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[vagabonderz]

Hello everyone. We've been scouring the net trying to find answers but there is a lot of conflicting info out there (surprise, surprise). Maybe someone here has done the same or similar thing and can share their experiences. My (soon-to-be) wife and I are leaving in May for two years (from Vancouver, Canada). We will travel in Europe (Schgengen states) for five months, then board the trans-Siberian train in Moscow to begin our journey to SE Asia. The second year will be spent in OZ/NZ.

We've read that in order to get a Russian visa we have to prove that I have legitimate status from wherever I am applying from. This will be Germany (my fiancee is a German citizen). Since I am technically only allowed to be in the Schengen states for 90 days, but will be traveling for 5 months, I would need a visa or something to have legitmate status.

I've been writing different Schengen consulates here in Canada to try to find a definitive answer. Only the German one has replied so far and they say that I will require a residence permit after 90 days. Another site said that Schengen visas over 90 days are not available, which backs this statement up. I've also read lots of forums and people usually just say "no one checks, don't worry about it", which would be fine and dandy and probably what I would normally do if I didn't have to get a Russian visa after.

So...has anyone out there traveled in Schengen states more than 90 days, then applied for a Russian visa and had any trouble? Please share your experiences!

Thanks in advance!