Visa Information

To enter Russia you will need to have a valid visa. You can obtain the visa from the Russian Consulate in your home country or the country of your temporary stay (e.g. the country in which you currently work or, in some cases, in transit to your next destination). You may be subject to a fine if you are without a passport or entry visa. You could also be subject to days of processing backlogs, and/or immediate deportation by route of entry (at your own expense).

To obtain a visa you need to be issued a support letter (the so-called "izveshenie" or invitation) from a Russian individual or organization (e.g. 'sponsor') and other supporting documentation.

You will not be able to use your home country's Embassy in Russia as a sponsor. You will need to have it before you leave from home.

A single-entry tourist visa is sufficient for travelling to Russia for a short (up to 30 days) period of time. You will need a visa support kit, which consists of two documents issued per person: a Tourist Confirmation Letter (also called Letter of Acceptance) and a travel voucher. When you have received these documents you will need to mail or take them in person to the Russian Consulate servicing your area (visit Russian Embassies for a list of addresses in your area). A complete visa application consists of the following items:

Visa application form: One per person. Free download right-click and save to disc: US - Citizens, US - Non-citizens, Australia, Canada, Great Britain Tourist confirmation letter and travel voucher: free for our clients Valid passport: min. 2 clear pages, valid for at least six months after departure from Russia One passport-size photo per person Consular fee A self-addressed return envelope with prepaid airway bill (if applying by mail).

Depending on the turnaround time you choose, your tourist visa can be ready anywhere from the same day to twelve business days. It is advisable that you send your visa application to the Russian Embassy yourself as this will save money. Sometimes errors in dates or other information on visas occur. Therefore it is helpful to have someone who reads Russian check your visa prior to your departure from your home country. If you plan to travel to a number of Russian cities, it is important that all points of entry and all itinerary points in Russia are printed on visa to avoid potential difficulties in registering visas and/or lengthy delays in travel.

Additional Points to take on board.

All travellers staying in Russia more than 3 days must register their visa through a hotel or their sponsor. Overstaying a visa's validity (even for one day), or neglecting to register, you may be prevented from leaving and/or pay late registration fine at the customs when leaving from Russia. If you have not registered your visa during the visit you run the potential risk of missing your flight back home, as filling out forms and paying the fine takes some time.

It is important to carry originals or copies of passports and registered visas, due to random document checks by police. If you fail to provide the proper documents it may result in detention, heavy fines or even cancellation of your visa resulting in your immediate deportation.

If you plan on staying more than 3 months in Russia youmust present a negative HIV certificate. The certificate must contain your passport data, the amount of time you are intending to stay, blood test results for HIV infection, including the date of thetest, the signature of the doctor who conducted the test, anymedical examination results, diagnostic series and seal of hospital/medical organization. The Certificate must be in Russian and English, and valid for 3 months from the date of the medical examination

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