TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Dated 16th January 2009

IMPORTANT NOTES:

VFS recommends that you do not purchase tickets or make bookings which cannot be cancelled without cost prior to the issuance of a visa, except where it is a specific requirement stated as part of the visa application.

These terms contain a disclaimer which limits our liability to our refund policy stated below.

Fees are not refundable and are payable whether or not a visa is ultimately granted except where covered by our refund policy below.

You are responsible for the accuracy of your application form, and in checking your application form we do not guarantee that we will find any errors, and we do not verify information you have provided

VFS recommends that you keep copies of all documents submitted with applications and copies of your receipts also.

	Service Provider The Russia Visa Application Centre is a service provided by VF Services (UK) Limited ("VFS"), whose corporate head office is at 60-62 Wilton Road, Victoria, London, SW1V 1DE, United Kingdom. We are authorized by the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the United Kingdom to operate the Russian Visa Application Centre in the United Kingdom, both through our web-site, through our office at 15-27 Gee Street, London EC1V 3RD, United Kingdom, through other designated offices. We have sub-contracted elements of our service to our authorized sub-contract partner, RNT Limited.
	Application of These Terms These terms and conditions govern your use of the services of the Russia Visa Application Centre, all visa applications you make, and all enquiries you make for advice or information concerning Russian Visas. Each applicant for a visa hereby accepts and confirms that, prior to submitting a visa application; they have read, understood and agreed to be bound by, without limitation or qualification, all of these terms and conditions. No employee of VFS and/or its partners has any authority whatsoever to change, amend, amplify or withdraw any or all of these terms and conditions without prior written approval from VFS.
	No Cancellation Rights Once you have submitted your application you will be taken to have agreed that we may immediately commence processing you application and providing any services. As a result you will not have any right to cancel under The Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000. This is because, under Regulation 13(1) (a), you lose your right to cancel if you agree that we can start providing the services within the cancellation period.
	The Visa Application Service Scope The Russia Visa Application Centre of VFS is the outsourced partner of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the United Kingdom. In this capacity, the Russia Visa Application Centre is inter alia responsible for receipt of visa applications for travel to Russia and visa fees, submission of applications at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in London and Consulate General of Russia in Edinburgh, collecting the processed passports from the Embassy of the Russian Federation and Consulate General of Russia, and returning passports back to applicants.
	Acceptance and Rejection of Applications The assessment of visa applications is carried out by the Embassy of the Russian Federation or its Consulates, and the grant or refusal of Russia visas is at their sole discretion. The Embassy of the Russian Federation and a Consulate General of Russia reserve the right to ask for further documentation and information from the applicant, and to refuse any visa application. The applicant must supply such further documents and information if they wish their application to continue to be considered.
	Fees Fees stated are only valid on the day that they are quoted or provided by the Russia Visa Application Centre. If you decide to make your application on a later date, the fees may change. All costs of returning passports, visas and documents to you are included in the final total fee based on information provided by you and the delivery methods selected by you. All fees must be received in full under the available payment options as cleared funds for the application to be processed. If fees are paid by cheque (or other negotiable instrument) then the payment will not be considered to have been received until such cheque or negotiable instrument has cleared. Except where covered in our Refund policy below, fees are not refundable, and in particular fees are payable whether or not a visa is ultimately granted.
	General Obligation VFS will process all visa applications with reasonable care and skill and in accordance with all procedures prescribed by the Embassy of the Russian Federation. However, whilst we use reasonable care to check your application form for obvious errors on the face of the form, we do not guarantee to detect errors with your form, and we do not undertake to verify any information you provide, which you are responsible for ensuring is accurate.
	Applicant's Responsibility It is the responsibility of all applicants to read carefully and understand the requirements set out in the Russia visa application forms, complete all applications forms truthfully, to provide correct and accurate information and documentation, to ensure that they have a valid passport (meaning it is not damaged/expired and all pages/previous visas are present in it) and on receipt of visa to check the validity of the visa issued to ensure that it covers the period of stay requested, the number or entries required, and that it is valid for the purpose of trip. Also it is applicants’ responsibility to provide valid contact details (telephone number, e-mail address, etc…) to enable us to contact them in case any issue arises with the application or additional documentation is required. VFS cannot accept any responsibility regarding the application is we were unable to contact the applicants due to lack of contact details provided. It is sole responsibility of the visa Applicant if the visa Applicant’s mobile phone is switched off, disconnected for any reasons and has no voice mail set up.
	Processing Times The processing times for visas are estimates only. These are based on information and experience of the Embassy of the Russian Federation and its Consulates. The processing of your application is subject to the procedures and timescales of the Embassy of the Russian Federation and Consulates, over which VFS have no control.
	Changes to Procedures and Fees The procedures and fees of the Embassy of the Russian Federation and Consulates for the processing of visas and related services are outside the control of VFS and subject to change without prior notice. VFS does not accept responsibility for any changes in procedures or fees and reserves the right to pass on any increased fees.
