The Russian Visa for your Trip to Russia
If you are thinking of visiting Russia on a holiday or to visit a family or on a business trip, then applying for a Russian visa can become a necessary task.
Generally, you should be able to apply for the required Russian visa online/ at the nearest Russian embassy in the country of your residence.
General Visa Requirements and Validity Period of Russian Visa
It is advisable to check the Russian visa requirements, before applying for your visa to Russia.
A brief summary of the most important requirements and conditions when obtaining the visa for Russia:
- You do not expect to carry out unpaid work that would otherwise be done by a paid employee in Russia.
- You do not plan to join a work relationship in Russia.
- You do not mean to provide services to Russian organisations (this is allowed with a Russian work visa or business visa).
- You do not plan to give or market services or products to consumers in Russia.
- You and your family members are not in debt to the Russia Government.
- You do not pose a risk to the health or safety of the people of Russia.
- You have the ability to show that you have adequate financial resources to cover your stay and return from Russia.
Do you require a Russian visa?
It relies on your nationality as well as the type of travel document you are using to take a trip to Russia.Please go here to check if you require a Russian visa.
Who exactly can obtain a Russian visa?
Any individual wanting to go on holiday to Russia can request a Russian visa.
There are several types of visa for Russia which you can use as a traveller to Russia. If you are not sure which kind of Russian visa you need to apply, please call the closest Russian visa office to obtain additional information as purpose of this web page is to give you general guide when obtaining Russian visa.
What type of Russian visa do I need?
This relies on three points:
- The nationality according to your passport – If the nationality according to the passport is from a nation that is on visa free travel to Russia or eligible to apply for a visa on arrival in Russia, then you may not need to get a Russian visa before departure from your home country. Please click on this link to find out if you need a Russian visa.
- The duration of your stay in Russia – If you wish to remain in Russia for a much shorter duration less than ninety days, then you can get the Russian visa. If you wish to remain much longer, then contact the nearby Russian visa office to find the appropriate visa for your travel.
- The activities you hope to carry out in Russia – If your main reason of taking a trip is for holiday, then you can make an application for all types of Russian visas talked about on this page.
General Visa Application Requirements to Request Russian Traveller Visa
- Tourist visa Form for Russia – Completed Russian visa Form.
- Original and signed passport – The passport has to be valid for at least six months before going into Russia and 3 months after leaving Russia. It needs to have a minimum of 2 spare visa web pages and can not be older than ten years.
- Passport type photo – Photo has to be no older than six months and must be 35 x 40mm in width.
- Previous passport – Give a previous passport if you had any.
- Previous visas – Copies of previous Russian visas details if you had any.
- Flight tickets to Russia – Reservation of return or round trip flight tickets. In some scenarios the Russian visa office may request for pre-paid flight tickets to Russia.
- Travel insurance policy – Proof of travel insurance coverage with a minimum cover set by the Russian embassy provided with the Certificate of Insurance policy and the table of benefits. The travel insurance must cover the cost of repatriation for medical reasons and the Certificate of Currency should be issued by an insurance company. If you are considering using your credit card travel insurance for your travel to Russia, please contact Russian embassy for additional information and travel insurance requirements for the Russian visa.
- Original bank statements – Original bank statements for the last 3 months revealing sufficient funds to cover stay in Russia. If statements are printed online then it needs to be Authenticated (stamped) by the financial institution officials.
- Hotel Reservations in Russia – Copy of confirmed hotel bookings including name of the applicant, name and address of the hotel, length of stay. In most conditions, only bookings which are partially or completely pre-paid can be accepted.
- Employment letter – This letter should be: original and signed letter from employer written on company letter head paper, confirming your ongoing employment, the status of employment, monthly income and annual leave. Likewise, please give your three most recent pay slips. If you are self-employed: offer certified copies of business registration, income tax return.
- For students. Please offer the following:
- Proof of current student status: Certificate of Enrollment.
- Original and signed letter from university written on university letter head paper, confirming ongoing enrolment, confirming the payment of tuition fees or any scholarships, and confirming term break.
- Insurance policy from Organisation/University– Supply a letter from the University specifying the purpose, period of travel and confirmation that you will be covered by the insurance policy for the whole trip along with the Certificate of Currency and summary of benefits.
In general, visa applications for Russian visa must be submitted for an optimum of 6 months, and no behind 15 days, prior to the trip.