A foreigner who needs to go to Russia usually asks one thing: “Which visa do I need, and what do I have to collect for it?” The answer starts with the big picture. Let us go through it step by step, the way it looks from inside a consulate.
Three ways for a foreigner to travel to Russia
- Without a visa. For citizens of countries that have a visa-free regime with Russia.
- With an e-visa. At the moment it is available to citizens of 64 countries (the list was approved by Russian Government Order No. 3583-r of 5 December 2024). It is issued remotely on the website electronic-visa.kdmid.ru. The list of countries can change, so check the current one on that website.
- With a regular visa. For everyone else.
The first two ways are straightforward. The third one has many nuances, and that is what we will talk about.
What a visa is
Many people think of a visa as a stamp or a sticker in a passport. In fact, a visa is a country’s advance consent to a foreigner’s entry. By law it is issued as a permission: to enter Russia, to stay in it or to pass through it in transit, but only within the validity period of the visa and for its stated purpose.
Note that the consent is only advance consent: the final decision on entry is taken at the border. The visa is issued by a Russian consulate (sometimes documents are accepted through a visa center).
The ground: without it there is no visa
To get a visa you need a ground. This is a document that explains to the consulate why this particular person can be issued a visa. No ground, no visa.
Visa categories
- diplomatic;
- official (service);
- ordinary (the one most people get, and the one this article is about);
- transit.
Types of ordinary visa by purpose of travel
- private (visiting, personal matters);
- business;
- tourist;
- student;
- work;
- humanitarian;
- for seeking asylum;
- for obtaining a temporary residence permit.
Number of entries
- single: one entry;
- double: no more than two entries;
- multiple: many entries but, as a rule, no more than 90 days in any 180. Roughly speaking: three months in Russia, three months outside it, then three months in again.
What grounds for a visa exist
- An invitation. It is issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Russia.
- A statement by a Russian citizen about the entry of a close relative. It is drawn up at a consular section or by a notary. Only the ambassador or the consul general takes the decision on it.
- A decision of the ambassador or the consul general. Only in exceptional cases, and you should not count on it: the heads of Russian missions abroad do not like such decisions.
- Special instructions of the Russian MFA.
- A decision of the MVD: participation in the compatriot resettlement program, a temporary residence permit, refugee status.
- For tourist visas: a confirmation of reception of a foreign tourist or a confirmation of a hotel booking (the latter only for citizens of a small number of countries).
Tip: start with the ground
Before you prepare any documents, answer one question: what is the person’s ground, in other words, why is he or she going? Once the ground is clear, it is clear which visa to apply for and what it requires. After that come the passport, the application form and the photo, which are needed for all types of visas.