Types of visas

In accordance with the decision of the President of the Russian Federation, on August 1, 2023, a practical launch of the system for issuing unified electronic visas to foreign citizens valid throughout the territory of the Russian Federation was carried out. The list of foreign countries whose citizens are issued such a visa currently includes 55 countries: Andorra, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Myanmar, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Vatican City, Vietnam.

An electronic visa is issued on the basis of an application of a foreign citizen filled out in electronic form on the specialized website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia at https://electronic-visa.kdmid.ru or through a mobile application hosted for download on the specified site.

An application for a single electronic visa must be submitted no later than 4 calendar days before the expected date of entry into the Russian Federation. A digital photo of the person and a scan of the page with the data of the machine-readable passport of a foreign citizen are attached to the application. No other documents are required to obtain a single electronic visa.

In accordance with the current Russian legislation, this visa is paid. Payment is made on the above-mentioned specialized website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia by bank card. The total amount including the consular fee, bank commission, transaction costs of the payment system, as well as the fee for preliminary verification of documents, is (adjusted for currency fluctuations) about 52 US dollars. When applying for a single electronic visa for children under the age of 6, only the transaction costs of the payment system (about 2 US dollars) are subject to payment.

A single electronic visa gives the right to enter the Russian Federation once and stay in the Russian Federation on a guest or business visit, as a tourist, as well as to participate in scientific, cultural, socio-political, economic, sports events and to carry out relevant contacts and contacts.
The validity period of a single electronic visa is 60 days from the date of its registration with the permitted period of stay of a foreign citizen in the Russian Federation not exceeding 16 days from the date of entry into the territory of the Russian Federation.
Unified electronic visas are valid for entry into the Russian Federation and exit from the Russian Federation by air, road and water transport, as well as without the use of vehicles only through checkpoints across the state border of the Russian Federation, the list of which was approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated October 23, 2020 No. 2741-R.
Currently, this list consists of 92 checkpoints.
Transport companies can check whether a foreign citizen has a valid single electronic visa on a special automated website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia at https://evisacheck.kdmid.ru. Information about the verification procedure is also available there in Russian and English.

A tourist visa may allow a single (up to three month) or double/multiple entry to the Russian Federation.

A tourist visa is issued for a short stay in the Russian Federation with a tourist purpose based on a tourist confirmation or hotel voucer. A tourist confirmation is issued by the Russian organization that is registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and has a tourist reference number.

Multiple entry tourist visa for the perioud up to 6 month and double entry tourist visa for the perioud up to three month may be issued only on the basis of tourist confirmation.

A single entry tourist visa can be issued on the basis of a hotel reservation (hotel voucher issued by a hotel, included to the Unified list of classified hotels, ski slopes, beaches).

The total period of stay of a foreign citizen who has arrived in Russia with a tourist visa cannot exceed 90 days within each period of 180 days.

Attention! Foreign citizens traveling on cruise ships and ferryboats that make a stop at the Russian port (Big and Passenger ports of Saint-Petersburg, Vladivostok, Vyborg, Kaliningrad, Korsakov (Sakhalin Oblast), Novorossiysk, Sevastopol and Sochi) for no more than 72 hours can stay in Russia without a visa, provided that they live on board of a cruise ship, ferryboat or at any other place determined by a group tour programme and the company providing the tour has carried out all necessary procedures.

The final decision to issue or refuse a Russian visa as well as the issuance of visa itself to foreign nationals outside the Russian Federation lies with the respective Russian Consular institutions.

Necessary documents for a tourist visa are as follows:

• A tourist confirmation, issued by the Russian organization that provides tour operator services and is listed in the Unified Federal register of tour operator, or a hotel reservation (hotel voucher issued by a hotel, included to the Unified list of classified hotels, ski slopes, beaches);
• If tourist services are provided by different tourist companies, tourist confirmations of every company should be provided;
• The original of a foreign passport of a foreign citizen or a stateless person with at least two empty visa pages and valid for a minimum of 6 months starting on the day of visa expiry;
• Electronic Visa Application Form, filled out in Russian or English, and printed directly from the following website of the Consular Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry: https://visa.kdmid.ru;
• One passport size (3.5 x 4.5cm) clear photo in colour taken full-face directly facing the camera and against a plain white or light-coloured background. Only non-tinted prescription glasses and head covering worn daily for a religious purpose or as a part of national costume (in this case the same head covering must be worn in the passport photo) are allowed.
  

 A private visa is issued for a single (up to three months), double (up to three months) or multiple (up to one year) entry into the Russian Federation.

