How to Get a Russian Visa

Although it is possible to arrange your own Russian visa, most travelers choose to hire a visa service to do the work. Russian consulates have many options for visa processing, from a regular 2-week (cheapest) processing, to a very fast (and terribly expensive) same-day processing. If you live in a city with a Russian consulate, you may save some money by going and applying on your own. Beware, that most Russian consulates only accept paperwork early in the morning.

But if you want to make sure you get your visa on time and without losing any sleep over it, hiring an experienced visa-expediting agency is the way to go. Since Russian visa also involves getting a Russian invitation, you want to deal only with those agencies that can assist you in both. Invitations can cost anything up to and beyond $500, depending on the type and the speed of service. For an extra $30-$70, agencies will offer full processing (invitation, taking visa to a consulate and sending it back to you). The best services will take care of registering the visa when you arrive in Russia. Given that each Russian consulate and embassy has different tastes and temperaments, it's usually best to have somebody who knows the ropes do the dirty work.

How to Read Your Visa

A Russian visa is a special document attached to your passport, that grants you a permit to enter and to leave the Russian Federation during a period of time specified in the visa. Every foreign citizen needs a Russian visa to enter / leave Russia, except nationals of some CIS countries (former USSR without Baltic States).

A Russian visa looks like this:


russian visa example

Additional visa-related information:

1. Always keep your passport with your visa on you while in Russia.
2. Make two sets of copies of your passport, visa and other travel papers and keep them separately – one in your luggage and another in your office or with your family and friends.
3. When planning to stay in Russia for over 90 days make sure to obtain an HIV test certificate. You may be asked to display it to medical officer at a Russian border checkpoint. Such certificate is not necessary when traveling for a lesser period of time.
4. When traveling with your pet, you’re required to obtain an international health certificate from a local certified veterinary doctor.
5. It is advisable to have medical insurance coverage valid in Russia. Check your medical plan and request such coverage if you do not have it. On the basis of reciprocity, citizens of Estonia, Israel, Finland, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain are required to have mandatory medical insurance.
6. Medical drugs can be brought to Russia in quantities sufficient for personal consumption during your stay.
7. Military-type firearms, narcotic drugs, explosives, radioactive, poisonous and other dangerous substances are prohibited to import to Russia.
8. Travelers carrying sport-guns or shotguns in their luggage must receive special permits through their Russian agents to take them in and out of the country.
9. Foreign travelers can bring to Russia their photo and video cameras, binoculars, laptop computers, etc. tax free if these are to be taken out of the country upon departure. Just mention them in your customs declaration or ask a customs officer.
10. Travelers over 16 years of age can take to Russia tobacco products (1000 cigarettes or equivalent), wines & liquors (2 liters) tax free.
11. There is no limitation on the amount of foreign currency to be taken to Russia. Just mention in your customs declaration all your currency over $500 and other valuables, including objects of art, which you take into the country. Keep declaration to present it to a customs officer upon departure.
12. If you are traveling on a double or multiple entry visas, prepare a copy of your visa before departure from Russia – a copy of your visa will be asked of you by the passport control officer.
13. Your Russian visa must be registered in the first 3 calendar days after your arrival to Russia. If staying at a hotel, your hotel will register your visa, if staying with friends or relatives – our Russian offices will be happy to assist with your visa registration on the spot. Please check with us for details or read our welcome letter.
14. Prior to your departure for the airport to fly to Russia, please, check your passport, visa and other papers again. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call us. When calling, have last name of the travelers and their birth dates ready.
15. The Consulate of Russian Federation and our agency cannot be held responsible for any errors in visas not brought to our attention before your departure for Russia.

About Russian Visa

All foreigners (except citizens of some former Soviet republics) visiting Russia need a visa. In order to get one, travelers need an invitation from a Russian citizen or a company, which is then taken to a Russian embassy or consulate, where the actual visa is issued. Within three business days of arrival in Russia, the visa needs to be registered by the person/organization that issued the invitation. If you don't make it through this bureaucratic loop, you may have problems leaving the country.

Registration requirement for all Russian Visas, obtained through Go To Russia! Travel can be satisfied by one of the following:

* Hotel registration clerks will register visas for tourists who stay at hotels
* Lastly, for those staying in Moscow or St. Petersburg, our office locations will offer registration on the spot.

Prices for processing Russian visas vary according to the applicant's citizenship and the embassy/consulate applied to. Perhaps in response to the trials the U.S. Embassy in Moscow puts Russian visa applicants through, U.S. citizens routinely pay more for Russian visas.

