A Journey by Bicycle through Europe, Siberia, Mongolia & China

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Travel Notes

March 2004

Visas

These notes apply to me as a UK citizen / British passport holder. See the links page for details of embassies, etc. As of September 2003 this information is based on research and previous experience: as and when I actually acquire the relevant visas I will update this page.

Europe
No visas are required along my route through France, Germany, Czech republic, and Slovakia.

Ukraine
"Private visit" visas are now available without the need for an invitation.

Russia
An invitation is required before visas are issued. Tourist visas are rarely granted for more than 30 days, which is obviously not enough for my trip, so I will need a business visa which can be valid for up to 6 months or even a year. I am hoping to arrange my invitation through the Cycle Touring Club of Russia. I will get my Russian visa sorted out before leaving the UK.

Mongolia
Mongolian visas now seem quite easy to get, and invitations are no longer required. I will probably enter Mongolia some 4 months (or more) after I leave the UK, and I don't know whether the embassy in London will issue a visa that far in advance. I may, therefore, wait to acquire my Mongolian visa at the consulate in Kyzyl, Irkutsk, or Ulan-Ude (Russia).

China
Chinese visas are valid for entry within three months of issue. This is not long enough for me to get to China from the UK, so I will have to pick one up along the way, probably at the embassy in Ulan Baator, Mongolia. I can't find any reference to any Chinese consulates in Russia apart from in Khabarovsk. It would be useful if there was one in Irkutsk or Blagoveshchensk, and I've heard rumours that one might be opened in Irkutsk in due course. But only rumours.

Generally, Chinese visas are issued with little fuss and no invitation required - although I've heard that at some Central Asian embassies (e.g. in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan) they sometimes do require invitations.