Russian Visa Official Requirements
Russian Tourist Visa can be single-entry one or double-entry one and is issued for no longer than 30 days stay.For a Tourist Visa, please submit:
- A cover letter from your travel agency in the USA, containing the following information:
- Applicant's name or alphabetical list of a group;
- Dates and points of arrival and departure in and from Russia and means of transportation;
- Itinerary in Russia;
- Index and reference number of the receiving organization.
- A standard tourist confirmation from the authorized hosting Russian travel agency or a hotel, registered with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a voucher from your or travel agency in Russia. The confirmation must contain the agency's reference number and registration number.
Cruise-ship passengers are required to present a Cruise Confirmation Letter from the cruise company’s partner agency in Russia (ask your cruise operator for a copy of that letter prior to applying for a visa).
- Copy of your passport or other travel document vital page(s)
- Signed and dated Visa Application Form # 95 (click HERE! to download. A special program called "Adobe Acrobat Reader" is needed to open the file. If you do not have it, the program is available for free HERE!) filled out in English or Russian.
- Three identical passport size (on white background) photos. Please, write your name in capital letters on the back of the photos.
- Your payment by money order or cashier's check. Please do not send cash or personal checks. Bounced check penalty is $20.
- Pre-paid self-addressed envelope (see Postal Regulations Below).
Single-entry and double-entry Business Visas are issued for no longer than 90 days.
Multiple re-entry Business Visa is issued for up to 1 year and only upon authorization from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs or its Regional Office.For a Business Visa, please submit:
- A letter of invitation from the Russian Foreign Ministry or its Regional Representative Offices, or from the Ministry of the Interior or its local offices or from a Russian host company (the latter must be printed on the company letterhead and must contain official round seal and legal address of the agency, invitation registration number, date of the registration, signature and the name of the official authorized to invite foreign citizens on behalf of the company, travel itinerary, dates of stay, full names and dates of birth of the persons invited).
Please, note that all invitations to Russia issued by Russian organizations located in:
1. Moscow and Moscow Region;
2. Adygeya Republic;
3. Aginsko-Buryatskiy Autonomous District;
4. Arkhangelsk Region;
5. Altay Region as well as Republic of Altay;
6. Belgorod Region
7. Buryatia Republic;
8. Chita Region;
9. Chuvash Republic;
10. Dagestan Republic;
11. Kaliningrad Region;
12. Jewish Autonomous Region;
13. Karelia Republic;
14. Khabarovsk Region;
15. Kirov Region; |
16. Krasnodar Region, as well as the City of Sochi;
17. Krasnoyarsk Region;
18. Lipetsk Region;
19. Mariy Republic;
20. Mordovia Republic;
21. Murmansk Region;
22. Nizhegorodskaya Region;
23. Penza Region;
24. Primorsky Region;
25. Pskov Region;
26. Samara Region;
27. Sakhalin Region;
28. Sverdlovsk Region;
29. Udmurtiya Republic
30. Voronezh Region; |
must be processed through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation or through its Regional Representative Office.
- Copy of your passport or other travel document vital page(s)
- Signed and dated Visa Application Form # 95 (click HERE! to download. A special program called "Adobe Acrobat Reader" is needed to open the file. If you do not have it, the program is available for free HERE!) filled out in English or Russian.
- Three identical passport size (on white background) photos. Please, write your name in capital letters on the back of the photos.
- Your payment by money order or cashier's check. Please do not send cash or personal checks. Bounced check penalty is $20.
Pre-paid self-addressed envelope (see Postal Regulations Below)
Private Visa is issued for no longer than 90 days and is valid for single entry only.For a Private Visa, please submit:
- The original invitation called "Izveschenie" (notification) which can be obtained by any Russian citizen from a local OVIR (Russian Immigration Service) Office.
- Copy of your passport or other travel document vital page(s)
- Signed and dated Visa Application Form # 95 (click HERE! to download. A special program called "Adobe Acrobat Reader" is needed to open the file. If you do not have it, the program is available for free HERE!) filled out in English or Russian.
- Three identical passport size (on white background) photos. Please, write your name in capital letters on the back of the photos.