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There are six types of Russian visas, but most travelers get one of three kinds:

Tourist Visas

Tourist visas are best for short visits. In theory you to have a hotel and an itinerary planned for each night of your stay in order to get a tourist visa, but this rule is broken more often than it's followed. Many agencies can get you a visa and have it registered without a night booked in a hotel. All Go To Russia! Travel clients are provided Russian visa invitation with visa processing and do not have to worry about obtaining it separately.

Business Visas

Business visas aren't just for foreigners working in Russia. Far more flexible than tourist visas, they are often the best choice for tourists who are visiting friends and don't need a hotel, or who are looking to spend an extended period of time in Russia, especially those who want to travel independently or extensively. In order to get a business visa you need an invitation from a Russian firm, which can usually be arranged through a qualified visa agency. You do not need to plan hotel reservations or an itinerary to get a business visa. Ask Go To Russia! Travel visa consultant for information or visit Russian visa page at www.gotorussia.com for complete details.

Homestay Visas

Homestay visas are your best bet when you have friends or relatives in Russia who plan to host you during your trip there. Homestay visas are issued for up to 3 months, and, therefore, are more flexible then regular tourist visas. What’s not very flexible about them though is the invitation your Russian hosts will have to get for you – it takes sometimes up to 2 months for local UVIR’s to process their request and then an original has to be sent to the Russian consulate abroad for processing.

Russia Visa Application

To download, just push on link.
Good Luck!

Russia Visa Application Form for US citizens.pdf

Russia Visa Application Form for non US citizens.pdf

Russian Moscow subway(metro) map.JPG

Tougher Visa Rules - What They Mean

01/11/2007

Demonstrating that it is resolute in introducing immigration laws similar to those in Western countries, the Russian government recently unveiled new, tougher business visa regulations. Foreigners - particularly those living and working in Russia on business visas - are worried about how this will affect them. Some seeking to renew their business visas in a third country were finding that what used to be a breezy, one-day procedure could turn into a 10-day wait. Meanwhile, new regulations seemed to target the entire practice of getting visas in third countries.
One of the more considerable changes came in a decree on visas passed by the new Prime Minister, Viktor Zubkov, on October 4. Now, foreigners traveling on business visas can remain in the country for no more than 90 days at a time, even if they have multiple-entry visas. And it's soon going to become much harder to obtain them in third countries.
Business visas are popular among expatriates who live in Russia over long periods of time, extending their visas regularly by travelling to neighboring countries. But the new decree toughens rules regulating this type of visas, an apparent attempt to force expatriates who live and work here to obtain work visas instead.
Point 9.1 in the decree reads:
"A foreign citizen who is present in a state that he is not a citizen of may only get a visa if he has a permit for a consecutive stay of at least 90 days in that country." What this means for some citizens of Western Europe is that a trip across the border from Russia is no longer enough to renew their business visa.
In a statement to The Moscow News, the FMS confirmed the new restriction but pointed to several exceptions - these could be based on "a decision by a diplomatic representative" in cases where a foreigner needed to attend various "international and domestic official, economic, socio-political, scientific, cultural, sports or religious events." Another exception was a close relative who was ill.
A clause lower down in the decree clarifies that an exception is made "based on the international principle of mutuality."
Alexei Filippenkov of the Visa Delight agency explained what this means. If a European country allows Russians to obtain visas from a third country, then citizens from that European country will have the same privilege when it comes down to getting a Russian visa.
"Our migration legislation is being brought in line with analogous international legislation," he told The Moscow News.
The same concerns another important change. Now, foreigners who obtain a multiple entry business visa that is active for a year will be able to stay for no more than 90 consecutive days, and no more than a total of 180 days out of a year.
"It's impossible to work in England or the United States if you have a business visa," Filippenkov said. Foreigners are hard pressed to obtain a work visa.
According to an FMS statement, "issuing visas of all categories and types is... in the competence of diplomatic missions and consular offices of the Russian Federation. We recommend that foreign citizens address the Foreign Ministry of Russia regarding practical questions."
It was unclear whether the minimum wait for a visa had indeed risen to 10 days. The Russian consulate in Riga, the Latvian capital where expatriates frequently go to renew business visas, when asked if this was the case, told a Moscow News reporter to read the official Rossiiskaya Gazeta, where the changes were published. But there was no mention about any new wait for visas. Asked how long it would take to issue a visa to a British citizen, an unnamed official said that the consulate was "not issuing visas to British citizens who had no permanent residence permit in Latvia." Asked the same question about U.S. citizens, the official said that the process will take from 10 to 14 days.
The FMS said that, as under the previous law, visas must be issued within 20 days after the appropriate documents had been filed.
There were reports that foreigners that usually got their visa renewed in one day now had to wait 10 days, but a Moscow News correspondent who is a British citizen obtained her business visa in one day in Kiev this week.
"Right now it's a little chaotic over there because they haven't come to a unified reading of the decree," Filippenkov said. "For now, people will still be able to go over there for visas, but that's going to end soon."
According to Filippenkov, considering that Russians have to wait weeks - sometimes months - to get their European visas, the 10-day wait isn't that long.

