Russian visas are the most expensive in the world

Published on Saturday 11 February 2012 03:32

RUSSIA is by far the most expensive country for visa costs – charging more than three times as much as the next most expensive countries – an analysis of worldwide visa requirements has revealed.

The former Soviet country charges £115 for a standard entry visa, with costs soaring as high as £220 for an “express” service.

Tanzania and Vietnam are the next most expensive travel destinations in terms of visas – charging £38 each for a single entry visa, according to Airport Parking and Hotels (APH), the long stay airport parking specialist – followed by China and India at £30.

The research compares visa regulations for UK nationals including how to apply, the cost to process the application and the period of cover for the visa. It also details how long travellers will have to wait for the documents and visas to be processed, helping them plan how far in advance visas should be applied for.

Of the 18 countries featured in the research, nine, including Australia, Cambodia, China, Russia and Turkey, were found to require visitors to obtain a visa – or other necessary documents such as the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation required for the US – before travelling to the destination.

Some other countries such as Kenya and Mauritius, however, allow visitors to obtain visas upon entry to the country. In addition, holidaymakers looking to travel to Russia, Australia and China will need to plan far in advance with the processing time taking up to ten working days, 14 working days and one month accordingly.

Cambodia and the USA are the only two countries allowing online submissions, while the others require applications to be sent by post or in person at an embassy or consulate.

“With the growth of self packaging in travel we encourage our customers to be aware of costs like this in advance,” said Nick Caunter, managing director of APH.