Home Russian Visa Russian Visa Questions and Answers

Russian Visa Questions and Answers

FAQ Russian Visa

Before entering Russia
Do I need a visa?
How to obtain a visa?
How can GoToRussia.Ru help me obtain a visa. Do you actually provide visas?
I have booked a hotel in Russia. Do I still need an invitation?
Do I really need to book a hotel?
Can I use a tourist or business visa if the actual purpose of my visit is different?
I am visiting Russia on an international cruise. Do I need a visa?
I changed my mind and do not need your invitation any more. Can I have a refund?
Can you help my Russian friend visit my country?
Once I am issued a visa, can I travel all over Russia?
How long can I stay in Russia?

Submitting an application
How to submit an application?
Do I need to indicate the exact dates of my visit to Russia?
Do I need to indicate my exact itinerary?
Why your forms are so long?
How do I pay for your invitation?

Obtaining an invitation
When can I expect my invitation and how will it be sent?
Can you send the invitation to the consulate?
How to read my invitation?

While at the consulate
I have received my invitation. What next?
How to fill in the consulate application form?
Tourist visa application
Business visa application

While in Russia
I have arrived in Russia. How do I register my visa?
An unexpected problem arose during my visit
I have lost my invitation
I have lost my passport
I would like to extend my visa
Can I obtain a new visa without leaving Russia?

Before entering Russia

Do I need a visa?
A Russian visa is required for nationals of most countries. However, recently Russia established a visa free regime with several European, Asian and South American countries. To check whether the visa free regime is applicable in your case, please contact the Russian consulate in your country.

How to obtain a visa?
To obtain a Russian visa, you first need to obtain an invitation (visa support) issued by an authorized organization. Then you should take that invitation to the Russian consulate in your country in order to obtain an actual visa. GoToRussia.Ru provides tourist and business invitations. An application can be submitted online. Full information on the visa duration, processing time and fees is indicated on our website.

How can GoToRussia.Ru help me obtain a visa. Do you actually provide visas?
GoToRussia.Ru provides tourist and business invitations (visa support). An application can be submitted online. Full information on the visa duration, processing time and fees is indicated on our website.
Once you have obtained an invitation, you will have to submit it to the Russia consulate or a visa expediting agency in your country.
The visa fees vary depending on the consulate location, applicant's citizenship and processing time. Please contact the Russian consulate in order to obtain the up to date information.

I have booked a hotel in Russia. Do I still need an invitation?
Hotel booking confirmation and visa support documents (invitation) are not the same thing. Confirmation from a hotel is only sufficient if a hotel is authorized to provide visa support for foreign citizens. Only first class hotels (such as Ritz Carlton, Hyatt, Metropol, Marriott, etc.) are entitled to do this. If you book another hotel, you should also present a letter of invitation from an authorized tour company in order to get a visa.
We will be glad to issue a tourist letter of invitation for you upon receiving an online request. An invitation will be processed same or next business day in accordance with your urgency. An online application form is available here.

Do I really need to book a hotel?
We can include a name of a well-known hotel in your invitation for form's sake without you having to actually book the hotel. This way the consular requirements will be observed and once in Russia, you will be able to choose accommodation in accordance with your convenience.
However, there may be cases when this option cannot work. If, upon checking your application, our operators find out that the booking will be actually required in your case, you will be informed before your credit card is charged. We'll book hotel in Moscow or hotel in St Petersburg for any budget.

Can I use a tourist or business visa if the actual purpose of my visit is different?
Generally, the type of visa that you may use mostly depends on the duration of your visit. However, a tourist or business visa cannot be used if:
you visit Russia in order to adopt a child (a specific adoption visa will be required)
you want to send a child to Russia with his/her Russian mother (a homestay visa will be required)
you want to stay in Russia more than 90 days (a student or work visa will be required)
In these cases invitations must be processed by the persons or entities you really plan to visit.