A private visa is issued  to enter the Russian Federation on a guest visit on the basis of an invitation from the invitation of the General Administration for Migration Issues of the Russian MIA , issued at the request of a citizen of the Russian Federation or a foreign citizen who has received a residence permit in the Russian Federation, or a legal entity.

A similar visa can also be issued to a citizen upon a written application from a Russian citizen who is his close relative.

From September 1, 2021, in accordance with paragraph 2 of Article 3 of the Federal Law of July 1, 2021 No. 270-FZ "On Amendments to the Federal Law" On the Procedure for Exiting the Russian Federation and Entry into the Russian Federation "and Article 5 of the Federal Law" On the legal status of foreign citizens in the Russian Federation "amendments entered into force, allowing to obtain an annual multiple-entry private visa (without limitation on the duration of stay in the territory of the Russian Federation during the entire period of validity of the visa) for the purpose of a" guest visit" at the written request of a citizen of the Russian Federation on the entry of a foreign citizen who is his close relative or a member of his family (spouse, parents (adoptive parents), children (adopted), spouses of children, full and half brothers and sisters, grandfathers, grandmothers, grandchildren).

Necessary documents for a private visa are as follows:

• The original of a foreign passport of a foreign citizen or a stateless person with at least two empty visa pages and valid for a minimum of 6 months starting on the day of visa expiry;
• Electronic Visa Application Form, filled out in Russian or English, and printed directly from the following website of the Consular Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry: https://visa.kdmid.ru;
• One passport size (3.5 x 4.5cm) clear photo in colour taken full-face directly facing the camera and against a plain white or light-coloured background. Only non-tinted prescription glasses and head covering worn daily for a religious purpose or as a part of national costume (in this case the same head covering must be worn in the passport photo) are allowed.

One of the following packs of documents:

1) A written request* of a close relative Russian citizen in the name of the head of Russian diplomatic mission or consular institution. Also the following documents must be submitted:

• a copy and the original (the original will be returned) of a valid Russian foreign passport of the inviting person;
• a copy and the original (the original will be returned) of a document proving close relationship between the applicant and his relative in Russia (marriage certificate, birth certificate, a document confirming the disability of an adult child etc.)

* Visa application must be submitted by a Russian citizen in person. If a Russian citizen does not have opportunity to submit documents in person, the applicant will need the original of the application certified by a Russian notary.

2) A notarized invitation for a citizen from his close relative, a citizen who has a permit to stay in Russia for more than 90 days. Also the following documents must be submitted:

• a notarized copy of the first passport page and valid Russian visa of the inviting citizen;
• a copy and the original (the original will be returned) of a document proving close relationship between the applicant and the invited person (marriage certificate, birth certificate etc.).

3) The original of the invitation or a printed copy of an electronic invitation to enter Russia issued by the General Administration for Migration Issues of the Russian MIA (before - FMS Russia).

A business visa is issued to foreign citizens and stateless persons to enter the Russian Federation with business purposes (business talks, seminars, conferences, meeting business partners etc.).

A humanitarian visa is issued to enter the Russian Federation with a purpose of the maintaining, renewal and strengthening of scientific, cultural, and socio-political relations, carrying out sport, religious and charity activities as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid and is issued based on an invitation of the General Administration for Migration Issues of the Russian MIA (before - FMS Russia) or the decision of Russian Ministry of foreign affairs or a written request (invitation) of an organization or an institution.

Business or humanitarian visas can be single or double with a validity period up to 90 days or multiple with a validity period up to 1 year, unless otherwise provided by an international agreement to which the Russian Federation is a party.

From January 1, 2017, based on the article 25.6 of the Federal Law №144-ФЗ of 5 August 1996, the diplomatic missions and consular institutions of the Russian Federation issue for the citizens multiple business and humanitarian visas with a validity period up to 5 years. Such visas allow citizens to stay in Russia for 90 continuous days, totally for 90 days within any 180-day period.

Attention! Russian multiple business and humanitarian visas are constrained by the rule "90 days out of 180 days". It means that a foreign citizen can not stay in Russia during the whole visa validity period. A maximum period of a continuous stay is 90 days. The next visit to Russia in this case becomes possible only after 180 days since the day of the first entry.

The final decision to issue or refuse a Russian visa as well as the issuance of visa itself to foreign nationals outside the Russian Federation lies with the respective Russian Consular institutions.

