Introduction Russian Visas

In order to travel to Russia almost every foreign visitor needs a visa. A Russian visa is a sticker in your passport. The sticker lists entry/exit dates, your passport number, children traveling with you and visa type. It’s an exit permit too, so if you lose it (or overstay), leaving the country can be harder than getting in. To apply for the Russian Visa to the Russian Consulate you need to have an invitation (visa support letter) from a Russian Tourist Company or Hotel.

There are eight types of visas. The main ones affecting travelers are “tourist”, “tourist group”, “business”, “student” and “private”.

The best options in terms of price, processing speed and flexibility are tourist and business visas.It's better to get a tourist visa if you plan to stay in Russia no longer than one month, and need a single-entry or a double-entry only. Tourist Visas are the most straightforward and inflexible, but it’s relatively easy to obtain. A tourist Russian visa is single-entry or double-entry only and can be valid for the period up to 30 days. It usually takes the Russian consulate from 1 to 10 days to issue this type of visa. A tourist visa is best when you know exactly where and how long you will be staying without diverting from your planned itinerary. To obtain the Russian tourist visa, you need a tourist invitation. The tourist invitation comprises a tourist voucher and a tourist reservation confirmation.
These documents can be issued by our company «Budget Travel Ltd», which is registered in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), has reference number and authorized to issue tourist visa support invitations. Every Consulate in the world accepts our invitations.

It's better to get a business visa if you plan to stay in Russia longer than 1 month and need a multiple-entry visa. Russian business visa is supposed to be issued for the people, who visit Russia for business purposes, for example, to work for a company, to participate in conferences, trainings or negotiations etc. But because of the flexibility, this type of visa also used by ordinary travelers (it allows long stays, multiple entries). Russian business visas can be valid from 1 month to 12 months and may be single, double and multiple entry. To obtain a business visa, you need a business visa support invitation.

Our company «Budget Travel Ltd» authorized to issue business visa invitations by the Russian Interior Ministry (RIM) and has office in St. Petersburg. Every Consulate in the world accepts our invitations.We will take care of all formalities in getting a business visa support invitation from MFA for you. This process takes several working days. Please, make your schedule in advance.

Russian Visa requirements:

Normally, you can apply for a Russian visa at the country where you live, but if you are traveling you can get a Russian Visa in a Russian consulate at the country you're currently in. To apply for a Russian visa, you need to submit to a Russian consulate certain documents:
· your passport valid for at least 6 months beyond your return date;
· three passport-size full-face photos;
· a completed and signed application form, including entry/exit dates (it is a questionnaire available in the consulate for free);
· an invitation from Russia, depending on the type of your visa. Some Russian consulates require copies, some require originals
· handling fee depending on the type of your visa and the speed of processing.
· if you apply for a visa longer than three month you need a document certifying that you are HIV negative.

Consular fees: Normally, the fee for a tourist visa about 60-100 USD, for a business visa about 300-450 USD.
The Russian Consulates in each country have their own rules about how long it will take to get the visa once you apply and how much they charge. To be safe, ask at your local Russian Embassy or Consulate about the latest changes in visa low.You can check the information about different consulates by going to Russian Consulates Worldwide Section.

Visa Support Invitation

Our company «Budget Travel Ltd» can provide you with Tourist Visa Support Invitation or Business Visa Support Invitation.
Our company is registered in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and authorized to issue tourist visa support invitations and business visa support invitations by the Russian Interior Ministry (RIM). The invitation (also called visa support or tourist reservation confirmation and tourist voucher) is a special document that invites you to Russia. The invitation is required by a Russian consulate to be able to process your visa.

A tourist invitation is needed to get a tourist visa. The tourist invitation comprises two parts (on the same paper): tourist reservation confirmation and tourist voucher. It must contain the confirmation of payment for hotel/hostel reservation and other services and Information about personal data, trip details, inviting organization, be signed by authorized person and stamped.

It takes from 1 hour to 1 day to be issued. Usually, a copy of the invitation is acceptable to the consulate, but sometimes they require originals (can be sent by post). The Russian Consulates in each country have their own rules, to be safe, ask at your local Russian Embassy or Consulate about the latest changes in visa low. You can check the information about different consulates by going to Russian Consulates Worldwide Section.

A business invitation is more expensive, because it requires some fees to be paid to the Russian Interior Ministry and takes longer to issue. This invitation can be either sent to you by fax or e-mail (if the consulate accepts copies), posted (if the consulate requires originals), or sent by telex directly to the consulate. The Invitation must contain Information about personal data, trip details, inviting organization, type of visa, be signed by authorized person and stamped.

The Russian Consulates in each country have their own rules, to be safe, ask at your local Russian Embassy or Consulate about the latest changes in visa low. You can check the information about different consulates by going to Russian Consulates Worldwide Section.

Migration Card

All foreigners entering Russia must fill in a Migration card. Migration Cards might be available on board of airplane/train or before the passport control at the border. These cards have recently changed from bilingual (Russian/English) to Russian only cards. Information in response to the questions on the cards can still be completed in English. It is required to put in the migration card: personal information, terms of stay in Russia and the purposes of the visit, residential address and the name of the inviting company (Budget Travel Ltd., if your visa support was issued by our company).

The card is in two identical parts: A (Arrival) and B (Departure). One part (A) will be retained by the Immigration Officer on arrival. You should keep the stamped part (B) with your passport and show it, along with your passport, to the police if they stop you for an identity check during your stay. You should hand in the part (B) with registration stamp to the Immigration Officer on your departure from Russia. You must complete a new migration card each time you enter Russia, even if you have a multiple entry visa. If you lose the part (B) of the card you will be fined, and your departure from the country could be delayed.

Russian Visa Registration

PLEASE NOTE! Your visa must be registered within 3 working days upon your arrival to any Russian city excluding weekend and holidays either by a hotel you're staying in or by the company that issued your invitation (visa support). This rule is applied for all foreign nationals. The registration is a small stamp in migration card part (B), showing a place of your stay. Depending on where you have your visa registered, the registration stamp will look different. If you don't register your visa in time, you may be fined by police (if they stop you on the street to check your papers) or by passport control when you leave Russia.

We strongly recommend you to register your visa!

For more detailed information, see the following parts of our Russian Visa section:

- Tourist and Business Invitations - Our company « Budget Travel Ltd » can provide you with Tourist Visa Support Invitation or Business Visa Support Invitation.

- How to Apply Russian Visa – Which documents you need to submit to a Russian Consulate

- Visa Registration – Where to register your Russian visa

- Russian Consulates Worldwide - a List of Russian Consulates Worldwide