- Your payment by money order or cashier's check. Please do not send cash or personal checks. Bounced check penalty is $20.
- Pre-paid self-addressed envelope (see Postal Regulations Below)
Transit Visa permits to travel through the Russian territory without stay.
In accordance to your tickets, it is issued for up to 72 hours, if you travel by air, or for up to 10 days, if using other means of transportation.For a Transit Visa, please, submit:
- The visa of the country of destination and a copy of the air, railway or other ticket with “OK” status (required).
- Copy of your passport or other travel document vital page(s)
- Signed and dated Visa Application Form # 95 (click HERE! to download. A special program called "Adobe Acrobat Reader" is needed to open the file. If you do not have it, the program is available for free HERE!) filled out in English or Russian.
- Three identical passport size (on white background) photos. Please, write your name in capital letters on the back of the photos.
- Your payment by money order or cashier's check. Please do not send cash or personal checks. Bounced check penalty is $20.
Pre-paid self-addressed envelope (see Postal Regulations Below).
This attributes to the "long-term" students requesting entry visas. Short-term student projects' participants should refer to the Business Visa regulations. For a Student Visa, please, submit:
- A letter of Invitation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or its Regional Office (if the Region you are going to study in does not have Regional Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the invitation is issued by the University, Institute or College on its official letterhead signed by the rector and certified either by the Office for International Affairs of the local administration or by the local office of the Ministry of Interior).
- Your current diploma or educational certificate, certified by the State or Federal authorities
- General health certificate on your current health condition (must be certified by Apostil at the local office of the Secretary of your State and translated into Russian, then certified by the Consulate)
- A copy of HIV test certificate (must be certified by Apostil at the local office of the Secretary of your State and translated into Russian, then certified by the Consulate)
- A confirmation of the payment arrangement directly from the University, Institute or College you are going to study at.
- Copy of your passport or other travel document vital page(s)
- Signed and dated Visa Application Form # 95 (click HERE! to download. A special program called "Adobe Acrobat Reader" is needed to open the file. If you do not have it, the program is available for free HERE!) filled out in English or Russian.
- Three identical passport size (on white background) photos. Please, write your name in capital letters on the back of the photos.
- Your payment by money order or cashier's check. Please do not send cash or personal checks. Bounced check penalty is $20.
- Pre-paid self-addressed envelope (see Postal Regulations Below).
You can apply personally (or through a person acting on your behalf) except Russian and US National Holidays or by mail.If applying personally, have all the documents handy. The Consulate cannot provide copy, photo or other services.Please, note that drop-off day is not included in the processing period. Visa processing period begins only after the Consulate collected all the documents required. You can also apply through travel agencies and visa services. Click HERE for details!
When applying, please, be advised that the permission to enter the Russian Federation is a courtesy of the State. In accordance with the International Law, the Consulate in certain cases reserves the right to consider your visa applications for as long as it feels necessary. Consular Officer reserves the right to invite the Applicant to be interviewed in person.Visa can be denied if the Consulate has serious reasons to believe that the Applicant's visit to the Russian Federation is not desirable, and the disclosure of the reason for the denial can be withheld.Consular Visa fees received from the applicant are not subject for reimbursement in case of subsequent refusal.
When mailing, a self-addressed pre-paid envelope should be enclosed, showing you both as shipper and recipient. Otherwise, your visa will not be processed. All visa documents must be accompanied by a cover letter specifying dates of arrival and departure, cities to be visited in Russia and telephone or facsimile number where you can be reached.To avoid your correspondence being lost in mail, we recommend using USPS Express Mail or USPS Delivery Confirmation Priority or such commercial postal services as FedEx, DHL, Airborne Express and UPS. Please, do not tear off the top sheet of air-bill (i.e. “Senders Copy”). The Consulate will not be responsible for any loss or mishandling of the mail by the Postal Service or any other delivery agent. Envelopes marked "Bill Credit Card", "Collect", "Bill Recipient" or C.O.D. will not be accepted and your visas will be mailed by regular mail (˘34).
|
Processing Period
|
Entry-Exit
|
Double Entry
|
Multiple Re-entry
|
| Two weeks |
$100 |
$100 |
$150 |
| One week |
$150 |
$200 |
$350 |
| Next business day |
$200 |
$250 |
$450 |
| Same day |
$300 |
$350 |
$550 |
The fee for visa extension or for correction of errors, which are not our error, is $40.00
The Consulate will not bear any responsibility for the errors in visas, which were not brought to our attention before departure from the USA.