Necessary documents for a business or humanitarian visa are as follows:

• Invitation of the General Administration for Migration Issues of the Russian MIA (before - FMS Russia) or the decision of Russian Ministry of foreign affairs;
• The original of a foreign passport of a foreign citizen or a stateless person with at least two empty visa pages and valid for a minimum of 6 months starting on the day of visa expiry;
• Electronic Visa Application Form, filled out in Russian or English, and printed directly from the following website of the Consular Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry: https://visa.kdmid.ru;
• One passport size (3.5 x 4.5cm) clear photo in colour taken full-face directly facing the camera and against a plain white or light-coloured background. Only non-tinted prescription glasses and head covering worn daily for a religious purpose or as a part of national costume (in this case the same head covering must be worn in the passport photo) are allowed.
  

Work visas are issued for the entry to the Russian Federation with a purpose of conducting labor activity on submitting an invitation issued by the General Administration for Migration Issues of the Russian MIA (before - FMS Russia).

A work visa can be single or double with the validity period of 90 days or multiple with the validity period of 1-3 years.

The final decision to issue or refuse a Russian visa as well as the issuance of visa itself to foreign nationals outside the Russian Federation lies with the respective Russian Consular institutions.

Necessary documents for a work visa are as follows:

• The original of the invitation of the General Administration for Migration Issues of the Russian MIA (before - FMS Russia) or the decision of Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on issuing a visa for entry to the Russian Federation;
• The original of a foreign passport of a foreign citizen or a stateless person with at least two empty visa pages and valid for a minimum of 1,5 years starting on the visa effective date (the exception is a visa for highly qualified specialist - the passport must be valid for a minimum of 6 months after the day of visa expiry);
• Electronic Visa Application Form, filled out in Russian or English, and printed directly from the following website of the Consular Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry: https://visa.kdmid.ru;
• One passport size (3.5 x 4.5cm) clear photo in colour taken full-face directly facing the camera and against a plain white or light-coloured background. Only non-tinted prescription glasses and head covering worn daily for a religious purpose or as a part of national costume (in this case the same head covering must be worn in the passport photo) are allowed;
• When applying for a visa with the validity period exceeding 90 days you also need to present a negative HIV-test result (a blood test). This medical certificate must be issued within 90 days prior to the day of application.
  

 A transit visa allows to stay in the Russian Federation up to 3 days in case of traveling by plane or up to 10 days if traveling on land. A transit visa can be single or double.
     
Attention! Since the Agreement on Customs Union signed by Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan has come into force, all flights among these countries are considered as domestic. Therefore, border and passport control is carried out only in one of these countries. This is the reason passengers traveling to Belarus or Kazakhstan with a flight change in Russia must acquire a transit visa beforehand.

A single transit visa is issued for the duration of up to 72-hour transit (by plane) through the Russian territory based on travel documents valid for leaving Russia, a valid visa that allows an entry to the neighbouring/destination country or the passport of this state.

The validity period of a double transit visa is limited by one month. If a foreigner needs to travel through Russia to a third country and on the way back also makes a transit through Russia during a period exceeding one month, one should apply for a single transit visa and then apply for the second transit visa at the Russian consulate in the first destination country.

A foreigner traveling through Russia to the destination country by vehicle can get a transit visa for a period enough to travel through the shortest possible route (but no more than 10 days).

A foreigner making a direct flight over the Russian territory does not need a transit visa.

A foreigner making flight on an international airline plane with a change at the same airport in Russia (provided this airport has a transit zone and the passenger has got proper and valid documents for the entry to the destination state as well as an airplane ticket with a confirmed date of departure from the transit Russian airport during 24 hours following the arrival) does not need a transit visa. Transit visa is required in case of leaving an airport transit zone.

Attention! Foreign citizens traveling on cruise ships and ferryboats that make a stop at a Russian port (Big and Passenger ports of Saint-Petersburg, Vladivostok, Vyborg, Kaliningrad, Korsakov (Sakhalin Oblast), Novorossiysk, Sevastopol and Sochi) for no more than 72 hours can stay in Russia without a visa, provided that they live on board of a cruise ship, ferryboat or at any other place determined by a group tour programme and the company providing the tour has carried out all necessary procedures.

The final decision to issue or refuse a Russian visa as well as the issuance of visa itself to foreign nationals outside the Russian Federation lies with the respective Russian Consular institutions.

