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Viewing topic: Visa Run for US citizen: Helsinki, Tallinn, Vilnius, or??

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davloc Istra Innocent Civilian Posts: 19	Visa Run for US citizen: Helsinki, Tallinn, Vilnius, or?? 8th Nov '07 11:40 AM Hi Folks, I need to do a visa run the end of November. If I have to wait 10 days for a visa, it would almost be easier to go home and try New York. I have heard that Helsinki requires an HIV test from their approved clinic for 110 euros. Apparently some kind of kick-back scheme. But, with a 10 day wait in Tallinn, it might be worth it. Does anyone have any suggestions or info? Might things settle down a bit in a few weeks, or like usual, just get worse? Thanks for any new info or help. -David ___________________________________________________ davloc
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bobs12 Saint Petersburg Crusty Tech Support Veteran Posts: 1008	9th Nov '07 12:01 AM Hi Dave, Sad to say, I'm cowardly hiding out and refusing to cross any borders at the moment and so can't be too precise here, but the following: davloc wrote: I have heard that Helsinki requires an HIV test from their approved clinic for 110 euros. at least is new to me - I've done my visa in Helsinki two or three times using a HIV test from a local clinic in SPb. It may apply to US citizens, but I'm sure I'd have heard. Phil (pdamore) is American and has done visas in Helsinki before, may be worth a PM to him. I've always been late for the consulate and ended up going through an agency just down the road (towards the sea). Don't know if that would have made any odds. The 10-day thing is also confusing, and also confusing as to whether you'd be able to get your visa in Helsinki at all. Mike Sherman (US) from American Language Master did apparently ask the Stockholm embassy about getting a business visa, according to him they said it would be no trouble. I personally can't keep track of the whole thing, what applies to whom et cetera et cetera... Try a call to the agency in Helsinki - website is http://www.lahialuematkat.fi/eng/index.htm Took ages to find that - not exactly the most intuitive URL if you're not Finnish As to whether things will blow over - only time will tell!
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mememe Saint Petersburg VR Administrator Posts: 205	9th Nov '07 7:51 PM Me as well, I have always got my ME Biz visa in Helsinki and used an HIV test cert from Bodkhina Hospital at the end of Stariy Nevskiy... Hopefully all will be OK - but there again, the embassies are rather good at failing to tell anyone anything until you get there... This 'Will I be able to come back, won't I be able to come back?" situation is far from ideal....
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bobs12 Saint Petersburg Crusty Tech Support Veteran Posts: 1008	15th Nov '07 5:42 PM David - just been speaking to Phil - you were right about the HIV test - a Russian one won't do It just gets worse!
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pdamore Saint Petersburg Crusty Veteran Posts: 16	visa runs 15th Nov '07 10:37 PM The latest info from The Moscow Times indicates that Helsinki is not issuing visas to Americans at all: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2007/11/13/041.html I am told that the part-time consulate in Lappenranta is still issuing visas to Americans and they are accepting Russian HIV certificates, but I do not have any verifiable source on this.
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bobs12 Saint Petersburg Crusty Tech Support Veteran Posts: 1008	15th Nov '07 11:57 PM If that article goes passworded, I have a copy saved.
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