Diplomatic Visa applicants have to present their diplomatic passports in original. Guests of the employees of the Foreign Diplomatic and Consular Missions in Russia are advised to obtain an invitation or verbal note from the Mission addressed to the Russian Consulate in San Francisco. The invitation must be dated and carry a seal and a registration number. (Sometimes, Foreign Missions in Russia prefer to process their invitations through the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In this case, the invitation or the verbal note is not required).On the basis of reciprocity, German citizens may apply for Visa to Russia at the Russian Consular Missions in the US only if they have a US Permanent Resident or US Resident Alien status (green card). In all other cases they have to apply for Russian Visa at the Russian Consular Missions in Germany. Children apply for separate visas if they travel on their own passports. Non-traveling parents must confirm in an affidavit their consent for their children's travel. If the child's surname differs from that of his (her) parents, a copy of the child's birth certificate must be enclosed. Double-entry Visa is issued for two entries. All arrival and departure dates must be indicated. Applicants who used to be citizens of the USSR or of the Russian Federation and then emigrated from the USSR or from Russia must submit one of the documents which confirms that they are no longer citizens of the Russian Federation (so called "Visa to Israel" or stamp in their passport saying that they left for "permanent residence abroad" before the 6th of February, 1992 or official document certifying that their Russian citizenship was abrogated), otherwise the applications will not be accepted.The Consulate does not issue visas to any other CIS countries but Tajikistan. Invitations for those who travel to Tajikistan must be confirmed by the Tajikistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Tajikistan Diplomatic Missions in the US. Travelers (excluding applicants for a multiple visa) planning to stay in Russia for a period of more than 90 days must attach a copy of an HIV test certificate to their application papers. No medical insurance is officially required for the US citizens, unless they stay in Russia for 6 months or more. Prior to your visit, consult your medical insurance issuer for details. On the basis of reciprocity mandatory medical insurance is required for the citizens of Estonia, Israel and Finland, as well as for the citizens of Schengen Agreement Member-States (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain).
- I cannot open and print application form using my Internet browser.
Please, check if you have program called Adobe® Acrobat Reader (version 4.0 or higher) installed in your computer. If not, download it for free from Adobe web-site at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html , install it and try to open the application form link again. That should solve the problem.
If, having installed Adobe Acrobat Reader, you are still unable to open application link, please right-click it once, choose SAVE TARGET AS... option from drop-down menu, save it on your hard disk and open it from there with Adobe Acrobat Reader.
- What is that Tourist Voucher thing?
Tourist Voucher is the document, where the tourist services, which are to be provided to you (i.e. airport transfer, hotel accommodation, museum excursions etc.), are listed
- How much money in foreign currency can I bring to Russia?
You can legally bring to Russia any amount of cash money, however you are required to declare a sum that is more than $1500.
You can legally bring out of Russia only $1500 in cash. If you have more, the rest of the sum must be accompanied by a special certificate from a Russian bank called "Raz-resh-enih-ye nah vyh-voz vah-lyu-ty" (Permission to export currency).
- Are there Currency Exchange offices in Russia?
Yes, there are. You can legally exchange foreign currency in Russian banks.
- Are there any restrictions on the travel checks (Thomas Cook, American Express, Visa etc.) or credit cards in Russia?
No, there are no restrictions. Credit cards and travel checks are not to be declared and can be used freely. Russian banks can cash your travel checks. You can also buy travel checks in Russian banks. You can find ATM Machines in the hotels, airports and banks.
- I take pills. Is it OK to bring medical drugs to Russia?
Yes, in reasonable quantities for personal consumption.
