Oxenos, Mrs GA, GA Jr and I have just come back from a weekend in Moscow. You do need, as VMD says, the letter of invitation. Our Moscow hotel provided it by e-mail overnight. The application is tedious requiring details of old passports and any countries ever visited! As, for some reason I don't have 2 of my old passports, I may have been a bit economical with the truth and also only declared country visits visible in the passports that would be sent off. The application is filled in online. Apparently it reflects the US requirements imposed on Russian visitors to the States. The application does ask if you have served in the armed forces, rank etc which I answered truthfully. Armed with passports (valid for 6 months after planned departure from Russia),printed copies and photos we visited the visa office in London where we didn't have to wait long before being invited to the front desk. Forms inspected, errors identified and pointed towards the bank of computers to correct, at additional cost for computer time and reprints. Second attempt accepted, credit card stung and sent off to the embassy for a week's turn around. Passports returned as expected with visas as promised. Expensive, time consuming and like you I was worried about actually receiving the visa, however we really enjoyed the visit.