Interested in visiting Minsk this coming year, and would like to get some info from the forum from those who have visited and have some recent experience from the past year or so.
Considering a course at the Minsk State Linguistic University, due to the prices of the course itself and accommodation. It was briefly mentioned in another thread, I believe a Minsk datasheet from a few years back, but haven't found much other info yet. Has anyone else attended the university recently, and can give a brief overview of their experience? Class size, how you found the instructors, etc. Do they also still provide visa support for a 1 month stay or longer as well? Seems to be quite a good value for money versus other courses in Moscow.
Also - does anyone have any experience with the actual invitation options avaliable to get the visa? Some other members were generous to share some great info on the process and how it works, but I'm curious if it's worth receiving an invite from a local to avoid paying both an agency for the invitation and the additional "service" on the side, such as a limo rental, bouquet, etc.
Lastly - from my understanding you mostly need to book accommodation through an agency as well since you need to be registered at a specific location during your start. Of course, the prices here can be substantially higher than negotiating on a third-party rental platform or even in person after staying short term. How does one simply book a place on booking.com or AirBnB and the likes without needing to book through an agency? Can it be done like in Russia, where the landlord can provide the adequate paperwork to register you as living there (for a fee) or is this out of the question?
Appreciate any insights.
Considering a course at the Minsk State Linguistic University, due to the prices of the course itself and accommodation. It was briefly mentioned in another thread, I believe a Minsk datasheet from a few years back, but haven't found much other info yet. Has anyone else attended the university recently, and can give a brief overview of their experience? Class size, how you found the instructors, etc. Do they also still provide visa support for a 1 month stay or longer as well? Seems to be quite a good value for money versus other courses in Moscow.
Also - does anyone have any experience with the actual invitation options avaliable to get the visa? Some other members were generous to share some great info on the process and how it works, but I'm curious if it's worth receiving an invite from a local to avoid paying both an agency for the invitation and the additional "service" on the side, such as a limo rental, bouquet, etc.
Lastly - from my understanding you mostly need to book accommodation through an agency as well since you need to be registered at a specific location during your start. Of course, the prices here can be substantially higher than negotiating on a third-party rental platform or even in person after staying short term. How does one simply book a place on booking.com or AirBnB and the likes without needing to book through an agency? Can it be done like in Russia, where the landlord can provide the adequate paperwork to register you as living there (for a fee) or is this out of the question?
Appreciate any insights.