I am visiting Russia on an international cruise. Do I need a visa?
The regulations for cruise passengers are very specific.
A cruise passenger can get off the ship together with other tourists, in this case no visa is required. The passport control officers just check the list of passengers produced by the cruise company.
If a cruise passenger does not wish to be with the group and prefers making an individual city tour, just having a tourist visa would not be sufficient. You should be met at the port and ushered through the passport control by a representative of the tourist company whose services you have booked. A cruise passenger cannot just show his passport with visa to the passport control officers and go to the city. One has to be escorted.
If you really prefer to visit St Petersburg on an individual basis, you may want to consider purchasing a tour package from our travel department. The package comprises an invitation as well as all the necessary permissions and escort services. For details, please contact our travel dept.: info@gotorussia.ru

I changed my mind and do not need your invitation any more. Can I have a refund?
It is against our policy to refund in case the requested service has been provided in full unless there has been a mistake or delay in processing on our side. You have time to reconsider and cancel your request before your credit card is changed and your invitation, actually taken to processing.

Can you help my Russian friend visit my country?
No. Our specialization is Russian visa support for foreign citizens visiting our country.
In order to know the visa and entry requirements for your country, please contact the embassy of your country in Russia. Contact details are available here.

Once I am issued a visa, can I travel all over Russia?
Normally, yes. You will be issued a visa to the country, not to any specific places. Once in Russia, you have the right to change your original itinerary and travel elsewhere. However, there are places and regions in Russia foreigners have but limited access to. When applying online, please provide your actual itinerary. If, upon checking your application, our operators find out that you may not be able to visit one of the indicated places, you will be informed before your credit card is charged.

back totop

How long can I stay in Russia?
Your visa will be issued for the period of time covered by your invitation regardless of the date of the visa issuance and that of your actual entry to Russia. You cannot enter earlier or overstay your visa but you can enter the country later or/and leave it earlier than originally planned.
Normally a tourist visa is available for up to 30 days. However, the experience shows that some consulates in Europe only provide a tourist visa for up to 14 days. If you plan to obtain a long-term tourist visa, your application may be checked extra closely and you may be asked for a hotel payment confirmation along with an invitation. The experience shows that this is often the case in Europe. Consulates located in North America and Australia normally issue 30 days tourist visas with no complications.
A business visa can be issued for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months. Normally a multiple entry 6 or 12 months visa is only available for people who have been issued a Russian visa before. If this is your first visit, you are eligible to obtain a single or double entry visa for 1 to 3 months.
Please note that a multiple entry business visa allows nationals of all countries to stay in Russia up to 90 days out of the period of 180 days. An alternative option is using 3 months business visas and changing them when necessary.
A tourist or business visa cannot be extended.

Submitting an application

How to submit an application?
To order a tourist invitation, please use the following link Russian Tourist Visa Support.
To order a business invitation, please use the following link Russian Business Visa.
A clear photocopy of your passport should be enclosed to your application.
If you travel with family, your spouse and/or children will also need business visas as accompanying family members. Please apply on their behalf and enclose a copy of marriage and/or birth certificate.
If you apply for a visa not in your own country, a copy of your residence or work permit in the country of your temporary residence may also be required. In this case our operators will inform you about this additional requirement.

Do I need to indicate the exact dates of my visit to Russia?
If your exact travel dates are not yet settled, it is always a good idea to obtain a tourist invitation for a longer period than you actually plan to stay in Russia. Then you can get a visa for the same period and travel between the dates with no problem. You cannot enter earlier or overstay your visa but you always can enter the country later or/and leave it earlier than originally planned.
A business invitation and visa will be valid for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months since the date of your first planned entry to Russia.

Do I need to indicate my exact itinerary?
Please indicate the main cities you plan to visit. Small towns and places that you plan to visit for a day or two do not need to be specified.

Why your forms are so long?
We strive to do everything possible to ensure that our clients obtain visas at the Russian consulate with no complications. This is why we are on the market since 2005. While there are many companies that are ready to stamp away an invitation at a moment's notice and then forget about the invitee's existence, we do not let our clients down. This is why it is essential that we have all necessary information regarding your job and position, itinerary, travel dates, etc., irrelevant as it may seem.
We count on the correctness of the information provided by our clients. If, upon checking an application, we see that an invitation processed by our company cannot guarantee you a visa or that you may get in trouble with your visa when in Russia, we will inform you on the problem and won't take your money for the service that you cannot actually use. If we do accept an application, we feel sure that our invitee will be safe.

