Registration and obtaining a visa to Russia for foreigners. How to get a visa to Russia on your own: step-by-step instructions

To enter the territory of the Russian Federation, any citizen of a foreign state needs an entry visa. The exception is citizens of states with the governments of which special agreements on visa-free regime have been signed. These include most of the countries of South America, a number of countries of the former Soviet Union etc. But even citizens of these states need to obtain a work or study visa if they come to Russia to work or get an education, respectively. IN otherwise after 90 days they will have to leave the country.

Before proceeding to consider the features of obtaining a visa for foreigners to Russia, you should understand what a Russian visa is and how it looks like.

general information

A Russian visa for foreign citizens is a permission to enter the country, which is of a temporary nature. In fact, this is a sticker pasted into the passport of a foreign person and containing information about him and the planned trip. You can apply for this permit at:

embassy or consulate of the Russian Federation in the territory of a foreign state;
visa center;
travel company accredited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

It should be noted right away that it is rather difficult for a foreigner to obtain a visa to Russia, since an invitation document is required from a private person or company. Besides, close attention given to citizens from migration-dangerous countries. These are states where the number of people wishing to leave their homeland is very large, as well as states with which the Russian Federation has severed any diplomatic ties. Checks against applicants from these countries are longer and more thorough, and the visa refusal rate is high.

It is difficult to answer the question, how much is a visa to Russia for foreigners, unequivocally. By Russian legislation This period may be up to twenty days. It usually depends on the type of entry permit and the country of its issue. Often obtaining a visa to Russia is possible within 1-3 days.

Required documents

To obtain permission to enter Russia, you must submit the following documents:

the applicant's passport, valid for at least six months after the expiration of the visa, and in the case of long-term visas - more than one and a half years from the start of the entry permit. Also, the passport must contain at least two blank pages;
the original of the invitation, properly executed, or a document replacing it;
a questionnaire to be completed in Russian and English. Currently, it is possible to fill out a visa application form in electronic form;
photograph 35*45 mm;
medical insurance valid for the entire period of the trip;
receipt of payment of the consular fee.

Types of Russian visas, features of obtaining them

Depending on the purpose of visiting Russia, there are the following visas for foreign citizens:

tourist visa;
visitor or private visa;
study visa;
Work Visa;
business visa;
transit visa.

Tourist visa

They are designed to get acquainted with the culture, history of the country, its sights, to attend concerts, forums, etc. Since this is the easiest and most cheap way to be in Russia, they often try to get a tourist visa to visit relatives and friends, short business trips.

The validity of such a visa is up to thirty days, the number of requested entries can be one or two, if, for example, a foreign tourist during a Russian trip wants to visit other countries and then return. But this fact must be proved by travel documents and a tourist voucher, with the specified travel route.

US citizens, under an interstate agreement, may be granted a multiple-entry visa for up to three years, but their continuous stay in Russia is thirty days or less in half a year.

Issuing an invitation for a tourist visa to Russia

To issue an entry document of any type, an invitation is required. IN this case this is a confirmation of acceptance of a foreigner and a tourist voucher.

To obtain them, a convenient option would be to contact a travel company, which will prepare documents for a visa to Russia for a foreigner. The main thing is that this company should be accredited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and have a special reference number.

Getting an invitation through a hotel is somewhat more difficult. When booking a hotel room, you must also request visa support. The largest hotels issue invitation documents for free, others offer to buy them.

The confirmation of acceptance and the voucher are sent to the foreign person via e-mail.

Visitor visa

Received by foreigners wishing to visit friends or relatives in Russia. In practice, for these purposes, it is easier to obtain a tourist visa if the duration of the trip itself does not exceed 30 days.

A private visa can be issued to a foreigner for up to 90 days. It can also be 1-entry and 2-entry, and for US citizens and multiple, provided that it is issued for three years and the period of stay in Russia is not more than 90 days within 6 months.

invitation documents for foreign citizen should be prepared by the host party - a citizen of the Russian Federation. For this you will need:

passport of a Russian citizen;
a copy of the foreigner's passport;
certificate 2-NDFL from the place of work or an extract from a bank account, as proof of the solvency of a Russian citizen and the ability to support a guest;
documents on payment of state duty.

If the host is a foreign person who has a residence permit in Russia and wants to invite close relatives, then he must provide:

an application for inviting relatives, certified by a notary;
documents proving kinship;
a copy of the residence permit.

Having collected all the documents, you should contact the Main Department of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia or submit an application through the State Services portal, which will take much less time.

The guest invitation will be ready within twenty days, then sent to the specified consulate of the Russian Federation by e-mail.

Study visa

Obtained for the purpose of studying in Russian educational institutions on one of the special programs for foreign students or independently.

The validity of a study visa in Russia for foreigners is one year, then it must be renewed annually until the end of the study. You can enter Russia multiple times with a student visa.

