Hi All,
I'm traveling on from China to Kazakhstan and then hopefully by boat over to Azerbaijan. I'll need to get an Azerbaijan Visa in Kazakhstan and was wondering a couple of things.
Does anyone know a. if you need a LOI to get a visa in Kazakhstan?
b. how long this visa is likely to take to be issues?
Cheers,
With delays and cost of the boat, it's actually cheaper to fly. And if arriving at Baku Airport, no LOI is required.
Approximately how much will it cost to fly from Ashgabat to Baku?
If you fly in Baku, do they issue Tourist Visas on the spot?
Thank fluffy_bunny.
We're on a bit on a non-flying kick though (traveled over land and sea from Indonesia), do you know how long the a visa (for Azerbaijan) might take to arrange in Almaty, and if you need an LOI?
Cheers
It's not necessarily cheaper to fly - it depends how lucky you get with the boat. You do need to be prepared to wait around for a bit, because sailings are not that regular. I can give you the address of a cheap hotel in Aktau, which should be handy if you're traveling on a tight budget and need to hang around Aktau for awhile. I have no idea about the visa. If you are really keen on not flying, get to Aktau early (ie. with plenty of time before your Kazakh visa runs out) because you might have to wait a week or even two for the boat. Luckily, there is a friendly English-speaking travel agency in Aktau which sells tickets for the boat, and they should be able to help you with boat-related information once you're in Aktau.
Giora
I don't know if there is an AZ consulate in Almaty, but there's one in Aktau. Most of your questions about the process there are covered at http://www.brakingboundaries.org/azerbaijan-consulate-aktau-kazakhstan/
If you apply for a visa at an embassy or consulate, you most definitely need to organise LOIs in advance. The author of the above article used Stantours and provides details in the post. Another travel agency that offers visa support is Azerbaijan24.com -- see http://azerbaijan24.com/azerbaijan-visa-support.html for excellent information on visas.
Thanks Giora and Emmeff! That's most helpful
Giora, details of that cheap accomodation would be most appreciated.
Emmeff, I got a rather cryptic reply to an e-mail from stan-tours saying that their ordinary LOI doesn't work in Aktau or Astana, but you you should be alright getting a Visa without one. I'm not sure if things are changed recently but I'm seeking clarification.
Cheers
Clarification is tough with regard to LOIs. Technically anyone applying at any embassy is required to have one. But Many embassies just don't ask for one. Tehran, Tebriz, Tbilisi and Tashkent all issue visas without LOIs. Since Aktau doesn't start with the letter 'T' they;re more difficult.
I realize the desire to travel overland. I'm the same myself. But it is cheaper to fly. AZAL does the flight for around $150. The boat is $120 (at least, some pay more) plus visa at the embassy is an extra $50 for the LOI. Not to mention if you get stuck in Aktau (highly likely). Considering waits of up to 2 weeks are not impossibe, accommodation adds up. Coming by boat could cost over $200, plus wasted time in Aktau.
There are times when last minute airfares go quite a bit higher. I had a couchsurfer in Baku who had to pay $400 for the flight as his visa was expiring and he had no choice. Don't get stuck in the same situation.
The cheap hotel I know of in Aktau is at:
Microrayon 3, Dom 20
I can't remember what it's called, and I think it's signed only in Kazakh ("Konak Uyi" being "Hotel" in Kazakh). Staff are very friendly, and delighted to have foreigners staying at their hotel. Room prices start at around 12 USD.
About the address: any taxi driver in Aktau should be able to find it. Aktau is divided into districts (microrayon) and all the buildings (dom) have big numbers painted on them: it's a unique address system. If you want to walk, head along the main road from the ship statue (in the direction of Microrayon 3) and turn left about 10-15 minutes later at a bank. The hotel is 100 yards down on the left. Alternatively, just find Microrayon 3 and wander around looking at building numbers until you see 20. If, for whatever reason, that hotel has closed (I was there about a year and a half ago), you should find other cheap hotels in Microrayon 3. The LP only lists hotels with prices of 60 USD and up, but cheap hotels do exist in Aktau.
Giora