Russian Tourist visa

Below you can read how to obtain a Russian visa in two simple steps.

Step 1: Getting an Invitation

To obtain a Russian visa you first need to get an invitation. Tourist visas can be valid for up to 1 month and are usually single-entry. The invitation comprises a tourist voucher and a reservation confirmation, which can only be issued by a Russian travel agency, registered in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

Step 2: Getting a Visa

When you have an invitation, you need to submit it to the Russian consulate and apply for a visa. It's better to check with the Russian consulate beforehand if they accept copies of invitations or only originals.
To apply for a Russian visa, you need to provide the following along with your invitation:
1. your passport or one copy of the first page
(the passport should be valid for at least 6 month after the visa expires),
2. 3 photos (3 by 4 cm),
3. Russian Visa Application Form, completed and signed.
(click HERE to download. A special program called Adobe Acrobat Reader Version 4.0 or higher is needed to open the file. If you do not have it, the program is available for free HERE)
4. evidence of medical insurance

For instructions consult the website of the Russian Embassy or Consulate near you.

After you submit all the documents and papers needed, it should take the consulate from 1 to 21 days to make a visa, depending on how much you pay.

Type of Visa Period of making the invitation next day the same day  Tourist Single Entry up to 30 days 20 30  Tourist Single Entry up to 30 days  + registration * 35    Title: Mr    Mrs    Ms  First Name:  Middle Name:  Last Name:  Date of Birth: Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31   Month January February March April May June July August September October November December    Citizenship:  Place of Birth:  Passport Number:  Passport Expires: Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31   Month January February March April May June July August September October November December   Year 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015  Start date of your Visa: Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31   Month January February March April May June July August September October November December   Year 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010  End date of your Visa: Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31   Month January February March April May June July August September October November December   Year 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010  Place of arrival in Russia:  Place of departure from Russia:  Where are you staying:  (hotel, flat, other):  The place of getting the visa  (Country, City): Up to 5 cities in Russia you may visit: 1.      2.  3.      4.  5.       Comments:     Contact Information  First Name, Last Name*  Company  Address  Telephone number  Fax number  E-mail*  The way of payment Credit Card Western Union Bank Transfer to Russia   Secure Credit transactions provided by CCNow, an authorized retailer for Rus-hotels.com

   * - only in St.Petersburg