How do I pay for your invitation?
GoToRussia.ru offers three methods of payment:
1. You can pay with your international non-electronic credit or debit card. In this case the application is immediately taken to processing. Please note that your credit card will not be automatically charged. The payment is processed after an application is checked by our operators. If we need any additional information to process your request, you will be contacted via e-mail before your credit card is charged.
2. You can pay via bank transfer. Our bank details will be sent you same or next business day, as soon as your application is checked by our operators. Your invitation will be taken to processing once our bank confirms the funds' receipt. Please note that the transfer may take a few days.
3. You can have your contacts in Moscow visit our office and pay in cash. Please make sure to contact us and check whether the application is in full order before sending a contact person to our office. Your application will be taken to processing once the payment is received.

Obtaining an invitation

When can I expect my invitation and how will it be sent?
If the application is submitted correctly and can be taken to processing at once, your invitation will be issued within the requested time frame. Full information on the processing time options is stated on our website.
Normally, once processed, the invitations are sent via e-mail. However, some consulates insist on having a faxed copy presented. When applying online, please indicate both your e-mail address and fax number so that we can send your invitation in the proper way.
A multiple entry business invitation must be presented to the consulate in original.
The original may also be required if your visa is to be processed by the Russian consulate located in one of the developing countries. This is why you should indicate the consulate location in your online application form. This enables us to inform you on the necessity of the original before your credit card is charged.
The originals are sent via UPS. The shipping takes two to five business days and the fees vary from $60 to $80 depending on the destination. Full information will be sent you before your credit card is charged and your application, taken to processing.

Can you send the invitation to the consulate?
The regular practice is that all the paperwork required for the visa processing is submitted to the consulate by an applicant. An invitation issuer is not supposed to send the invitation to the consulate and the documents sent to the consulate may be disregarded unless the consulate has specifically required that the invitation is sent to them directly.

How to read my invitation?
A tourist invitation comprises two documents: a confirmation and a voucher. We place the documents on the same sheet of paper for convenience' sake. Hence two signatures and seals. The confirmation is on the left side of the document, the voucher is on the right.
Full name and reference number of the invitation issuer are indicated in Latin characters on the top of your voucher.
Information on the cities you plan to visit and hotels you plan to stay at is listed on the confirmation and voucher. Your itinerary will be specified as per your online application. The names of hotels will be indicated in Latin characters for your convenience.
Being issued by Russian Federal Migration Service, a business invitation is in Russian language. Your itinerary will be specified as per your online application. Full information on the invitation issuer (official company name and address in Russia) will be sent you along with the invitation.

While at the consulate

I have received my invitation. What next?
Once you have obtained an official invitation, you can apply at the Russian consulate in your country for an actual visa.
Here follows the list of documents you will have to present to the Russian consulate: completed consulate application form, invitation letter, original passport, two passport size mat finish photos, consular fee and a proof of medical insurance.
For multiple entry visas you will also be required to present an AIDS Test certificate with test results issued within the previous 30 days.
Those who apply for a visa not in their own country may also need to present documents that confirm their status in this country.
It is always a good idea to contact the Russian consulate in order to receive the latest update on the required documents, processing time options and consular fees. Contact details of the Russian consulates are available here.
The consulate will also inform you whether it would be possible for you to send the documents via registered mail (enclosing a return envelope) and then have your passport with visa sent back to you. This option is available in most countries.

How to fill in the consulate application form?
In order to obtain a visa, it is essential that the visa application form is filled in correctly.
The information you enter in the application form must match that in your invitation. Please stay consistent with the visa support you have requested and been provided with.
While there exist several visa application forms (one for US passport holders, one for those who apply for a visa in the UK, etc.) and the order and wording of the questions may vary, the information required by the consulate is mostly the same in every case.
Here are the correct answers to the questions asked in the consulate application form.

Tourist visa application
Purpose of visit - TOURISM.
Russian institution to be visited - non-applicable. You need a tourist visa, not a business one. Tourists are not supposed to be visiting any departments or organizations.
Itinerary (cities to be visited) - as listed on the invitation.
Date of entry - as listed on the invitation.
Date of departure - as listed on the invitation.
Number of entries - as listed on the invitation.
Type of passport - TOURIST.
Name and reference number of the tourist group - as listed on the invitation.
Address of stay while in Russia - as listed on the invitation. Those who apply for a tourist visa are supposed to have booked a hotel in advance. This is why a name of a well-known hotel is always included in your invitation and indicated in Latin characters for your convenience. Please make sure to indicate the same hotel in your consulate application form.
Is any of your relatives a citizen of Russia - please note that the visa type is supposed to match the actual purpose of your visit. If you indicate that you have relatives in Russia, the consulate may want to make sure that the actual purpose of your trip is not a private visit but tourism. Additional documentation (such as hotel payment confirmation) may be required. In the same time, the experience shows that the answer to this question is never checked by the consulate.