	Refund Policy Refund of Visa Application Fee If VFS is in breach of contract or negligent in relation to any visa application submitted, resulting in the visa not being granted or loss of applicants passport with valid visas, in each case, wherein the applicant has to apply for a new passport or cannot travel to Russia at the times stated by the applicant in his/her visa application, then VFS will refund to the applicant the amount of the visa application fee only.
	Loss or damage to passports and other travel documents VFS takes every reasonable precaution while handling an applicant's passport & documents, and if due to any breach of contract or negligence on the part of VFS, the applicant's submitted passport or documents are lost or damaged beyond a useable condition, then VFS will pay to the applicant the amount of the fees charged by the government of the applicant's home country, for the replacement of the lost or damaged passport or other documents through their normal replacement procedure, and VFS will assist the applicant with the same within its capacity. Such payments will be made by VFS to the applicant on the presentation of the payment receipt issued by the government of their respective home country for the replacement of such lost or damaged passport or documents.
	DISCLAIMER - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY Except for the refund or reimbursements of fees as stated in the "Refund Policy" section above, VFS excludes its liability in connection with any visa applications, including (without limitation) liability in or under contract, negligence, tort, statute or otherwise howsoever, and including (without limitation) liability for any default, negligence, delay or failure of VFS in advising on, providing information on, handling or processing visa applications, loss of or delay to passports and other documents, delays involving the Embassy of the Russian Federation or a General of Russia, and rejections of visa applications for any reason. And for the avoidance of doubt:
	No Liability for Incorrect Information VFS shall have no liability for loss, delays or non-issuance of any application arising from or in connection with (to include but not restricted to) incomplete application forms, incorrectly or falsely completed application forms, and inaccurate or incomplete supporting documentation.
	No Liability for Events Not In Our Control VFS shall not be considered to be in breach of contract or negligent or otherwise liable in any way for any delay or failure of any application or loss, damage or delay to any passport or other documents due to accident, theft, natural calamities (act of god) or any other reason outside the control of, and not arising out of a wilful default of, VFS, or for the loss or damage to any passport or other document after it has been handed over to the applicant.
	No Liability for Postal and Courier Service VFS shall have no liability for any delays, or for loss of or damage to any visa application, passport or other documents, caused by, or occurring whilst any application, passport or document is in the possession of, any third party postal or courier service, including transportation of visa applications, passports or other documents between VFS and the Embassy of the Russian Federation or a Consulate General of Russia, and when being returned by VFS to the applicant.
	No Liability for Assessment of Visa Applications VFS is not involved in the process of assessment of visa applications, or their grant or refusal, and shall not be liable or responsible for any delay by the Embassy of the Russian Federation or a Consulate General of Russia in assessing, granting or refusing any visa application, or for the grant or rejection of any visa application, or for the Embassy of the Russian Federation or a Consulate General of Russia requesting further information from the visa applicant.
	No Liability for Wasted Costs and Expenses VFS shall have no liability (including for breach of contract or negligence) to any visa applicant, or any other person relying on or benefiting from any visa application, for any commitment, cost or expenditure incurred in reliance on or anticipation of receiving a visa, whether within a particular timescale or at all, including but not limited to air travel, hotel, and other travel and accommodation arrangements, and any other arrangements made.
	General Exclusion of Loss and Damage VFS shall have no liability to any visa applicant, or any other person relying on or benefiting from any visa application, for any direct, indirect, punitive, incidental, special, or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever due to delay, misplacement, loss or damage of applications, passports and other documents, or due to negligence or breach of contract in connection with any visa application or any advice or information given in relation to any visa application VFS shall have no liability to any visa applicant or any other person relying on or benefiting from any visa application for any loss of profit, revenue, contract, opportunity or business, wasted expenditure, additional expenditure, or any other business or occupation related loss or damage, suffered or incurred as a result of delay, misplacement, loss or damage of applications, passports or other documents, or due to negligence or breach of contract in connection with any visa application or any advice or information given in relation to any visa application. .

GENERAL

	Third Party Rights Nothing in these Terms and Conditions shall benefit or be enforceable by any person other than the visa applicant, and the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 shall not apply.
	Changes to these terms VFS, in its sole discretion, may change, amend, cancel or withdraw any or all of these terms and conditions at any time without any prior notice.
	Applicable Law These terms and conditions and any visa applications shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Any claims or disputes arising in relation to the services provided by VFS to the applicant shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in England and Wales.
	Complaints Please address any complaints to the complaints department at 15-27 Gee Street, London EC1V 3RD
	Premium Rate Help Line Service Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided on the premium services is accurate and up-to-date. In relation to the Russia Visa Information Service, VFS Services (UK) Limited assumes no responsibility for and gives no guarantees, undertakings or warranties concerning the accuracy, completeness or up-to-date nature of the information provided and limits its liability to refund of the call charges. VFS Services (UK) Limited excludes all other liability it may have in relation to any advice or information given through the Russia Visa Information Services, including for breach of contract or negligence.