Frequently Asked Questions

A tourist visa is a necessary document for entry into the Russian Federation for citizens of foreign countries who do not have a visa-free arrangement with Russia. A tourist visa to Russia can be valid from 1 to 30 days.

The basis for such a visa is an invitation from a travel company, accredited in Russia. Typically, the travel company that provided the invitation draws up a set of documents such as booking tickets, documents for rented apartments etc. By proxy, authorized in a simple form, a representative of the company can pick up a ready-made visa.

This tourist visa is the cheapest and easiest type of visa to obtain.

Visas are issued by the Russian consulate, located in the state where the foreign citizen resides. So to obtain such a visa, a foreign citizen applies to the Russian consulate providing the following documents:

Invitation
Application form
Passport-style photos
Original passport

To obtain a visa, you must pay the consular fee. The visa application timeframe is not more than 20 working days from the date of application by the foreign citizen (Clause 11 of the Regulations). However, when applying for a citizen's tourist visa, registration is usually much faster.
With the help of our company, you can issue an invitation for a foreign citizen. However, the foreign citizen will receive a visa independently at the Russian consulate in their country, based on this invitation and additional submitted documents.
No, you can only issue an invitation. The foreign citizen will need to apply for a visa on the basis of this invitation at the Russian consulate in their country.
According to clause 9.1 of the Regulations: “A foreign citizen who is in a state that is not the country of their citizenship, a visa is issued only if they have permission to stay in that country for more than 90 days.” In other words, such a basis may be appropriate for a residence permit, in some cases a work or study visa.

Thus, when outside their home country on a short-term visit (tourism, visiting friends, business trip, participating in competitions/festivals), a foreign citizen cannot obtain a visa there. An exception may be made only if there is no consulate in their own country.
We issue travel and business invitations.
In this case, it is advisable for you to get a business visa based on a business invitation, because a business visa is longer than a tourist one. It is valid for up to one year and you can enter the Russian Federation several times during the validity period of a business visa.

The timescale for issuing a business invitation is 20-25 calendar days. The longer registration period is associated with bureaucratic procedures. An invitation may be issued to foreign citizens by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, on behalf of a company accredited in this department. An electronic copy of the invitation with a barcode is sent to the consulate.

To apply for a visa, you must contact the Consulate of the Russian Federation in the relevant country with a standard package of documents, namely:

passport
application form
4 photos (35mm х 45mm, color, matte finish)
medical insurance
invitation

The consul may also request additional documents from the applicant, such as evidence of financial viability. The main task of the consul is to make sure that the person is not going to stay in the country illegally.
There are two options.

With our help:

Order the necessary invitation.
Once received, the invitation should be sent to the intended visa holder on the basis of which they will be able to apply to the Russian Consulate for a visa.

Without our help:

You must contact your nearest Department of General Administration for Migration Issues of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation in Moscow. This department deals with the affairs of foreign citizens.

You must fill out the necessary application, pay a state duty, and provide supporting documents confirming that you have sufficient financial resources to support a foreign citizen in Russia.

Once received, the invitation should be sent to the intended visa holder, on the basis of which they can apply to the Russian consulate for a visa
We issue travel and business invitations. You can read more about the differences here.
The invitation is only the basis for applying for a visa. Our company has the know-how and the ability to make invitations faster than the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, by reducing red tape, and due to our excellent knowledge of the process. But the decision to issue a visa always remains at the discretion of the Consul. The Consul's task is to exclude the possibility of an illegal stay in the Russian Federation. If a foreign citizen’s application raises any cause for concern or questions, additional documents may be requested of them by the Consul or the visa may not be issued at all.
If you find errors in the invitation you made through us, then you need to contact us immediately as whilst it is still possible to make changes at this stage, they cannot be made later.

After arriving in Russia, you cannot make changes to your visa.
Visa registration is a declaration of a foreign citizen through migration registration at the location at which they are staying in accordance with the requirements of Russian legislation. The migration registration procedure assumes that the owner of the apartment or authorized person at the hotel will within 7 business days notify the territorial department of the Administration for Migration Issues of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation of your arrival. This must take place within 7 business days of arrival.

As a result of this procedure, you will receive a voucher for registration with a migration account. If you do not comply with this procedure within 7 days, you will be in violation of immigration laws and you may be subject to a fine or face administrative expulsion by court order. In the event of any such issues, our company has specialist lawyers who will be able to assist you.
If you do not leave the country before the deadline and have an expired visa, you are in violation of migration laws (article 18.8 of Code of Administrative Offenses) and you can leave only on the basis of a court decision. Such a violation caries a fine of between 2,000 to 5,000 rubles, with or without administrative expulsion from the Russian Federation. Enlisting the help of a competent migration lawyer will reduce the chances of administrative expulsion. In the event of a violation occurring you will have access to a specialist lawyer within our company.

If you are subject to administrative expulsion a decision will be taken by the administrative authority (General Administration for Migration Issues of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation in Moscow) whether to bar you from entering Russia for a period of 5 years. Therefore, it is highly preferable that the court only imposes a fine without administrative expulsion.

Violation of the terms for leaving Russia is an administrative offense and will result in a fine to the order of 5,000 rubles and a potential ban on entry into Russia for a term of up to 5 years.

Visas for entry to the Russian Federation are governed by Decree 335 of the 2003 government regulations, which encompass procedures for issue, required documents, and relevant deadlines.

Under Paragraph 27 of these Regulations, visas, depending on the purpose of entry, can be one of the following types:

  • a) private (P)
  • b) business (B)
  • c) tourist (T), including group tourist (GT)
  • d) study (S)
  • e) working (W)
  • f) humanitarian (H)
  • g) to enter the Russian Federation for political asylum (A)
  • h) to enter the Russian Federation in order to obtain citizenship
    of the Russian Federation (CIT)
  • i) to enter the Russian Federation in order to obtain a temporary residence permit in the Russian Federation (LIV)

The type of visa needed is determined by the purpose of the visit. Accordingly, each type of visa has specific conditions and requirements. Visas vary in validity, admissibility for continuous stay in the Russian Federation, and documents necessary for their issue.

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To receive а tourist invitation to Russia, please, indicate your citizenship.

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