Business visa application
Purpose of visit - BUSINESS.
Russian institution to be visited - please indicate the name of the invitation issuer. This information has been sent you along with an invitation.
Itinerary (cities to be visited) - as listed on the invitation.
Date of entry - as listed on the invitation.
Date of departure - as listed on the invitation.
Number of entries - as listed on the invitation.
Type of passport - TOURIST.
Name and reference number of the tourist group - non-applicable.

While in Russia

I have arrived in Russia. How do I register my visa?
A foreign citizen must register with the local migration authorities within 72 hours upon arrival. If you arrive on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, your visa must be registered on the first working day after your arrival. Then a visa has to be re-registered at each city where you stay more than three business days.
The registration must be completed by the receiving entity. Please note that the receiving entity is not necessarily the same as the inviting organization or hotel entered in the person's invitation and visa but a company, hotel or person a foreigner is actually visiting in Russia.
If you do stay at a hotel, the registration is fully taken care of by the hotel reception.
If you stay at a private apartment, your visa is to be registered by your landlord. Please have the landlord apply at the local police precinct (in Moscow) or FMS office (commonly known as OVIR) in other cities. He will just need to fill out a registration form indicating your passport and migration card details. Your landlord will have to present his passport with the registration (a so-called "propiska") at the same address.
In most cities the form can also be sent to the migration authorities from the local post office. As sending a document by post takes considerably less time than presenting it to the police, we recommend that you use this option whenever possible.
The registration form is available on our website.
Should you happen to meet any problem, please get in touch with us immediately. If anything goes wrong, we will be glad to provide all necessary assistance depending on the situation and actually register your visa in Moscow and St Petersburg if necessary. However, it is essential that the problem is resolved within 72 hours upon your arrival to Russia.

An unexpected problem arose during my visit
The first and most important rule is as follows: all your problems should be dealt with by the inviting organization and everything can be fixed without too much trouble if we deal with your problem in time. The time is really important! Please do not waste it trying to contact any other entities and do not let any information obtained by hearsay influence your actions. It is us and us only who must help you and help you we will.

I have lost my invitation
No problem whatever! Just send an e-mail message to info@gotorussia.ru and a copy will be forwarded directly.

I have lost my passport
1. Please contact the nearest police station urgently and report the loss. You will be provided with a certificate confirming the loss of your passport.
2. Please contact your consulate in Russia in order to be issued a new temporary passport.
3. Please contact us and we will have your visa transferred in your new passport. The police certificate and a new passport are a must!

I would like to extend my visa
Sorry, this is not possible. Neither a tourist nor a business visa can be extended.
If you happen to overstay your visa, you will need an exit visa in order to leave the country. An exit visa is to be taken care of by the invitation issuer. Please do not waste time trying to contact any other entities and do not let any information obtained by hearsay influence your actions. Please contact us once you realize that you are unable to leave Russia in time and we will provide detailed instructions as to the paperwork you will have to collect in order to obtain an exit visa.
We find it our duty to warn you that the exit visa obtaining procedure is extremely complicated, time-consuming, and, truth to tell, expensive. We strongly recommend you to avoid overstaying your visa.

Can I obtain a new visa without leaving Russia?
No, not legally. Here is the explanation why.
An entry visa to Russia is processed by the Russian consulates in foreign countries. No entity in Russia can issue a Russian visa.
Sometimes people think it a good idea to send their passport from Russia to their country via FedEx and have the consulate or a visa expediting agency send back the new visa once it is ready. Indeed, this would be the worst possible option to take because in such a case your new visa will be invalid as you will not have crossed the Russian border with this visa and obtained a stamp in your passport.
What with one visa expired and the other, invalid, a foreigner founds himself in a most difficult situation. The only thing he can do is to obtain an exit visa (which is a really complicated procedure) and leave the country directly.

Here is the full list of questions and answers about russian visa. Also you can send your question about russian visa to us by e-mail to: info@gotorussia.ru