Features of the design of the invitation

After a foreign citizen successfully passes the entrance examinations and is enrolled in this institution, the receiving party, i.e. educational institution must issue an invitation for his further education.

To issue an invitation document, the host party will need:

a photocopy of the student's passport;
application for the issuance of an invitation document;
a letter of guarantee on the assumption by the host of the necessary obligations: providing housing, financial security, according to the legislation of the Russian Federation, etc.;
receipt for payment of state duty.

With this package of documents, an authorized employee of an educational institution should contact the Main Department of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or submit an application through the State Services portal. The term for consideration of the application is 20 days.

Work Visa

They receive for employment in the territory of the Russian Federation in a strictly defined organization.

The period of validity of such an entry permit depends on the term of the foreign person's employment contract, but is no more than 3 years. Then the visa can be extended.

A work visa is issued in the same way as a study visa, i.e. a similar package of documents is submitted to the bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, where it is considered within 20 days.

Business visa

Prepare for doing business on Russian territory, participation in business conferences, negotiating, signing contracts, etc.

This visa can be obtained for up to 5 years, while the period of residence in Russia should be limited to 3 months within six months. The number of entries into the country can be 1, 2 or more if the entry permit is issued for a period of more than 1 year.

Making an invitation

Among the documents required for obtaining a business visa, there must also be an invitation. It is formatted in several ways:

An invitation issued at the Main Department of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation is very similar to a guest invitation, but the company is the host party for a business visa. For its registration you need:
- a photocopy of the passport of a foreign citizen;
- application for issuing an invitation;
- a letter guaranteeing that the host party undertakes the necessary obligations;
document confirming the payment of state duty.
You can submit documents either directly to the Main Department of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, or through the MFC. The invitation will be issued in 20 days and sent to the appropriate consulate.
Invitation letter from the organization. The latter must be accredited directly to the GUVM of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. A letter printed on the organization's letterhead is sent in scanned form directly to the specified Russian consulate.
An electronic invitation from the Russian Foreign Ministry (Telex) is a kind of telegram sent via the internal communication channels of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs directly to the Russian consulate. When submitting documents, the applicant only needs to give the Telex number. Only organizations registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation can use this method. Such an invitation has a number of obvious advantages: speed, simplicity, financial savings.

Transit visa

This visa must be obtained if:

the upcoming transfer at the Russian airport is more than 24 hours;
at the Russian airport where you have to make a transfer, there is no transit zone;
you need to change the airport when transferring;
a foreigner passes through the territory of the country by train or by car.

The period of stay in the Russian Federation on such a visa varies from three to ten days and depends on the type of transport used by a foreigner - an airplane or a train / car. And the number of requested entries can be equal to one or two.

For a transit visa, no invitation is required, it will be replaced by travel documents giving the right to enter and exit Russia, and a visa of the country where the foreign citizen is sent.

It is important to note that, despite such a short period of stay on Russian territory, foreigners must fill out a migration card without fail, just like those who come to the country for a longer period.

It is not at all difficult to issue a Tourist or Business (Commercial) visa for a trip to Russia! In this article we will tell you how to get a cheap visa to Russia with the least effort, how to collect all required documents within just one hour!

Wait a second!

This guide is available in the following languages:

Our company has been successfully assisting in obtaining visas to Russia since 1999, so we know all or almost all answers to the questions that our clients and business partners might have when applying for a visa to Russia. So we decided to write a detailed article which explains circumstantially and step by step how to avoid all bureaucratic delays and get a visa to Russia as soon as possible at the lowest price.

If you already know what is a visa to Russia and how to get it go straight to Receiving an Invitation and Health Insurance to Russia. We have created a web service that can issue tourist and business invitations online within 5 minutes. We wish you a pleasant trip!

So, let's start our story about how to get a Russian visa on your own with no middlemen. The process itself is not so complicated, and we will try to tell you about everything related to obtaining a visa to Russia in the simplest terms and plain language.

Before we start, please note that:

If you are planning to travel to Russia with a trip voucher from a tourist company, then, most likely, the company would be dealing with your visa processing. You will only need to fill in a visa application form, provide your passport and photos. Even if you travel independently (without the help of a travel agency), you can also find a tourist company that deals with visas to Russia, and they will do everything for you. However, in both cases you will spend significantly more money than if you applied for it by yourself.

To enter Russia without a visa(for a stay of 30 to 90 days) can passport holders of the following countries: Argentina, Brazil, Israel, Montenegro and many others. Also, citizens of some nations can make short visits with a tourist purpose without visas. For a complete list of countries with a visa-free or light visa regime with Russia, see ).

Before choosing the type of visa that you need, let's clarify a few points:

Visa- is a permit for entry, stay or transit in the Russian Federation issued for citizens of foreign countries. It is a document that is placed in the passport.

Who needs a visa to Russia?

