Russian Visas and Requirements

Oh, God bless the Russian authorities.  They certainly make sure that anyone who enters their country really, really wants to do so by making their visa process as irritating and drawn-out as possible.  In theory it should be so simple.  Just two steps:  get the documentation you need to go there, and register once you’re there.  But, sadly, I’m sure you know that life is rarely so simple.  Visas, invitations, definite unalterable dates of travel, Registration Departments, red tape: the works.  It can be a nightmare to unravel this Russian coil.  So here, in brief, are the most up-to-date points that you need to be clear on if you want to go to Russia.  We hope it helps.   We must stress, this is NOT one of those countries you can just rock up in and sort everything out once you get there.  It requires forward planning.  We should also stress that if you do all your homework and put the effort in, you won’t be disappointed – Russia is fabulous.

Here’s what we’ve got for you:

  • What you need to apply
  • Travel Companies that will help you with your Invitation/Visa Support
  • Registration
  • Types of Visas
  • Countries that DON’T need visas (few and far between though they are)
  • General Points – MAKE SURE YOU READ THIS!

What you need to apply
So here we go; to apply for a visa you need to do so at the Russian Consulate of your choice, and here’s what you’ll need:

  • Passport – They will take this while they process your visa, and this can take up to 3 weeks, so make sure you’re not going to need it in between.  If you really can’t do without it, you can pay (a lot) more money to speed the process up.  It MUST be valid for at least 6 months after your departure date from Russia.  If it’s not, they may well just not let you in and send you home.
  • Passport Photos – Now, technically you need three, but they often just use one.  Sod’s Law says the one occasion they ask for all three will be when you only have one, so don’t get caught out.  And yes, they need to be properly passport-sized!
  • Visa Application Form – You can pick one up at the Consulate and fill it out then and there, or you can save yourself some hassle and download it from the Embassy website and get it filled in before you get there. 
  • HIV Negative Certificate – This only applies if you are staying more than three months.  Fit in a trip to the doctor before you head down to the embassy, and remember it takes a couple of days to get the results back.
  • Health Insurance Document – Not all embassies/consulates require it, but lots do, and you may be asked to show it when you arrive/depart Russia anyway, so it’s best to get it sorted.  You can do it when you sort your travel insurance.
  • The Invitation/Visa Support – The hardest and most annoying part.  Luckily, in recent times this has got a lot easier.  This is a document from within Russia inviting you to come, without which the consulate cannot and will not process your application.  This can be obtained from:
  • A Hotel – And actually it’s a good idea to pre-book your accommodation for Russia anyway, particularly in Moscow and St. Petersburg, so this is a good option.  The downside is that you will be charged a fee for this.
  • A Travel Company – And we’ll recommend a few a bit further down.  This is also a good option because through these you can sort your invitation out online, although obviously they charge a fee, too.
  • A Business Partner or Employer – If you are going for a Business Visa this is the best option.
  • University – If you are going for a student visa, although this takes a long time and can involve a lot of paperwork. 
  • A Russian Friend – If you are lucky enough to know a Russian citizen who can be induced to stand in line and pay about 30 Euros to organize a letter of invitation for you, you could go for this option.  It is particularly good if you want to organise a private visa and stay a while.

Travel Companies that will help you with your Invitation/Visa Support
These are just a few suggestions to help...

  • Alliance – A St Petersburg based company who can not only help with cheap visa support and registration, but also accommodation, transfers and excursions.  CLOSED WEEKENDS

Tel: +7 812 579 99 33
Email: info@visatorus.com
Website: www.visatorus.com
Address: Ul. 2ya Sovetskaya 7, office 408, St. Petersburg

  • Russian Holiday – Based on Nevsky Prospect, the main street on St Petersburg, this lot are very efficient and speak English, and can help you with just about every aspect of your trip, down to train and plane tickets.  They will help you with your registration and visa support.  CLOSED WEEKENDS

Tel: +7 (812) 3273023
Email: manager@rusholiday.com
Website: www.rusholiday.com
Address: 78 Nevsky Prospect 2 floor,Saint Petersburg, 190025 Russia

  • Ost-West Kontaktservice – Another good St. Petersburg-based company with plenty of experience of sorting out invitations for you. Now also have a Moscow office, which is good if you want to fly into Moscow.  Very quick to do online.  Tel: +7 (812) 327 34 16 Email: info@ostwest.com Website: www.ostwest.com Address: 105, Nevsky prospekt, 191036 St. Petersburg, Russia and 2, Chistoprudny Bulvar, 101000 Moscow, Russia  CLOSED WEEKENDS

Registration
The Russian authorities like to keep a very close track on where you have been during your stay.  This means that your visa needs to be registered for your time there, and this must be done within 72 hours of entering Russia.  If you don’t, you can be fined, detained, searched and/or interrogated, Russian-style.  Not fun.  You can register with:

  • Your hotel – This is the obvious choice.  If you are staying in a hotel/hostel/any official form of tourist accommodation, they can register you, and they must do so within 24 hours of your arrival.  This means you will have to hand over your passport while they do it.  And yes, there will be a fee.  Just to remind you, if you are out and about in Russia, in particular Moscow, you MUST carry your passport at all times, and your registration card that your hotel will issue you with.  If a military-looking person asks to see your identification and you don’t have it, you can be fined.  Carrying your passport around like this means that you must keep an even sharper eye than usual on your belongings.
  • A Travel/Tourism Agency – This can be the agency that invited you over in the first place:  See the list above.  Some of the registration fees are dropping considerably, but can still be pretty costly.
  • Personal Registration with OVIR – The Russian Visa and Registration Department.  When you arrive you can track down your local branch and stand in line with a letter from your landlord stating that you are staying with him.  It takes a long time, you will no doubt face all kinds of irritating red tape, and your landlord might end up being taxed extra because of it, so if you can avoid this option then do so.  But if you are travelling on a private visa it just may be your best option.

