Often I receive requests from foreign/international journalists, who are coming to Russia and being confused about the required type of the Russian visa. Their questions usually sound like, “I’ve got an assignment and I plan my travel to Russia. What type of the Russian visa I need and how can I get it?” The last one was asked from the USA, and it said, “Do you foresee any hidden obstacles we may run into while bringing journalists on the trip?”
I know examples, when international journalists entered Russia with business or tourists visas. Those, who were assigned by newspapers or magazines to make stories on travel opportunities, didn’t experience any troubles, because they came as travelers, they didn’t take any interviews with officials, they didn’t go to any restricted areas, and they just kept writing harmless travel notes about hotels, restaurants, tours, lifestyle, and etc. Right, behaving that way, they didn’t attract much attention from migration officers and any other services.
However, I know other examples I’ve heard from local travel companies. Journalists acted in the above described manner, everything looked fine, until they went through regular police checks, and they were found out as journalists on assignment, and instead of showing press/media visas, they displayed their travel/business ones. That was the start of their troubles.
I am very interested in international reporters’ coming to Siberia’s Yakutia and making PR pieces. That’s why I am writing this post with the main idea, “To make the travel as smooth as possible, it will be good to arrange everything in the appropriate way.” Believe me, the procedure of getting the press/media visa is pretty simple.
PREVIOUSLY
I described what types of the Russian visas existed and how to apply for them. Read the post “The Russian visa.” You might also want to check the following related readings:
- Do I need to have special permission to arrive in Yakutia?;
- How to get entry permit for visiting the frontier zone in Yakutia?;
- Tips for dealing with the Russian Migration Service?;
- The cheapest way of migration registration in Yakutsk?.
HOW TO GET THE PRESS/MASS MEDIA VISA
The mass media company (newspaper, magazine, TV or radio station, etc), that assigns its correspondent to travel to Russia, needs to request an invitation from Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The request must be written with the company’s letterhead and signed by its senior official.
The invitation request has to contain assignment description, exact dates of travel, and passport data. It can be sent to Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs directly or via the diplomatic representation of the Russian Federation in the respective country.
Once the request will be approved, the MFA of the Russian Federation will send the visa order (invitation) directly to the Russian Consulate or the Consulate Department of the Russian Embassy saying to issue the press/media visa to the journalist and for the period mentioned in the request. The approval procedure takes up to 3 days.
This is the general way of getting the press/media visas for visiting Russia.
KEEP IN MIND OTHER DETAILS:
- If the report assignment is very specific and affects Russia’s interests, the approval procedure can be extended or shortened.
- In case of the EU entities, another scheme might be applied… in accordance with the EU-Russia Agreement dated May 25th, 2005.
- As far as I know, Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs might reply to the media company’s request this way, “In your case the media visa is not required. Other regular visas will be enough.” That’s also good. In any case, such reply might serve as a very useful official paper, that demonstrates your activity permission for any representative of the Russian migration service.
ACCREDITATION
Oh, accreditation procedure is another song. It is described fully and pretty good on the official website of Russia’s MFA (www.mid.ru). Accreditation is required for international journalists’ meeting with any officials in Russia, including the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Without official accreditation, foreign reporters will meet the authority’s total ignorance.
CONTACT INFO
The Ministry’s Press Center
Phone: (499) 244-41-19
Fax: (499) 244-41-12
Email: dip [ at ] mid.ru
ADDITIONALLY
I strongly recommend foreign journalists to consult with the Russian press attache in your country. He/she must know everything!.. To learn contacts of Russian diplomatic and consular missions, please, see this list.
WHY DOES EVERYTHING GO VIA THE MFA?
Imho, it is assumed the initiative must come from the foreign mass media interested in making its own story. On the other hand, any Russian organizations are supposed not to be interested in inviting international journalists, so logically they cannot come to the decision of inviting foreign mass media representatives. That might be one of many reasons.
Similar Posts:
- The Russian visa
- Tips for dealing with the Russian Migration Service?
- How to get entry permit for visiting the frontier zone in Yakutia?
- The cheapest way of migration registration in Yakutsk?
- Do I need to have special permission to arrive in Yakutia?
