Hey Everyone! When my fiance goes to her interview can she request to pick up the visa there? How long does it take? She wants to come over as soon as she can!
much thanks!

I believe you have to work with the local DHL office in Moscow and have them hold it for you there. This is what Kevin (KGSodie) did. You can't pick it up straight from the embassy.

This is what I have heard too. Best bet would be to contact DHL in Moscow and make a pickup arrangement!

I'm pretty sure when you go to the DHL office to pay for the shipping ticket that you must take with you to the interview, you just list the local DHL office as the address they'll ship it to.

It still takes about three days on average. (There is more than one DHL office in Moscow, so maybe there's one closer to where she's staying. Not that it'll help the wait time, but maybe save you some getting around Moscow time.)

These guys are corrct, Corey. The embassy will not hold it for you. Sorry.

We did this, but as I recall there was only one DHL office where they will hold it. It was NOT the DHL office close to the embassy. In our case I think it was ready for pick up in two or three days.

My wife and I had the same experience back in Moscow in Dec. of '07. She requested the DHL office hold it and we had to take the metro + a marshrutka to reach the DHL office.

Actually, they won't even let you interview without presenting a paid "airbill" from DHL. And as far as I am aware, they don't print or stick the visa in the passport in front of you, so there is nothing to take at the end of the interview.

There are two DHL offices in Moscow that you can get your packet from:

"Tverskoe"
125047, 1st Tverskaya-Yamskaya str., 11
Telephone: 7-(495) 956-10-00/ 961-10-00
Mon-Fri: 08.00-24.00
Sat-Sun: 10.00-16.00

"Moskovskoe"
127083, 8 Marta str., 14, bld.,1
Telephone: 7-(495) 956-10-00/ 961-10-00
Mon-Fri: 08.00-21.00
Sat-Sun: 10.00-16.00

To get it from "Tverskoe" office you will need to address your airbill to them and then go and pick it up from there about 3 work days after the interview. You will be able to track online when they get it.

To get it from "Moskovskoe" office if a bit more tricky. This is the "intercept" version. "Moskovskoe" is their central distribution office in Moscow that all the packets get routed through. So, you address your airbill to any address you want, like your home, then you track it very often. Usually it will be picked up from the embassy on the second work day after the interview. That same evening it will arrive to the "Moskovskoe" office and if you time it right you can get there before they close and pick it up. If you miss it, it'll get sent to the address on the airbill that same night.

Yes, it is possible to pick it up from the embassy (Elina did it), but it can only be done in special circumstance and, again, only on the second work day after the interview. Elina had the interview expedited and under the same circumstance they've allowed her to pick it up directly from the embassy. We were on pins and needles though, cuz we weren't sure it would work.

Good luck!