Let's see how to do this

2.2.1. We start with choosing citizenship and type of visa. After that you will immediately see the price of the invitation.

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2.2.2. In the next step you will proceed to completing the application form. You should choose the multiplicity of visa, enter name and passport data, as well as the dates of the trip and the cities to visit.

Also tick the box next to only if you need it - this item is optional. You can read about health insurance further, fill in the contact information form and click "Go to Payment".

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2.2.3. You will be taken to the payment page. You can pay the invitation using the bank card, with the PayPal or contact us to make a payment in offline. Decide on the method and click "Choose".

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2.2.4. Enter the card information into a secure form and with one click"Pay" pay both the invitation and travel insurance for the trip.

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2.2.5. After this simple procedure, you can immediately download the invitation from the appeared window. Also, a copy of the invitation will be sent to your e-mail that you entered when placing the order.

If you also ordered a health insurance, then the file with a health insurance will come to your email during business hours from Monday to Friday within an hour after payment.

(IMPORTANT! If you have already ticked "I need Medical insurance policy for visa to Russia" , in the form of an invitation letter, then you do not need to register it again.) This item is intended for those readers who purchase insurance separately from the invitation.)

ATTENTION! If you travel a lot, you may already have medical insurance to travel abroad and you do not need to get a new one. However, you should make sure that it is valid for Russia and that the insurance company issued you a certificate stating that the insurance covers the entire territory of the Russian Federation.

To obtain a visa to Russia, it is necessary to give in to a Consulate of the Russian Federation (or a Visa Centre) a travel insurance policy that includes repatriation expenses for medical reasons, emergency medical care and / or emergency hospitalization for the entire period stay in Russia.

You can purchase such insurance in the insurance companies authorized and registered with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

You can also purchase the insurance through the Visa Application Center of the Russian Federation, but it will be more expensive and cover a smaller number of services (basic insurance including repatriation and medical assistance will cost approximately 22 $ / 20 € . You will need to contact the Visa Centre, to ask them to send you a questionnaire which you will have to fill in, scan and send back, where you will have to pay for this service through the bank.

How to apply for a health insurance?

The simplest, cheapest and fastest option will be a self-registration for insurance online. It will cost about 17 $ / 16 € (for a 10 days trip) and you will receive your insurance immediately by email. It will need to be printed, signed and submitted along with the rest of the documents.

Let's see how to do this

2.3.1. Select the multiplicity of visa, the period of stay in Russia, enter the name, passport data and contact addresses and phone numbers

Agree to the terms of use and proceed to payment

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2.3.2. Choose how you want to pay for the purchase, and then make payment in a secure form.

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2.3.3. After payment, you will see a message stating that our managers will contact you during the working day.

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2.3.4. The insurance file will be emailed to you within an hour during business hours from Monday to Friday.

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NOTE: If you plan to travel a lot during the year (to Russia or other tourist destinations), perhaps you should arrange an annual medical travel insurance. The cost of such insurance is approximately 190 $ / 162 € and it is valid for 1 year. There you can also insure risks of trip cancellations, get insurance for the Schengen visa, student insurance, etc.

Once you have all the information about the dates of arrival and departure, a valid passport, travel insurance and letter of invitation, you can finally fill in the visa application form.

How to apply for a visa to Russia?

Let "s consider in more detail how to step-by-step fill in a visa application form

2.4.1. When you go to the site , select your country and language, which will be convenient for you to fill in the fom. Confirm that you have read the preliminary information by ticking it. And, finally, click on "Complete new application form".

The form will be displayed in English, but you can choose any language.

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It is not necessary to fill in the form right away. You can finish the process another time, but be sure to write down the code for your application. It is important in order to access the form again. You will also need to provide your last name and the answer to a security question. If you have lost the code, the form will have to be filled in again. Click "Sumbit"

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If you bought an invitation on our website - GoingRus, you can use the assistant to fill visa application forms. In the interface of downloading invitation on the right side of the button "Download Invitation" you can see a button "Show data for the visa application form". Click it to display the fill assistant.

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2.4.2. The most important paragraph. First you need to fill in the information in the section "Information on the required visa":

Nationality
Have you ever had the citizenship of Russia or a country of the former USSR
Purpose of visit and type of visa. It is required to specify TOURISM
Number of entries requested is single or double. Specify as many as you had specified when received the invitation
Dates of the trip. It is necessary to specify the date of entry (arrival to Russia) and departure. It is necessary to enter and leave Russia during this period. The dates indicated in the form must match the dates in the invitation and insurance(or at least be included in these days). If you specify "from 10 to 20 August" in the "Trip dates" section, and the invitation (or insurance) will be "from 11 to 20 August", you will not receive the documents. However, if the invitation (or insurance) indicates the period from August 12 to August 19, then there will be no problems.

