Visa information

HOW TO GET A VISA TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Please, read carefully!

When applying, please, be advised that the permission to enter Russia is a courtesy of the State.

In accordance with the International Law, the Consular Section in certain cases reserves the right to consider your visa applications for as long as it feels necessary.

Visa can be denied if the Consular Section has serious reasons to believe that the Applicant's visit to Russia is not desirable, and the disclosure of the reason for the denial can be withheld.

Visa processing fees received from the applicants are not subject to reimbursement in case of subsequent refusal.

GENERAL INFO

Every foreign citizen (except citizens of the CIS states*) needs a visa to go to Russia.

Entry-Exit Visa is valid for one visit to Russia with the specified dates of arrival and departure.

Double-entry Visa is issued for two entries (all arrival and departure dates must be indicated).

Multiple Re-entry Visa is issued only upon authorization by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A Transit Visa permits to travel through the Russian territory without stay (in accordance to your tickets, issued for up to 72 hours, if you travel by air, or for up to 10 days, if using other means of transportation)

All invitations issued by representations of foreign companies or other foreign institutions in Russia or by Foreign Diplomatic and Consular Corps in Russia must be processed through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, which issues a letter of invitation or sends a visa support cable directly to the Consular Section.

Travelers (excluding applicants for a multiple visa) planning to stay in Russia for a period of more than 90 days must attach a copy of an HIV test certificate to their application papers. No medical insurance is officially required, unless you stay in Russia for 6 months or more. Prior to your visit, consult your medical insurance issuer for details.

VISA APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Please, note that drop-off day is not included in the processing period. Visa processing period begins only after we collected all the documents required.

All visa documents must be accompanied with a cover letter specifying dates of arrival and departure, cities to be visited in Russia and telephone or facsimile number to reach you at.

Since we process your visa by computer, please follow a specific pattern when submitting your papers. The copy of the passport page should be trimmed to the size of the original and stapled to the upper left-hand corner of application form. Two pictures should be stapled to the copy of the passport page and one to the marked space in the upper right-hand corner of the application form. Your visa processing speed depends on it!

Please, note that Consular Officer reserves the right to invite the Applicant to be interviewed in person.

For a Tourist Visa, please, submit:

A letter of confirmation and a tourist voucher from the Russian travel agency, Russian hotel or Russia-based joint venture must be submitted. Receiving organization should be duly registered as a tourist company with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and assigned a special reference number. This reference number should be indicated on the confirmation form (*Please, note that according to the Russian Consular regulations hotel reservation alone is not sufficient to obtain a tourist visa. **Russian tourist visa cannot be issued for a period longer than one month, however it can be extended later, when you are in Russia, through your travel agency or your hotel. ***Upon arrival, foreign tourists should register their visas through hotel administration).
Original or copy of your valid passport or other travel document (however, we reserve the right to request the original). Applicants with diplomatic passports should submit both copy and the original.
Signed and dated Visa Application Form # 95 filled out in English or Russian.
Three identical passport size photos signed on the back.
Visa processing fee made payable to the Russian Embassy in cash.

For a Business Visa, please submit:

A letter of invitation from the Russian Foreign Ministry or its Regional Representative Offices, or from the Ministry of the Interior or its local offices or from a Russian host company (the latter must be printed on the company letterhead and must contain official round seal and legal address of the agency, invitation letter registration number, date of the letter registration, signature and the name of the official authorized to invite foreign citizens on behalf of the company, travel itinerary, dates of stay, full names and dates of birth of the persons invited).

Business visa requirements:

Passport (its validity must cover the whole period of intended staying in Russia);
2 photographs (black&white or color);
Completly filled out visa application form (note that missing data can be the reason for rejecting the documents);
Medical insurance for the period of staying in the Russian Federation;

An official invitation is to be organized by the inviting company through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (its Consular Department)or if the company is located not in Moscow - throught the nearest representation office of the Ministry. Since it is issued by the Ministry the inviting company must send the original of it to the applicant. Visa can be issued only on the basis of the original of the invitation;

Otherwise the company can request the Ministry to organize a telex-confirmation, coming directly to our Consular office.

For a Private Visa:

The original invitation called "Izveschenie" (notification), which can be obtained by any Russian citizen from a local OVIR (Russian Immigration Service) office.

A private visa is granted only for a single trip to Russia.

Visitor's/private visa requirements

Passport (its validity must cover the whole period of intended staying in Russia);
2 photographs (black&white or color);
Completly filled out visa application form (note that missing data can be the reason for rejecting the documents);
Medical insurance for the period of staying in the Russian Federation;
Inviting person, Russian citizen* must appeal to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (the so called OVIR office) in order to organize an official invitation - "IZVESCHENIE". Only an original of it is accepted when lodging a visa application;

* if inviting person is a foreigner, currently residing in Russia (working by contract, diplomatic agent), then the invitation must be organized through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

For a Transit Visa:

The visa of the country of destination and a copy of the air, railway or other ticket with "OK" status (required).

Transit visa requirements

Passport (its validity must cover the whole period of intended staying in Russia);
2 photographs (black&white or color);
Completly filled out visa application form (note that missing or wrong data can be the reason for rejecting the documents);
Visa of the country of final destignation;
Airway ticket to Russia and from Russia to the country of final destignation.

Please note: transit visa can not be valid for more than 3 days.