All about Russian visa

What is Russian Visa?

If you decided to visit Russia, you need to obtain a Russian visa for the period of your stay.
You should remember, that your Russian visa is both an entry and an exit permit. Thus, if you lose your visa or stay more than your designated departure date you can have problems when leaving the country.
Russian visa is obtained at your local Russian Embassy or Consulate. To obtain the visa you need proper authorization from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) or an invitation from an authorized travel agency.

Requirements of enter to Russia if you are a foreign citizen (for tourist and business travel to Russia)

• Your Passport must be valid 6 months beyond the date of visit
  
• Two-way tickets and documents for further travel
  
• Russian Visa
  
• Vaccination is not required
  

!!! The consulate fee is paid in the Russian consulate in your country and the sum can differ from country to country !!!
Official Russian consulates state that:

• Visa can be denied if the Consulate 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.
  

 

Types of visa

Tourist visa

• rather cheap
  
• valid for 30 days
  
• one-time entry
  
• can not be prolonged
  in rare cases the trafic vaucher is required, where the program of your visit stated.
  

To obtain a tourist visa in your local Russian consulate you need:

• Filled in visa application form (one for each person). Download PDF.
  
• an original passport and a xerox-copy ("GREEN CARDS" are not valid for entry to Russia)
  
• a recent professional passport size picture of an applicant, black-and-white or color on mat paper.
  
• A copy of the invitation from an authorized Russian agency:
  
  
  
  1. Confirmation of the hotel accommodation.
     
  2. Tourist voucher
     
  
  

“Avenue-Tour” can help you get the tourist visa invitation.
The tourist invitation costs 30$. We will send you the invitation the same day after your order is paid.
If you decided to make a tourist visa with us, could you, please, fill the form.

Order tourist visa

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Business visa

It is popular with business travellers.

• quite expensive
  
• this can be one – two –multiple entry visas
  
  
  
  • 1 and 2 entry visas can be valid from 1 to 3 months
    
  • Multiple entry visas can be valid from 3 up to 12 months
    
  
  
• it can be prolonged in very rare cases with the help of the authorised organisation that invited you to Russia and is stated in your visa
  

To obtain a business visa in your local Russian consulate you basically need (the requirements may have some changes according to the country where the consulate is located):

• Filled in visa application form (one for each person). The form can be obtained from the Consulate General or you can download it here (PDF). The form can be xerox-copied. Fax-copied forms are not accepted.
  
• an original passport and a xerox-copy ("GREEN CARDS" are not valid for entry into Russia).
  
• a recent professional passport size picture of an applicant, black-and-white or color on mat paper.
  
• an ORIGAL letter of invitation for a BUSINESS visa from your counterpart in Russia (the invitation must be issued only by the local Visa Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (OVIR) or Consular Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia).
  

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Russian private / homestay visa
If you want to visit your friends and relatives in Russia and you will be hosted at their house, you can try to apply for a homestay visa.

• It is not expensive
  
• This type of visa allows you to stay in the Russian Federation for up to 90 days
  
• One-time entry
  
• The procedure of obtaining an OVIR invitation is very hard and long – takes about 3 months.
  

To obtain a Russian private / homestay visa in your local Russian consulate you basically need (though the requirements may have some changes according to the consulate):

• Filled in visa application form (one for each person). Download PDF.
  
• an original passport and a xerox-copy ("GREEN CARDS" are not valid for entry to Russia)
  
• An invitation from your relatives or friends issued by the local Visa Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (OVIR). The invitation must be mailed to you in original.
  
• a recent professional passport size picture of an applicant, black-and-white or color on mat paper.
  

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Visa registration
Your visa should be registered no more than 3 days (72 hours) after your arrival to Russia (except for national holidays of weekend days). The registration takes place in a hostel where a tourist is accomodated.
Please, take into account, that the absence of registration is considered to be the violation of the federal Russian law and can cause serious problems like arrest, penalty and so on.

If your visa is outdated
If your visa is outdated you won’t be able to leave the country until you pay a specified fee.

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