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2.4.3. On the next screen, you will need to enter your personal data, as it is indicated in your passport:

Surname
Have you been registered under other names, surnames, etc.
Date of Birth
Place of Birth
Whether you were born in Russia

Fill in the form in capital letters, without using diacritical marks, do not use dots, commas and wavy lines - for example, the Spanish letter Ñ will be replaced by the system on N. In the screenshot you can see the filled in data.

Once you filled in this information, click "Next"

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2.4.4. Enter your passport details on the next screen

Passport number - a line written on all pages of your passport
Date of issue of the passport
Date of expiry of the passport

Once you filled in this information, click "Next"

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2.4.5. The most important paragraph. In the travel details section, you need to specify the following information from your visa support

Name of the tourist company. In our case: OSTWEST.COM
The address of the company. In our case: 191036, Saint-Petersburg, 10, Ligovsky Prospect (office 2133)
reference number. In our case: 009893
confirmation code. In our case: 63789

Then you must also specify information about the route - the cities you will visit. The route is specified in the invitation. In our case:

Saint-Petersburg
Moscow

Next you must click "Yes" n the paragraph with the question "Do you Plan to stay anywhere during your travel in Russia?" and fill in the data about all the hotels in each city stay:

The name of the hotel (to enter the data you need without the quotation marks, and hyphens);
Its addresses;
and phone

Once you filled in this information, click "Next"

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The same data you can see in the invitation:

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Print out the application form, put the date of completion, do not forget to sign it and stick the original passport size (3x4cm) photo (copies are not accepted) . It must be recent, colored, in full face and you should not have any sunglasses or headgear on it.

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If you are applying for a visa through the Russian Visa Application Centre, you can make a payment by bank transfer (attach payment confirmation to the submitted documents) or in the center itself in cash or by card. You could find the payment details on the site of a specific visa centre.

If you decide to apply for a visa at a , you can pay by card or at a branch of a bank on a receipt issued by the Consulate. Cash for payments are not accepted.

After payment, you will only have to bring all the documents to the place where you are going to apply for a visa. If you want to do this through a courier service, then this service is available only at the Visa Center of the Russian Federation. At a Consulate, you cannot obtain a visa without your personal attendance. To do this, you need to contact the center by phone or e-mail, in addition, you can use the services of another courier service, not related to the Visa Centre.

IMPORTANT: In order to avoid any bureaucratic delays, in case anyone asks you “What is the purpose of your trip to Russia?” you MUST say that is "TOURISM - a tourist company is dealing with the trip". You should not mention any other purpose, such as visiting relatives, for example, even if it is you real purpose.

The procedure for issuing a standard visa takes about 10 calendar days from the date of sending the documents. You can obtain an urgent visa within 24 hours without taking into account the day when the documents were submitted. If you are applying for a visa through a courier service, it will take a little longer.

The visa center of the Russian Federation will notify you via e-mail about issuing a visa. We recommend that you check the correctness of all the completed data.

Finally a few words about applying for a visa

If you are planning to obtain a visa to Russia and want to do it carefree and without hassle, use the services of a Visa centre. If you need for example a business visa and you want to save money, contact a Consulate of the Russian Embassy.

If you have a valid passport, the rest of the documents required for the procedure of obtaining a visa can be received through the Internet on your own easily and without overpayments within an hour:

Letter of invitation for 15 $ / 13 €
Travel insurance for 1.1 $ / 1 € per day - just tick a “I would like to have insurance” form
Fill in the visa application form for free at: https://visa.kdmid.ru/petitionchoice.aspx , and then to print it out, sign it and stick a standard passport size photo.
Attach a payment confirmation if you pay by bank transfer.

After all documents are ready, bring them to the place of applying in person or through the delivery service. Within approximately 10 days you will successfully obtain a visa for a trip to Russia .

The process of registration does not end with obtaining of a visa. Remember that on arrival to Russia you need to perform two additional procedures: fill in the migration card and register for . The first document is usually completed by a passport control officer at the border, and the second by a hotel employee, where you decided to stay.

During the entire period of the trip, be sure to carry your passport with the migration card and the migration registration notice in case you are stopped on the street by a policeman (this might happen, though very seldom).

, by registering with the migration service of the Russian Federation within the first 7 days of arrival (excluding weekends and holidays). Until March 2011 it was necessary to register within 72 hours, but under the new law the term has been changed.

If you are staying in Russia less than 7 days you don't need to have any migration registration.

Why is temporary registration in Russia necessary?

The purpose of registration is to notify the immigration authorities of the place where you stayed, about your presence in Russia. You must register in each of the cities you are going to visit.

Registration is not your responsibility, it must be arranged for you by the hotel where you will stay, or the owner of the apartment in which you live.

If you have chosen a hotel accommodation, after your arrival, a hotel manage in charge should take care of your migration registration. You will be asked to give your passport with a visa and a migration card that you will receive at the border when entering the country.