Types of Visa
This is for you to figure out – how long do you want to spend there?  Do you want to come in and out of the country at your leisure?  Below is a list that should help you decide which visa is right for you. 

  • Tourist Visa – The most common, easiest and cheapest option.  A tourist visa is valid for up to 30 days, including and within your stated dates of travel.  They are most often single entry, so make sure you want to stay in the country once you’re there, and not flit in and out.  You cannot extend this visa, so don’t try. 
  • Business Visa – Nope, this isn’t just for high-flying businessmen.  It is being more and more frequently used by everyday travellers who want more time and flexibility on their trip to Russia.  Basically, you can get these for 3, 6 or 12 months, and they can be double, triple or multiple entry.  If you are getting your visa after 17.10.07, you can stay in Russia for no more than 90 days in a 6 month period, no matter how many times you enter.  So, if you get a 6 month visa, you can only spend 3 months worth of time within Russia.  This rule doesn’t apply to 3 month visas, obviously.  Another rule for this is that you can only apply for this visa from countries where you are allowed to live for more than 90 days.  And finally, processing for this can take a couple of weeks
  • Student Visa – If you are coming over to Russia to study at a state University, get in touch with their foreign department, send them your details and they should take care of the matter for you and post you your visa.  If you are going merely to study Russian outside of a state University, then consider getting a multi-entry business visa.  If you end up applying for one yourself, the process is roughly the same as for a tourist visa, and you will need to give the dates that you plan on studying for.
  • Personal Visa – This is a single entry visa that lasts 90 days, and the plus side is that once you have it, you can register when you arrive as staying with a friend (another complicated process altogether), which then leaves you free to travel around as you like.  The minus side is that your Russian citizen friend has to take a trip to the OVIR (The Russian Visa and Registration Department) and stand in line in order to apply for a letter of invitation just for you, which can take 30 days and cost about 30 Euros.  It’s a lot to ask of anyone.

Countries that DON’T need visas
If you are from any of the following countries, you’ve lucked out!  You don’t need a Russian visa to enter the country!

  • Azerbaijan
  • Armenia
  • Belarus
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kyrgizstan
  • Moldavia
  • Tajikistan
  • Ukraine
  • Uzbekistan

General Points
Here are some important things to remember.  Make sure you have a read.  They are designed to make your life easier.

  • In most countries copies only of your invitation are required, which is obviously much safer, with the exception of Switzerland and Sweden, and sometimes Australia, Japan and Germany when they are feeling difficult.  You will also need a visa processing fee, which varies depending on the type of visa you want, the location of the consulate, how quickly you want your visa and, apparently, the mood that the consulate is in at the time.  Sorry we can’t be more specific about prices, but it really does vary.  Look up your local consulate and give them a call to find out the going rate.
  • You can go to your consulate in person to apply for your visa, or you can send off for it.  This is up to you, though there are pros and cons to each.  If you apply in person you know it’s done, there’s no chance of them insisting they never received your documents, and the processing time can be quicker.  On the other hand the queues can be absolutely phenomenal – make sure you check their opening hours.  The visa departments are often only open for a few hours a day, and so during these hours the crowds outside your consulate may well resemble a football game.  You can try and get there a few hours before they open, but unless you are in a nice civilised country that endorses queuing, it might not do any good.  Sending off for your visa (provided you have all the correct documentation as listed above) can be pretty straightforward, and you will be sent your visa.  The downside to this is the possibility of your documents getting “lost in the post”, which can be trying enough, but if you are from a country that requires that you send in the original copy of your invitation and it gets lost/mislaid/thrown out, you are going to have to go to all the trouble (and expense) of getting another.
  • If you must send off the original copies of your documents, then make sure you make photocopies of them.  You should do this anyway, as replacing a lost visa and passport in Russia is a lot easier if you have copies.
  • You must know your exact travel dates before sending off for your visa.  Apologies to those who like to keep their plans loose, and were thinking they’d maybe swing by Russia if the mood took them that way: it ain’t going to happen.  There are ways to be as flexible as you’d like once you’re in Russia, but if you try to overstay your visa then you will be in trouble.  A heavy fine will be the least of your problems.
  • You must have an invitation to the country before you book your flight!
  • If you wish to travel within Russia once you’ve arrived, and not be tied down to the hotel registering you only for the days you are staying with them, here’s what you do:  Obtain your invitation for a visa from a tourist company (see above), and when you arrive, register with them and they will sort you out with registration for the duration of your stay no matter where you are sleeping. 

And overall, have a good time!  Russia is an incredible place full of beautiful architecture.  It has an amazing history that can be likened to an American soap opera.  Even the things that people are apprehensive about – a less than friendly reception, the alphabet, the lack of English – signify a country that is very much untamed, still very, very Russian.  Visiting will ensure you have a very different cultural experience.  And that’s why you travel, right?
For further information or details, check out the followings links:
www.russianembassy.biz
www.waytorussia.net
www.inyourpocket.com/russia/country_info