When travelling to Russia in any capacity, you will be required to gain a visa. There are a number of different visa classes, depending on the purpose of your visit.
In order to obtain a Russian visa, you will need to get an invite direct from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Russia, or from an agency registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Russia-visa can arrange this on your behalf. You can apply for your Russian Visa up to 3 months before your intended arrival date.
Russian visa support is essentially an invitation to visit the country. Depending on the type of visa for Russia being pursued, this invitation will come from different sources.
For holiday makers a 'Tourist Voucher' must be obtained. For a private visitor the documentation will need to be obtained from the relevant Russian family or friends, whilst for a business visitor the invitation must come from the Russian company in question.
The Russian Tourist visa is designed for visitors to the country who are visiting for the purposes of tourism and only for a short period of time. A Russian Tourist Visa can be issued for either single or double entry, but only for a validity of no more than 30 days. Additionally, the Tourist Visa for Russia does not allow the visa holder to engage in any kind of employment and cannot be extended while the holder is in Russia.
Applications for Russian tourist visas require an invitation to be granted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a Ministry approved travel agency / organisation. You will also be required to provide a current passport from your country of residence with a validity of at least six months after the expiry of the Russian visa.
Russian transit visa is for foreigners, who travel to a third country via Russia.
Usually it is enough to present visa to the country of destination and copy of your travel documents (tickets via Russia) to apply for it. Visa to the country of destination is not required for the citizens of this country and for those foreigners who can enter this country without a visa.
Prices for Russian transit visas are usually low, and it is not very difficult to obtain it.
Like the Russian tourist visa, the Russian business visa can be granted as either a single or double entry permit. However, unlike the tourist visa for Russia, the Business visa for Russia can be valid for up to 90 days, as well as the standard 30 days, with another variant with a maximum duration of one year also available. Applicants may be required to provide an HIV certificate.
Russian business visas are valid for a range of activities including attending meetings, negotiations, or conferences. Business visas for Russia are not valid for any Russian employment.
Applications for Russian business visas require an invitation to be granted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a Ministry approved travel agency / organisation. You will also be required to provide a current passport from your country of residence with a validity of at least six months after the expiry of the Russian visa.
To get professional advice and/or help regarding Russian visas please call us 0844 740 8521 or e-mail us.