If you do not live at a hotel, but in a private property, its owner has to register his/her guest at the FMS (Federal Migration Service) office or at the post office. It is not necessary to be present at registration, provide the owner of the property with a copy of the first page of your passport, your visa and the migration card.

It should be noted that some companies issue temporary registration for a fee.

Also, please keep in mind that when leaving the country, you do not need to have a migration registration notification with you, unlike the migration card.

You can see the notification on the displayed image. The foreigner will keep the lower part (under the dotted line).

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That's all. We remind you that all personal data used in this article including names and passport numbers is made-up. The falsification of documents is a crime!

Any coincidences encountered in the text are accidental and cannot be considered plagiarism. Copying of this article is permitted only with reference to the author and to this site.

We are happy to answer any of your questions in the comments to this article!

Details goingrus Last Updated: 24 February 2018 Hits: 101745

A visa to Russia for a foreigner is a prerequisite for entering the Russian Federation. Many countries have special agreements that save their citizens from obtaining an entry document to Russia, but such a minority. A work visa to Russia is especially popular, but tourism is also in Lately gained momentum.

Permission to enter the Russian Federation can be issued through the Embassies and Consulates of Russia, Russian visa centers began to open where registration is also available. There is another way to get a visa to Russia - through a travel company authorized and accredited in the Russian Embassy, which is a commercial intermediary and provides such services.

Without an invitation for a visa, you will not be able to apply.

In the case of short-term visits, we always recommend issuing a tourist invitation.

For comparison: if you want to issue a private invitation for a foreigner on your own behalf, you will need to document that you can support it - provide a 2-NDFL certificate, a bank statement and pay a state duty of 800 rubles. Responsibility for the actions of a foreign citizen lies with you. Registration time - up to 3 months + standing in queues.

Therefore, it is easiest to issue a tourist invitation for a short stay and a business visa for a long stay.

A visa to Russia can only be obtained by invitation.

Who needs a visa

According to federal law, a Russian visa is required for all foreign citizens who plan to cross the border, regardless of purpose. Even citizens of states with which Russia introduced a visa-free regime at one time, for the purposes of work / study, need to issue either work visa or educational. Without a visa, such citizens can only come for tourist or private purposes by invitation.

Types of visas to Russia

Types of visas to Russia for foreigners are divided into several groups. Each category of documents is responsible for its purpose of stay in the country and has its own rules and deadlines. In order to understand what type of visa to Russia a foreigner needs, you first need to decide on the main purpose of the trip, and then get the document.

Russian visa photo

Tourist visa

In the Russian Federation, in addition to Moscow, there are many tourist places that you can see. Mostly foreign citizens go, of course, to St. Petersburg and Moscow, some go on tours along the Golden Ring, and only a few reach the Urals or the south of the country. For all these trips you need a tourist visa to Russia for foreigners. It is issued for a not very long time period, making it without the participation of commercial intermediaries is problematic, but possible.

Mostly the Russian Federation is visited by tourists from Western countries at a fairly respectable age, as well as Chinese tourists. For all these people, tourist visas to Russia for foreigners are made by intermediary companies. To visit the Russian Federation for tourism purposes, you need to contact the Russian visa center, which provides support (if any), or the Embassy or Consulate.

Visitor visa to Russia by invitation

The result of the outflow of Russian citizens in the 90s was the fact that now they are all foreign citizens and they also need an entry permit to visit their relatives in the Russian Federation. This is a guest visa to Russia for foreigners, which is done at the invitation of a guest. With such a document, you can come to visit relatives or friends who have remained here, you can also invite your foreign spouse to meet Russian parents.

A visitor visa for foreigners, like a tourist visa, does not need to be issued to citizens of those states with which there is an agreement on visa-free entry.

Study visa to Russia

There are a number of excellent universities in the Russian Federation, many foreign students come for educational purposes - to get an education, to become specialists. They will need an appropriate study visa to Russia for foreigners. It provides an opportunity to study in higher / secondary educational institution. There are even special programs for inviting students from other countries, especially at large leading universities.

Work visa to Russia, work permit

One of the most requested documents is a work visa for a foreigner in Russia. The state is fighting illegal workers and is trying to legalize their stay by introducing new laws for employers that simplify the procedure for obtaining a visa and work permit.

In addition to migrants, there is a certain number of hired expats - foreign professionals working in Russian representative offices their firms by invitation or in Russian companies that are business partners. They also need a Russian work visa for a foreigner.

Business/humanitarian visa

A special business visa to Russia is required if you are planning a business trip, coming as part of an official delegation, visiting business partners for negotiations, resolving any issues related specifically to business activity in business. Do not confuse this document with a work permit. A business visa to Russia is issued only with a business invitation.

Transit visa to Russia

Permission to transit through the territory of the Russian Federation is also needed. Russian transit visa they make out even if there is a transfer at an international airport without going beyond it. A transit document has different validity periods, they depend on the path followed by a foreigner: an airplane or ground transport (for example, a car).

