Hopes rise for easier UK Visa processes for Russians as talks resume

Applying for a UK Visa could be easier for Russians in the near future as the two countries have agreed to resume talks.

Karen Malayan, head of the economic department of the Russian Embassy in London told delegates at the World Travel Market that the Russian Federal Tourism Agency and the UK’s national tourism organisation Visit Britain have agreed to discuss the issue in the near future.

Currently, applying for UK Visa for Russians just to visit Britain is a time-consuming and expensive business, particularly as UK requires any potential Russian tourists to give fingerprints and submit details of earnings and bank statements before

Britain and Russia froze negotiations on the visa issue in 2006 following the controversy over the death of former KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko in London.

Russia is also keen to develop international tourism and promote destinations in the country beyond Moscow, St. Petersburg and the Golden Ring, including 2013 Universiade host city Kazan and 2014 Winter Olympic city Sochi.

The UK Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in helping people with their UK immigration applications to the British High Commission.