5 Tips To Help Your Russian Business Trip - By: Kimberlie Hutson

If you're planning a business trip to Russia any time soon, there are several things you may not have even thought of which will need to be taken into consideration. Here is a quick checklist just to make sure you have everything covered.

Currency

The dominant form of currency in Russia is the ruble. It is best to get your money exchanged before you get to Russia, although there are plenty of places to exchange your currency, especially in the bigger cities, you might have problems exchanging large amounts of pounds sterling. It is much easier to exchange dollars and euros. There are cash points in Russia, but unfortunately there are not as many as there are in the UK in a normal city or town. It is best to be prepared to pay for most things with cash and take advantage of cash points when you see them, especially if you're staying in a smaller town.

Visa

There is a visa requirement between the UK and Russia; if you're going to Russia on business you'll need a visa. If your business trip is going to be short, or you're just going for a meeting, you will simply need a business visa, this would usually be provided by your Russian business partner. If you're trip is going to be slightly longer, if you actually intend to work in Russia, then you'll need a work permit as a business visa will not suffice. A work visa is much more difficult to obtain and you will need proper legal advice and the aid of a government institution to help obtain you one

Accommodation

The central city hotels will be the most comfortable for businessmen, they are safe, clean and hospitable. If you're trip is going to be too long to justify a hotel and you decide to rent accommodation, it is advisable you have someone with you who speaks the language and knows the legalities of the property market to ensure you remain safe.

Legalities

According to Russian law, any foreign citizen arriving into Russian territory has got to register with the police, if you don't register you'll have to pay a fine and find yourself in a lot of trouble. It's common practice for Russian authorities to stop people on the street and check documents and passports. There are two ways of registering with the police, you can either register at the hotel where you're staying and that will count as registering with the police. Or making the state aware you're in the country and you're being looked after and it's easy to find you. If you're renting an apartment, your landlord should be able to do this for you.

Travel

As far as traveling in Russia is concerned you'll probably find public transport more efficient than your own car because the traffic situation is quite difficult in the larger Russian cities like Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Most of the bigger Russian cities have an underground system, this tends to be very reliable and is particularly economic too, and is very easy to navigate as all the signs and maps are translated into English too. If you need to travel across Russia, the most effective way to do this would be by either train or plane. Both, like the underground system, are rather cheap. Obviously the train takes a little longer but it can be a nicer journey where as the plane would be much quicker even though it may cost a little more.

About the Author

The Russo-British Chamber of Commerce, which is a not-for-profit, company limited by guarantee that has worked to promote trade and cooperation between the UK and Russia since 1916. GuruOnline offers an exclusive video interview with them so for more international trade advice on doing business with Russia, you can watch the whole interview for free now.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Kimberlie-Hutson/44014

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