First of all, let’s identify who needs a visa to enter the Russian Federation. Below is a list of countries from which one does not need a visa when visiting Russia:
| Country | Notes |
|---|---|
| Abkhazia | No visas for all types of passports (including internal) - up to 90 days. |
| Albania | No visas for diplomatic and business passports - up to 90 days. |
| Argentina | No visas for all types of passports - up to 90 days. |
| Armenia | No visas for all types of passports - up to 90 days. |
| Azerbaijan | No visas for all types of passports - up to 90 days. |
| Belarus | No visas for all types of passports (including internal) - up to 90 days. |
| Bolivia | No visas for all types of passports - up to 90 days. |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | No visas for regular passports - 30 days out of 60. |
| Brazil | No visas for all types of passports - up to 90 days. |
| Brunei Darussalam | No visas for all types of passports - up to 14 days. |
| Chile | No visas for all types of passports - up to 90 days. |
| Colombia | No visas for all types of passports - up to 90 days. |
| Cuba | No visas for all types of passports - up to 30 days. |
| Ecuador | No visas for all types of passports - up to 90 days. |
| Estonia | Non-citizens of Estonia with regular international passports - 90 out of 180 days. |
| Fiji | No visas for all types of passports - up to 90 days. |
| Grenada | No visas for all types of passports - up to 90 days. |
| Guatemala | No visas for all types of passports - up to 90 days. |
| Guyana | No visas for all types of passports - up to 90 days. |
| Honduras | No visas for all types of passports - up to 90 days. |
| Hong Kong SAR | No visas up to 14 days for permanent residents of the Hong Kong SAR with a valid Hong Kong SAR passport. |
| Israel | No visas for regular passports - up to 90 days. |
| Japan | No visa required for visits to the South Kuril Islands under pre-approved circumstances only. Travelers should check with the Russian embassy in Japan prior to travel. |
| Kazakhstan | No visas for all types of passports (including internal) - up to 90 days. |
| Kyrgyzstan | No visas for all types of passports (including internal) - up to 90 days. |
| Laos | No visas for all types of passports - up to 30 days. |
| Latvia | No visas with regular international passports. Residents of certain border areas may travel for up to 90 days without visas if their passport has a “Permit for local border stay.” No visas for non-citizens of Latvia with regular international passports – 90 out of 180 days. |
| Macao SAR | No visas for up to 30 days for permanent residents of the Macao SAR with a valid passport of the Macao SAR. |
| Macedonia | No visas - if there is an original invitation, issued in the manner prescribed by Russian law - up to 90 days; if you have the original tourist voucher and confirmation of the reception of a foreign tourist - up to 30 days. |
| Mauritius | No visas for all types of passports - up to 60 days. |
| Moldavia | No visas for all types of passports. |
| Mongolia | No visas for all types of passports.- up to 30 days. |
| Montenegro | No visas for regular passports - up to 30 days. |
| Nauru | No visas - up to 14 days. |
| Nicaragua | No visas for all types of passports - up to 90 days. |
| Norway | No visas with regular international passports. Residents of certain border areas may travel for up to 90 days without visas if their passport has a “Permit for local border stay.” |
| Panama | No visas for all types of passports - up to 90 days. |
| Paraguay | No visas for all types of passports - up to 90 days. |
| People's Republic of China | No visas for tourist groups of 5 to 50 people (according to certified lists; requires confirmation of Russian tourist organization) - up to 14 days. |
| Peru | No visas for all types of passports - up to 90 days. |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | No visas for all types of passports - up to 90 days. |
| Samoa | No visas for all types of passports - up to 60 days |
| Serbia | No visas for regular civil biometric passports - up to 30 days. |
| Seychelles | No visas for all types of passports - up to 30 days. |
| South Africa | No visas for all types of passports - up to 90 days. |
| South Ossetia | No visas for all types of passports (including internal) for normal tourist travel. A special visa is required for entrepreneurial and labor purposes. |
| Tajikistan | No visas for all types of passports - up to 90 days. |
| Thailand | No visas for regular passports - up to 30 days. |
| The Republic of Korea | On regular civil passports without visas - up to 60 days. |
| Ukraine | No visas for all types of passports (including internal) - up to 90 days. |
| Uruguay | No visas for all types of passports - up to 90 days. |
| Uzbekistan | No visas for all types of passports - up to 90 days. |
| Vanuatu | No visas for all types of passports - up to 90 days. |
| Venezuela | No visas for all types of passports - up to 90 days. |
Depending on the purpose of the visit, Russian visas may be issued for tourism, business travel, working in Russia, and visits from highly qualified professionals.
The first stage of the visa registration is getting the appropriate Russian Visa invitation. The invitation is issued in two copies: one copy is sent to the appropriate consulate, and the second one is kept by the traveler. The citizen then goes to the Consulate with his own copy of the invitation and the document package required for the particular visa type, pays the consular fee, presents his copy of the invitation, and then for a certain time, receives the appropriate visa.