Russian Visa
All foreign citizens are required to have entry visa to travel to the Russian Federation unless the country of citizenship is among the visa-free countries (please see the list at the bottom of the page). Russian entry visa can be obtained at your local Russian Embassy or Consulate.
Please note that Tours in Saint Petersburg do not provide visa support yet, the advice below is for information purposes only.
TYPES OF VISA
Russian visas can be issued as single-entry, which means the visa is cancelled as soon as the individual leaves the country, double-entry, or multiple-entry, permitting multiple entries into the country with the same visa.
There are three main types of Russian visas depending on the purpose of the visit:
· Tourist visa (given for a limited period of time, no business activities allowed).
· Business visa (issued for people coming for business purposes).
· Personal (private) visa (visa for a personal reason to visit friends, relatives etc.; valid for up to 3 months and is single entry only).
· Transit visa (this type of visa is usually given for maximum 72 hours if you're crossing the country or need to change the airports).
RUSSIAN TOURIST VISA
This type of visa is issued for those who come to Russia for tourism purposes. Cheapest and easiest to get visa type. It is usually single or double-entry and is valid for the period up to one month only.
HOW TO GET A TOURIST VISA
Invitation Letter
The first thing to obtain is an invitation letter which can be received from a hotel or an agency which provides visa support. The tourist invitation consists of a booking confirmation and a voucher. To apply for a tourist visa you will need to submit the invitation and the other documents to the local Consulate or Embassy.
Documents
Documents which are usually needed for a visa application are listed below however please double check with your local Embassy or Consulate on the requirements.
· Invitation letter.
· Passport with at least 2 empty pages (no stamps or marks). Check your passport expiration date beforehand.
· Completed visa application form (available at the local embassy or consulate or at https://visa.kdmid.ru/)
· Passport-size photograph (check requirements with officials).
· Consulate-Specific Documents (for example, almost all consulates require an HIV certificate if you are traveling to Russia for 3 months or longer or require a multiple-entry visa). Double check with your local Embassy/Consulate.
Application
After receiving your tourist invitation and preparing all the documents required, you need to submit all of them to the Russian consulate. You will need to pay the consular fee, which depends on the type of visa, the country where you apply, your citizenship, and the time of processing (usually 1 hour to 15 working days).
Registering your visa in Russia
Every foreigner who comes to Russia should have his/her Russian visa registered at the place of stay within 72 hours upon arrival, excluding holidays and weekends. Before it is 72 hours after your arrival, your tickets (train, bus, plane tickets) to the place you're in (e.g. St. Petersburg) are the documents confirming how long you've been staying there.
Please note that you should register in every city of the Russian Federation you stay more than 3 business days (e.g. if you came to St. Petersburg for 4 days, and then plan to stay in Moscow for another 5 days, you should register twice - once in St. Petersburg, then in Moscow).
Documents needed for registration
To register your visa at the place of your stay, you need to show the following documents:
· Your passport or an identity document (it should be passport, because the visa is in the passport).
· A migration card with a stamp of passport control at the border. Migration card is a document received at the customs. Please make sure that you have received the migration card with a passport control stamp when crossing the Russian border.
· Without the registration you might experience problems with immigration office upon departure from Russia and can become a subject for a fine which is about 100 Euro.
· Foreign citizens, who arrive to Russia for the period not longer than 3 business days, excluding those who stay in a hotel (hotels register all guests anyway), don't need to be registered.
VISA FREE PASSAGE FOR CRUISE PASSENGERS
In accordance with the Russian Federation legislation foreign citizens arriving on a cruise ship may visit without Russian visa. Period of visa-free onshore time is limited to 72 hours (3 days) and individuals should be a part of organized excursion group every time they step outside the ship.
VISA FREE COUNTRIES
Under the Russian Federation visa-free regime, foreign citizens who fall within the following categories do not require a visa for visiting Russia:
· Argentina (for visits of up to 90 days in any 180-day period (starting from the day of first entry)). Applicants planning to stay for more than 90 days in any 180-day period require a visa if they are going to Russia to conduct commercial or work-related activities. Diplomatic or Official passport holders require a visa for the whole period of their stay.
· Armenia.
· Azerbaijan.
· Belarus.
· Bolivia (for visits of up to 90 days).
· Bosnia and Herzegovina (up to 30 days for tourists and up to 90 days for other visitors). Tourist documents or the original invitation, as appropriate, must be presented to the Russian Immigration authorities.
· Brazil (for visits of up to 90 days in any 180-day period) - for tourists, private visits or transit purposes only. In all other cases, a visa is required.
· Brunei (for visits of up to 14 days) - Diplomatic and Service passport holders only.
· Chile (for visits of up to 90 days in any 180-day period) – the visa-free regime does not apply to work- and business-related visits and Diplomatic and Service passport holders.
· Columbia (for visits of up to 90 days in any 180-day period).
· Cuba.
· Croatia (up to 30 days for tourists and up to 90 days for other visitors). Tourist documents (voucher in original) or the original invitation, as appropriate, must be presented to the Russian Immigration authorities.
· Dominican Republic (for visits of up to 90 days) - Diplomatic and Service passport holders only.
· Hong Kong (for visits of up to 14 days).
· Iceland (for visits of up to 90 days) - Diplomatic and Service passport holders only.
· Israel (for visits of up to 90 days). Tourist documents or the original invitation, as appropriate, must be presented to the Russian Immigration authorities. The visa-free regime does not apply to Diplomatic and Service passport holders.
· Kazakhstan.
· Kirghiz Republic.
· Macedonia (up to 30 days for tourists and up to 90 days for other visitors). Tourist documents or the original invitation, as appropriate, must be presented to the Russian Immigration authorities.
· Moldova.
· Montenegro (for visits of up to 30 days). The visa-free regime does not apply to Diplomatic and Service passport holders.
· Mozambique (for visits of up to 30 days) - Diplomatic and Service passport holders only.
· Nicaragua (for visits of up to 90 days).
· Peru (for visits of up to 90 days in any 180-day period). The visa-free regime does not apply to work- and business-related visits and Diplomatic and Service passport holders.
· Panama (up to 90 days in any 180-day period)
· Paraguay (up to 90 days in any 180-day period)
· Serbia. Citizens with biometric passports obtained after 9 April 2008 can stay in Russia for up to 30 days. Diplomatic or Official passport holders without accreditation in Russia can stay for up to 90 days. Serbian nationals with temporary and permanent resident permits can stay without time limits. In all other cases, a visa is required. The visa-free regime does not apply to Yugoslavian passport holders.
· The Republic of South Africa (for visits of up to 90 days) .
· Thailand (for visits of up to 90 days) - Diplomatic and Service passport holders only. Holders of ordinary passports can stay for up to 30 days.
· Tajikistan.
· Ukraine.
· Uruguay (up to 90 days in any 180-day period)
· Uzbekistan.
· Venezuela (for visits of up to 90 days). The visa-free regime does not apply to Diplomatic and Service passport holders.