- I have non-consumer radio equipment (i.e. walkie-talkie, GPS, radio transmitter). Is it legal to bring it to Russia?
To avoid any inconveniences, your are strongly advised to declare that equipment at the Customs Control and consult a Customs officer. If it is forbidden in Russia, it will be put in Customs storage and returned to you when you leave Russia.
- I want to bring my dog (cat) with me. What are the veterinary requirements?
Prior to arrival to Russia, all dogs and cats must be put in quarantine for 21 days in the US. During last 14 days (but not earlier) they must get vaccination (please, consult your veterinarian) and animal’s transportation container must get special sanitary treatment. Upon completing these procedures, the veterinarian issues a certificate, which you have to get authorized at your local Office of the Department of Agriculture (or similar local official authority) and, then, translate into Russian. Please, note that in some cases Russian quarantine authorities may require the animal to be put in quarantine in Russia for additional 30 days.
- I have an invitation to visit a City of (city name) in Russia. Having received my visa, will I be able to visit other cities in Russia?
Yes.
- Some time ago we adopted a child in Russia and now we want to go there together. Do we have to get Russian visa for our child?
No, you do not. Children, adopted in Russia, remain Russian citizens till they are 18 years of age (when they can choose their citizenship themselves) and are issued a Russian passport upon adoption. Russian Law does not forbid them to be US citizens at the same time, however, requires them to travel to Russia on their Russian passports.
- I need a double-entry Visa. What documents do I have to submit?
Same documents as for a single-entry one, however, the necessity to get a double-entry Visa must be reflected in your invitation.
- How do I get a multiple Visa?
Your partners in Russia must apply on your behalf to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or to its Regional Offices in Russia to get the invitation for a multiple Visa issued. Then, this invitation will be cabled to the Consulate or sent to you directly. Once the Consulate receive it, you become eligible for a multiple Visa.
- I lost my Visa to Russia. Can I be issued a duplicate?
Yes, we will issue you a duplicate, however you will have to pay the minimum processing fee ($70 - for single-entry; $120 - for double-entry; $200 - for multiple) again and it will take up to 3 business days.
- How do I invite my friends or relatives FROM Russia to the United States?
We cannot help you with that. You have to contact your district Office of US Immigration and Naturalization Service or US Embassy and Consular Missions in Russia (more information at this link http://usembassy.state.gov/moscow/).
- I came here from the former USSR or Russia and received US citizenship. Why do I have to confirm the absence of Russian citizenship in order to get Russian Visa?
If you are a citizen of Russia and receive US citizenship, it does not mean that you automatically lose your Russian citizenship, because, according to the Law, no person can be deprived of his/her citizenship, but on his/her stated (i.e. put officially in order) will. Russian Law does not forbid you to have several citizenships, however, considers you only a Russian citizen and, therefore, requires you to travel in and out of Russia on your Russian passports.
Being a State institution, Consulate General enforces the Law of the State, so, every person, whose foreign passports or travel documents indicate his/her place of birth as "Russia" or "USSR", or one of the states, which constituted former USSR, will be required to present a proof of absence of Russian Citizenship.
- Although, my passport says that I was born in Russia or USSR, I know for sure that I am not a Russian citizen but all my paperwork, which might confirm this fact, got lost a long time ago. What do I do?
You can send a special request for confirmation of the absence of Russian citizenship to the Russian authorities through the Consulate. It takes time (1-6 month), so, please apply in advance. Upon receiving the answer, the Consulate will issue you an official document confirming that you are no longer a Russian citizen.
- What are the visa requirements for the citizens of the former USSR?
No visa required for the citizens of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Byelorussia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzia, Moldavia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan.
Visa required for the citizens of Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Turkmenistan.
- When in Russia, can I change my visa status (i.e. from tourist to business or from business to educational and vice versa)?
No, you cannot change your visa status being in Russia. In order to do that, you have to leave the country and re-enter on different visa.
- I am in Russia. What to do in emergency?
In emergency, please, contact the nearest Consular Office or the Embassy of your country or Russian authorities.
In Russia, you can contact Fire Department by dialing 01, Police Department - by dialing 02, Paramedics - by dialing 03.