you arrive you also have to register your visa and pay again, to spent your money there.

Mathew

[gimlet]

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The Russians had a summit meeting with European President (of the Commission) Barosso and European President (of something else) Humpty Dumpty at Rostov on the Don a few days ago.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced that Russia was ready to drop its visa requirement for EU citizens if it got the same in the opposite direction, but the EU was not biting. They just harangued the Russians a bit.

I think Baroness Ashcan, Europe's foreign minister, was there as well but I didn't see her, maybe she blended into the scenery. She doesn't have the presence of Count Ciano.

[Moscow_Wolf]

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Hello all

But what do you think about a russian Visa.
It is expensise to obtain and when you arrive you also have to register your visa and pay again, to spent your money there.

Mathew

Welcome to the site, if I had posted what you posted, it would have been deleted by a MOD because it is totally OFF THREAD!

Obtaining a visa to visit Russia is a totally different question and not what this thread is about,

On thread.... remember that Bulgaria was probably the most closest of 'allies' to the Soviet Union. The CCCP used to make special spectacular displays of military might by bypassing Romania (which used to delay Soviet Troops in trains for weeks) in sending fleets from the Ukraine to Varna in Hovercraft. The same craft are being used to ferry us tourists between the Greek Islands now albeit, they have been re-fitted to a higher standard.

The problem is - in my humble opinion that Bulgaria finds itself between a rock and a hard place, On the one hand it wants to become part of the Schengin Visa Agreement, but on the other hand, it knows that the penny pinching Westerners compared to the Eastern European spend till you're broke makes sense to keep good relations and a simple visa regime with the former Eastern Bloc countries without upsetting their new EU neighbours.

I hear the Russian language spoken in nearly every major store I visit now in Bourgas, it always makes me smile how the Russian thinks he/she is at home because folk understand them - bit like myself then,

Welcome to the site, if I had posted what you posted, it would have been deleted by a MOD because it is totally OFF THREAD!

Obtaining a visa to visit Russia is a totally different question and not what this thread is about,

Actually, if matthew is asking about TOURIST visas, he's not that much off-topic as the regulations regarding the issuing of visas is usually reciprocal for each country. Mod

[Durak]

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There are a surprising number of male Brits who have Russian wives & partners here in Bulgaria.. It has been very difficult for them to get long term visas & apparently the bureaucracy involved is somewhat overpowering. MJC

Tell me about it!!! And our right to live together anywhere in Europe is enshrined in law - but that don't stop the bureaucrats from keeping families apart.

[Moscow_Wolf]

Sell Overseas Property

There are a surprising number of male Brits who have Russian wives & partners here in Bulgaria.. It has been very difficult for them to get long term visas & apparently the bureaucracy involved is somewhat overpowering. MJC

Tell me about it!!! And our right to live together anywhere in Europe is enshrined in law - but that don't stop the bureaucrats from keeping families apart.

There are FEMALE Brits too that have Russian Husbands that also face the same problems so it is not always about the BRIT man and the RUSSIAN wife syndrome. Plus, it has NOT been that difficult for any of the aforementioned to obtain what is a legal entitlement as an EU Citizen married to a Non EU Citizen. It just takes a while for Bulgaria to catch up with the rest of Europe as to how to interpret the rules.................. If you think that is difficult, just try reading forums where legally entitled EU Citizens try to get residence for their Non EU spouses in the UK; it is a whole new can of worms especially surrounding this 'comprehensive illness insurance' lark.