A Russian visa for a foreigner in case of transit is issued if there are tickets to a third country, as well as if visa stamp third country, if needed.

Entry Features

There is one point that a foreign citizen must take into account upon arrival in the Russian Federation. Within three days you need to come to the internal affairs bodies at the address of residence and register. Moreover, you need to appear there with the person who sent the invitation. When, for example, a business visa to Russia is made for foreigners, there are no problems, since the host party, which is a business partner, takes care of everything, it provides visa support. But private visitors sometimes forget about the mandatory registration rule.

If registration fails, then legal liability is imposed on both: on the inviting party and on the foreigner himself. To apply for registration to the migration service, you need to bring two forms in Russian and two photographs.

Required documents

According to official information Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the list of documents for a Russian visa is not very long and is practically the same for all types of entry visas. Permission is issued upon submission of the following package of documents:

A current foreign passport issued in the name of a foreign visa applicant, it must have two blank pages and be valid for another six months after the expiration of the requested visa. In the case of long-term visas - work or study, the validity period must be another year and a half from the moment the visa begins to be valid;
Properly completed visa application form;

It is possible to complete these forms electronically.

One photo 35 by 45 mm, color or black and white, without headgear (they are allowed only for religious reasons and if the photo in the passport of a foreign citizen was also taken in a headdress);
Document confirming the payment of the consular visa fee;
Certificate of absence of HIV, if a foreigner requests a long-term visa.

Additional documents for a tourist visa to Russia

Confirmation of acceptance of a tourist issued by an accredited organization that has the right to carry out tourism activities.

It should be additionally noted that simply providing plane tickets and hotel reservations will not be the basis for a tourist visa to Russia to be issued, so it is quite difficult for travelers to get here.

The hotel itself deals with the registration of the arrived foreign citizen and submits an application to the migration service.

Additional documents for obtaining a Russian visa by private invitation

Original invitation from a relative or friend, issued at the FMS office.

Additional documents for a business visa to Russia

The original business invitation issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Federal Migration Service of the Russian Federation or the relevant decision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Additional documents for a study visa to Russia for foreigners

Original invitation issued at the FMS office;
A study invitation in the name of a foreign citizen, requested and issued in advance.

Additional documents for business visa to Russia

Applications of the migration service on the need to hire a foreign citizen - it is submitted by the future employer;
Conclusion that the company's business really needs to hire a foreign citizen;
Work permits - it is also issued by the employer;
Work invitation addressed to a foreign citizen.

It should be said that on this moment obtaining a business / work visa to Russia for foreigners is a laborious process. The process of obtaining a visa itself is only the last step after receiving all necessary papers from the right authorities. It is impossible to get a work visa, if there are only plans to find a job in the Russian Federation, the document will simply not be given.

Copies of invitations for all types of entry documents are not considered.

Obtaining a visa to Russia

It is hardly possible to apply for a visa to Russia on your own, anyway, for this you will need to resort to mediation. Moreover, if there are relatives/acquaintances/friends in the Russian Federation, then it is easier for a foreigner to get a visa to Russia than if he just planned a tourist trip.

A foreign tourist needs to remember that booking hotels and tickets to Russia is not enough, no one will give him a visa based on them. According to visa regulations, it all the same someone should invite. And how to get a visa to Russia for a foreigner with the least financial losses - it depends on him. You can choose a company with affordable prices, or you can join a group of tourists.

The procedure for obtaining a visa is as follows:

Decide on the category of visa you need to obtain;
Find a company / individual who will take care of the invitation and file a petition with the relevant authorities, conclude an agreement;
Get the original invitation;
Collect a package of documents and submit to the Embassy or Consulate of Russia;
Get an answer.

We recommend using the following step-by-step instructions for obtaining a visa to Russia. With the help of this manual, you will receive comprehensive information on what needs to be done to invite a foreign guest to Russia.

A mandatory document for obtaining a visa is an invitation. It can be issued either by a travel agency or by the FMS. We do not recommend making an invitation yourself through the Federal Migration Service, as this involves a lot of procedural problems - it is simply not profitable!

We recommend that you issue an invitation online using the following form from our partners GoingRus.com. You will spend only 5 minutes, and an invitation will come to your e-mail: no extra actions or calls are required, and all procedural problems taken over by our partners.

Receiving through intermediaries

Visas to Russia for foreigners in Moscow are made by many organizations. They take into account all the nuances: whether the state where the applicant wants to come from is in the migration risk zone, how friendly it is (this criterion is also taken into account), what are the goals of the visit of a foreign citizen, provide an invitation and so on.

Any Russian visas for foreigners in Moscow must be obtained only with the help of reliable companies that have the right to conduct such activities. Before you become their client and conclude an agreement, you need to find out additional information about the selected company.