By Anna Arutunyan

New Russian Visa Regulations

There has been some changes in Russian visa regulations, which were implemented a few days ago.

1. A foreign citizen can now obtain a Russian visa ONLY in the country of his/her citizenship. One can also obtain a Russian visa in another country but will need to present to the Russian consulate a permit of stay in that country valid for more than 90 days. A visa may also be issued in a country other than an applicant's own in case of urgent necessity, such as participating in international, governmental, official, scientific, sport and cultural events. A final decision in these cases would be left up to the consulate.

2. A multiple entry business visa allows nationals of all countries to stay in Russia up to 90 days out of the period of 180 days.

3. A multiple entry visa is only available for people who have been issued a Russian visa before. If this is your first visit, you are only eligible to obtain a single or double entry visa for 1 to 3 months, which is the only way now to stay in Russia for longer than 50% of time if you plan to live here (apart from getting a residence permit or an official work permit, which enables you to stay in Russia for as long as you are employed here). A copy of your previous Russian visa should be enclosed in your application for a multiple entry invitation.

A possible workaround for the 1st rule would be to get a simple registration, not an official visa-permit of stay and try to get a visa with it. It's still an official document, and the consulate might be OK with it. For example, in Germany one can get a "registration" (anmeldung) quite easily in a local area council office. If anybody knows about this possibility in other countries, please, post it here.

Russian visa requirements

All of the following documents must be received by our office before processing your visa to Russia. These requirements apply to citizens of all countries with the exception of immigrants from Russia and the Soviet Union. Former Russian and Soviet citizens should call our office for further details.

RUSSIAN VISA REQUIREMENTS:

* Order Form, thoroughly completed
* Your actual passport with at least 2 blank visa-designated pages. Passport must be valid for at least 6 months after intended departure from Russia
* One passport-size photograph
* US citizens: Two copies of this Russian visa application form, completed and signed
* Non-US citizens: Two copies of this Russian visa application form, completed and signed
* Payment: A company or personal check or money order made payable to "RussiaGateway.com". To pay for your Russian visa by credit card, please download the credit card authorization form. Include the form in the package that you mail to us.
* If you apply for a visa valid for more than 3 months you must submit HIV Test (AIDS) Certificate.

Russian visas to citizens of the following countries are issued only upon providing proof of permanent residency in the United States (photo copy of the green card) and own letter of invitation (discounts apply). List of countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Germany, India, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Nigeria, N. Korea, Pakistan, Palestine, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sri-Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam.

On the basis of reciprocity, mandatory medical insurance is required, for the citizens of Estonia, Israel, as well as for the citizens of Schengen Agreement Member States (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden).

Children apply for separate visas if they travel on their own passports. Non-traveling parents must confirm in an affidavit their consent for their children's travel. If the child's surname differs from that of his (her) parents, a copy of the child's birth certificate must be enclosed.

Russian Visa Registration Procedure

As you may perhaps know already the new Russian visa registration procedure was implemented in 2007. The rules are changing quite often, but today we were able to compile a clear and correct outline, which explains how to register your visa if you are staying in a private apartment (rented or as a guest). It actually became much easier to do it.

If you're staying at a hotel, the hotel will register you for the period you're staying there.

The main change is that there is no need anymore to go to OVIR if you're staying at an apartment and that all the documents can be submitted by post. Also, from January 2007 registering your visa is the sole responsibility of your accommodating party (hotel or landlord) and should be done by them, not by you and not by the agency, which issued your visa support.

Below is the detailed explanation of the registration process...

1. A foreigner submits his passport and migration card to the landlord. The landlord takes these to the local police station and fills out a registration form (see a sample below). He also enters his own passport details and needs to have his own passport when going to the police. It's essential that the landlord himself is registered at this address. The good news is that no approval of the other people registered at the apartment is needed (as it was before).

2. The authorities accept the form and give a tear off coupon to the landlord. He gives it back to the foreigner and the foreigner keeps it until departure. Please note that the foreigner himself is not supposed to go to the police at all.

3. The registration is to be done within three business days upon arrival.

4. When leaving, the foreigner render the tear off coupon to the landlord (he does not need to show it at the border) and the landlord passes it to the police. This should be done within 24 hours after departure.

5. The procedure can be accomplished by post. In this case the same documents are presented to the post office, they check them and give you the coupon back and when the foreigner leaves, you can send the coupon back by post as well. This procedure (submitting the registration by post) should work in Moscow, we do not yet know if all the post offices in Russia are aware of this procedure.