Visas

How could I obtain a Russian visa from the Russian consulate?
1. First, you need an invitation from an inviting party in Russia. This can be your hotel, travel company, business partner, employer, university, or a Russian friend. Note that our sponsors have a lot of experience in providing Russia visa support.
2. If you go to the Russian consulate with your invitation you have to fill in the visa application form. You can do this at the Russian consulate, or at home by downloading the visa application form in PDF format (in English and Russian).
3. You must have a document that proves you have health insurance for Russia covering the period of your Russian visa. Not all Russian consulates require this, but most consulates in European countries do (see list). If they do, make sure you contact your insurance company, so you have this document in time. Or buy health insurance for Russia at your travel or insurance company.
4. Don't forget your passport photos if you go to the Russian consulate; one should be enough, but officially you need to give three. The photos must be three identical professional and passport sized (3x4cm). Pictures can be black-and-white or colour, preferably on matte paper.
5. You have to give your national passport to the Russian consulate. It must be valid for at least six months AFTER the period of your visa. Remember that it can take 2-3 weeks before your visa is ready (unless you pay for the speedy visa despatch for which the costs are high), so you won't have the disposal of your passport for all that time.
6. If you apply for a visa longer than three months you need a document certifying that you are HIV negative.
7. Money: the costs for all visas were standardised in 2007, that a tourist visa or a  business visa also should cost no more than €35. If you are not a resident of the country where you are applying there may be additional fees and also if you want to have quick processing. As difficult as it may be to check, try and find out from the consulate where you apply beforehand.

Some advice and tips:
- Some Russian consulates have their own rules or are stricter in obeying Russian visa laws. To be on the safe side, just ask your local Russian embassy or consulate about the latest changes in visa laws. Click here for an address and telephone number list of all Russian embassies and consulates in the world.

- Make sure you know the working hours of the visa departments of the consulate before you going to apply for a visa. Russian consulates are closed during Russian holidays (and sometimes also the day after), and normally they also do not working on holidays of the host country.

- Note that it can be a time-consuming experience if you go to the Russian consulate by yourself. It will take you at least half a day and you are lucky if there are no queues… You can also ask a local travel agency which specialises in visas to do this for you.

- It is wise to make copies of all your visa support documents before delivering them to the consulate, just in case something goes wrong. The consulate will not return your documents, except of course your passport with the visa and the entry/exit card.

- After you pick up the visa, check the dates before you leave the consulate! If there are mistakes bring it to the attention of the consulate immediately. If the error is theirs, they should correct it without problems and with minimal delay.

- Make a copy of your passport and the visa entry/exit cards before you travel to Russia, so you have always a back up if you lose the original ones. In Russia it is also better to carry copies with you instead of your official documents.

- Read everything about the Migration card and registration in Russia.