Russian visa invitation

As can be seen from the lists of papers, for all types of visas, it is the business / private / tourist invitation that occupies the central place among all documents. It depends on the correctness of the invitation form whether a foreigner will receive the right to enter the Russian Federation or not. No type of visa can be issued without an appropriate invitation, even transit, so many questions arise about how to fill out this form correctly.

The sample invitation for a visa to Russia depends on who invites. In any case, it must be made on the letterhead of the organization that is the inviting party. Accordingly, a sample invitation for a Russian visa in case of a private trip can be viewed at the Federal Migration Service or on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Forms of business invitations of the company draw up themselves.

Before issuing an invitation for a visa to Russia, the host party must submit a certain set of documents to the Federal Migration Service. Only after that, an invitation letter for a visa to Russia is created according to the model, which indicates detailed information about a foreign citizen, the purpose of his visit, financial support for his arrival, place of residence, route, and so on. Together with the invitation form, letters of guarantee and documents confirming the availability of sufficient financial resources to support the residence of a foreigner are attached.

The inviting Russian side fully undertakes the financial support of a foreign citizen. In the case of work and business visas, this is a company, in the case of a tourist trip, this is a tour operator, and in the case of a private visit, this is a friend, relative or acquaintance.

A foreigner does not need a sample invitation letter for a visa to Russia, since he does not fill out the letter himself. This document is required Russian citizens in order to get everything right. The form can be issued to the FMS or DMV. An important point - issued invitation must be handed over to a foreign citizen. Only the original is valid, so it must be sent by mail or courier delivery.

The possibility of issuing an invitation form by electronic telex greatly simplifies the situation. Telex in this case is an electronic instruction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, issued for certain categories of entry documents, which can be used to obtain a visa.

Acquisition cost

Russian visas have different consular fees for citizens different states. For the USA and Great Britain, for example, this is an amount of more than 7,000 rubles, for India - more than 4,000 rubles. The current price should be viewed on the websites of the Embassies (Consulates) of the Russian Federation in the respective states.

Also, obtaining business, private and tourist invitations from the Russian Federation has a separate cost for clients of intermediaries. As a rule, this is an amount of 1000 rubles or more, depending on the country from which the traveler is staying.

Validity periods

Different categories of visas have and different dates during which the document is valid. They are always individual depending on the situation. The current validity periods of a visa to Russia can be seen from the table.

Type of visa	Number of allowed entries (multiplicity)	Validity
Business / humanitarian	Single entry, double entry, multiple entry	Three months to one year
Tourist	Single, double	30 days
Private	Single, double	Up to three months
Educational	Multiple	Depends on the length of study
working	Multiple	Depends on contract term
transit	Double	3 days

There is such a thing as the total number of allowed days of stay. The total number of days of stay on a visa to Russia should not exceed 90 days in each six months.

Russian visa extension

A foreign citizen has the opportunity to extend an entry permit without leaving the Russian Federation. How to extend a visa for a foreigner in Russia is an important issue. According to official information, an extension is possible in the following cases:

If a foreigner cannot leave the Russian Federation on time due to illness, death of a relative or for any other reason;
If there is another need for an extension.

It is allowed to extend a visa only for 10 days, provided that the total period of stay of a foreigner in the Russian Federation is no more than three months in the last six months, this threshold cannot be exceeded.

A foreigner can extend a visa in Russia by contacting the Federal Migration Service at the place of his registration. If he applies to other authorities: to the border crossing point, to the representative office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the border area, then a document is issued there for an extension of only three days.

Terms of receipt

Terms of receipt Russian visas depends on the country where the Russian Embassy or Consulate is located. They must be specified on the website of the Russian Embassy in the state from which the applicant submits the application. In any case, the application is made in advance, before the trip, and first you need to get an invitation for a visa, and this is also the time.

conclusions

Getting a visa and crossing the border of the Russian Federation is not so easy: there are many specific points associated with an invitation. Lots of bureaucracy and a long wait. And for a tourist who does not have connections in the Russian Federation, there are not many options to get to Russia for the purpose of tourism if he does not want to use the services of intermediaries and wants to save money. Perhaps in the future something will change, but as long as such an invitation procedure is in place, tourism in Russia will be at a rather low level.

For the inviting party, the arrival of a foreign citizen is associated with troubles, because all legal responsibility for the guest under federal immigration law lies with him. That is, before inviting a foreign guest, you need to prepare well.

You can also get a refusal of a Russian visa, especially if a foreign citizen has violated federal law.

Video: how to get a visa to Russia

Russian visa is official document, giving the right to stay in Russia for certain period. Citizens of most countries require a Russian visa to enter Russia. The visa indicates the dates of entry and exit from the country, its type and multiplicity, as well as the passport details of the owner and information about the inviting organization ( "Visa Sponsor"). A visa is a permit for both entry and exit. If you stay in the country longer than the period specified in the visa or lose your passport with a visa, then leaving the country will be extremely difficult.