Necessary documents for a tourist visa are as follows:

• A tourist confirmation, issued by the Russian organization that provides tour operator services and is listed in the Unified Federal register of tour operator, or a hotel reservation (hotel voucher issued by a hotel, included to the Unified list of classified hotels, ski slopes, beaches);
• If tourist services are provided by different tourist companies, tourist confirmations of every company should be provided;
• The original of a foreign passport of a foreign citizen or a stateless person with at least two empty visa pages and valid for a minimum of 6 months starting on the day of visa expiry;
• Electronic Visa Application Form, filled out in Russian or English, and printed directly from the following website of the Consular Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry: https://visa.kdmid.ru;
• One passport size (3.5 x 4.5cm) clear photo in colour taken full-face directly facing the camera and against a plain white or light-coloured background. Only non-tinted prescription glasses and head covering worn daily for a religious purpose or as a part of national costume (in this case the same head covering must be worn in the passport photo) are allowed.
  

Foreign citizens and stateless persons aiming to enter Russia due to death or serious illness of a close relative in Russia can as an exception apply for Russian visa on special conditions and also on a priority basis and during non-working hours.

According to paragraph 2 of article 5 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation, close relatives are spouses, parents, children, step- parents, step-children, siblings, grandparents and grandchildren.

In such case a single (double) common private visa is issued, travel purpose being "special case".

For visa application in emergency case a foreign citizen or a stateless person must provide the following documents:

• The original of a foreign passport of a foreign citizen or a stateless person with at least two empty visa pages and valid for a minimum of 6 months starting on the day of visa expiry;
• A personal application written in a free form containing a request for visa issue in the name of the head of Russian diplomatic mission or consular institution. The application must contain the circumstances that have forced the person to ask for an urgent visa issue, an estimated period of staying in Russia, travel route and full address of the place to stay in Russia.

Besides a written application an applicant must provide:

• Medical records - a telegram from Russia signed by a doctor and confirmed by a telegraph operator, or any other properly confirmed document from a medical institution that proves the emergency situation;
• A document that proves close relationship between the applicant and his relative in Russia (marriage certificate, birth certificate etc.);
• Electronic Visa Application Form, filled out in Russian or English, and printed directly from the following website of the Consular Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry: https://visa.kdmid.ru;
• One passport size (3.5 x 4.5cm) clear photo in colour taken full-face directly facing the camera and against a plain white or light-coloured background. Only non-tinted prescription glasses and head covering worn daily for a religious purpose or as a part of national costume (in this case the same head covering must be worn in the passport photo) are allowed.
  

According to the resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation № 413 of 16 August 2014 "On a migration card" when entering the Russian Federation a foreign citizen must submit a filled out migration card to a border control officer, who after checking the information in the migration card against the data in the passenger's visa and passport puts a border crossing stamp in the card.

Migration card forms are provided free of charge to foreign citizens on arrival to the Russian Federation by border control officers or the representatives of the companies rendering transportation services to foreign citizens visiting Russia.

Migration cards are filled in and signed by the passenger. Corrections and word additions are restricted.

A migration card must be filled in accurately in block letters in English or Russian languages. Using pencil is not permitted.

To choose gender and purpose of visit the sign "X" should be used.

The name and address of a host organization must be provided. If you travel to Russia with the purpose of tourism, you should fill in the name, address, and reference number of the host tourist company. If traveling with some other purpose you should fill in the name and address of the host organization. When transiting through the Russian territory you should indicate the route and the destination country. We recommend to carry the copies of these documents with you at all times.

Please pay attention to the following:

• a migration card must contain a foreigner's passport information, purpose of visit, registration stamp;
• migration card is delivered together with a passport and other travel documents (an airplain/train ticket, a tourist company document etc.) to the border control officer;
• migration card has a serial number and consists of two parts ("A" and "B");
• part "A" (Въезд/Arrival) is stamped only when entering Russia;
• part "B" (Выезд/Departure) is stamped only when leaving Russia;
• part "B" must be kept in a foreigner's passport up to the moment of passing through passport control when leaving Russia.

A foreigner must keep the migration card during the whole period of stay in Russia and submit it together with other documents for registration at the place of residence.

According to the current legislation of Russia, foreigners that have entered Russia must register with an administrative unit of the Russian MIA within 7 working days. If a foreigner stays in a hotel or any other organization providing hotel services, he/she must register within 1 working day.

Registration stamps are made at the opposite side of migration card.

In case of damaging or losing a migration card a foreigner has to report the loss to the administrative unit of the Russian MIA at the place of residence within 3 days. On submitting the documents on which the foreigner have entered the Russian Federation, one can get a duplicate of the migration card.

When leaving the Russian Federation a foreign citizen must return the migration card to the border control officer at Russian border crossing point.

A sample of the migration card can be found here.

You may find a more detailed information about the migration card under the following link.