If you are a citizen of the Russian Federation and have a valid passport, you are required to enter the country with this passport, a Russian visa is not required in this case. If you left Russia before 1992, you must enter on the passport of the country of which you are a citizen. See visa waiver countries and visa waiver types to see if you can visit Russia without a visa. In all other cases, you will need a Russian visa.

If your child is under 14 years old and his details are entered in your passport, he can enter Russia with you on your visa. If the child's details are not included in your passport, but he has his own passport, then you will need to issue a separate Invitation for the accompanying family member. When placing an order, please provide us with relevant information about your child. If one of the parents has Russian citizenship and the child travels with him, in this case the child needs Russian passport or a private visa. A tourist visa is not suitable in this case.

To enter the Russian Federation you need:

Stage 1 – Obtaining a Visa Invitation

Determine the type of Russian visa you need

The type of visa may not match the purpose of your visit. For example, a short-term business trip can be made on a Tourist visa, which is faster and cheaper than a Business visa.
Issue an appropriate Visa Invitation from a Russian legal entity or individual directly or through a reliable agency
Order an Invitation and, if necessary, delivery of its original

Stage 3 - Registration of a visa in Russia

The owner of the accommodation where you live can register a visa
It is necessary to register a visa after each entry into Russia if the expected period of stay at the place of stay will exceed 7 working days

If you are staying at a hotel, its administration must register a visa for the entire duration of your stay.

In order for a Russian visa to be obtained at the lowest cost, and you can safely visit Russia, you must:

1. Get basic information about Russian visas to avoid possible problems and unjustified expenditure of effort, time and money. Try to understand the main steps that make up the process of obtaining a visa, as well as subsequent entry, stay and exit from Russia.

View clearly structured information and the best recommendations on our website. You can get free consultation experienced visa specialist choose a convenient way for you

2. Visa cost depends on the type of visa and the urgency of obtaining it, your citizenship and the chosen Russian consulate, the experience and reliability of the partners you have chosen.
The cost of a visa is the sum of mandatory fees, overhead costs, price and quality of services partners.

Mandatory Fees:

National tax for issuing a visa invitation - charged for some types of visas (400 rubles)
consular fee– the amount depends on your citizenship and the urgency of obtaining a visa (for example, the consular fee for EU citizens is 35 Euro for non-urgent processing)
Visa Application Center fee– in the case when a Visa Application Center operates at this consulate, a fixed amount is charged for processing documents (usually 30 Euros), and if it is mandatory to obtain biometric data, an additional fee is charged (see the list of Russian consulates and Visa Application Centers, biometric data is taken in London, Edinburgh, Copenhagen, Myanmar and Namibia)
postage– in the case when visa registration upon arrival in Russia is carried out through the Russian Post office (usually 700 rubles)

Overheads:

delivery you the original Visa Invitation - required to be presented to the consulates when obtaining certain types of visas (for example, delivery of the original Invitation for a Business multiple entry visa from Russia to the EU countries by express mail costs approximately 40 Euros)
your personal travel to the consulate - to submit a set of documents and then obtain a visa, or postage– to send documents and return the finished visa
acquisition of medical insurance
providing additional documents which the consulate may require

The determining factor in the total cost of the visa and your time and effort is price and quality of services your partners. A good partner will offer you the optimal scheme for obtaining a visa with minimal cost both mandatory fees and overhead costs. Remember that in the field of Russian visas there are many nuances that allow you to get the desired result in different ways.

3. Find the best partner(partners) to obtain a visa Invitation, the visa itself at the Russian consulate and ensure your hassle-free stay in Russia.

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Also keep in mind that, according to Russian law, only a Russian legal entity or individual (the so-called Visa Sponsor), whose name is indicated on the Russian visa, can invite a foreign citizen to Russia. Often only the Visa Sponsor can help you in solving possible problems, for example, visa restoration in case of loss, visa extension, etc.

uses a reliable Visa Sponsor
has an office in Russia and you know its address and phone number
is accredited by the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (former Federal Migration Service) of Russia
will help you to register a visa, as well as in other non-standard situations with your visa
has many years of experience with Russian visas and can offer you additional services
provides services at reasonable prices with no hidden fees

Visa House is your best partner. Many years of experience in the field of Russian visas, the use of modern information technologies and a well-deserved reputation in the eyes of serious clients allow us to assert this.

4. So you ready to start? Then select the type of visa , choose a partner , place an order and control the progress of its implementation .

By choosing Visa House, you can place an order and check its execution at any time and from anywhere in the world. Our System is a unique way of simple, inexpensive and permanent interaction between you and our company. Knowing Current state order, you will be calmer and easier to plan your trip.

You can get a free consultation from an experienced visa specialist - choose a convenient way for you