In this section of our site
you will find questions that we are frequently asked and some general
answers to them.
We try to ensure that information
contained in this section is accurate and up to date, however if you don't find
what you are looking for here or have specific questions, please
either check our forum for answers, post you own
question to the forum or contact us, and we
will be happy to help.
A visa to the Russian Federation is a document stuck into your passport, permitting stay in
Russia for a specific period of time and for a specific purpose such as tourism or business.
A visa lists the period during which you may stay in Russia, the number of times you may enter and
leave, your passport details and some information about the inviting party.
Please note, that your Russian visa is an exit permit just like it’s an entry permit. If you lose it or
stay over your designated departure date, leaving Russia could be more troublesome than entering it.
Please note: Do not try to enter Russia just using Visa
Support Documents, you will be deported immediately at your own cost!
The visa is a full page document pasted into your passport and you can
see what one looks like by clicking
here.
Do I need a visa?
Most foreign nationals, including those from the UK, are required to have entry visas to travel to
the Russian Federation. Citizens of former CIS Republics, except Georgia
and Turkmenistan, may enter Russia with their national passports.
If you are in transit through Russia and do not leave the airport,
then you will not need a visa. However, if you are in transit and need
to leave the airport, for example to stay overnight in a hotel or
transfer to a different airport, then you will need a visa. If your stay
in Russia during your transit is less than 72 hours we may obtain a
transit visa on your behalf, please
contact us for details.
How long does it take to get a Russian visa
and how much does it cost?
It takes between 2 working days and 6 weeks to get your visa depending upon
the type that you need. The the cost also varies accordingly to type and
how quickly you need it from less than £85 for a
tourist visa to nearly £600 for an
express service on a multiple entry one year
business visa.
In our service tables we list processing days as a guide
to how long it will take to get your visa from the Russian Consulate for the type and service you
require. Processing days are business days and exclude
weekends, UK public holidays, official Russian public
holidays and postal time.
It is very important that you confirm your visa is suitable for your journey before you use it.
As some of the information on your Russian visa will be in Russian we have produced a short guide
on deciphering what it says.
What is the difference between a tourist visa
and a business visa?
Tourist visas are valid for up to one month and allow
either a single or double entry
and exit, while business visas are valid from between 1 to 12 months and
may allow multiple entries and exits.
Do I have to be travelling to Russia on
Business to get a Business visa?
No, a Business visa may be issued for any reason, the consulate has
issued then to children as young as six weeks old. Basically, a business
visa often allows more flexibility.
Can I travel on a private trip with a tourist
visa?
Yes, you can. The type of visa you choose depends on the purpose and
the length of your trip. For a tourist visa to Russia you must have
confirmed accommodations or transit information for every night of your
stay in the country. We will provide you with visa support invitation to
satisfy this requirement and confirming your accommodations/itinerary.
No hotel reservations or bookings are needed on your part. Remember, you
must register your visa when you
arrive in Russia.
Can I have
more than one Russian visa in my passport at once?
No, you can only have one active visa for a
specific country in your passport at any one time.
If you have an active visa (that is a visa that is
not expired, used or cancelled) for the country in your passport at the time we
apply at the consulate for a new one, then the current active visa will be
cancelled when the new visa is issued.
If you have two passports, either for the same
country or as a dual national, then each of these passports may contain a
separate active visa.
You should take this into consideration when
ordering a new or replacement visa, if you have any questions then please feel
free to contact us and we will be
happy to help.
Can I process an invitation for a private visa
through your company?
Sorry, no you can't, as we provide only tourist and business visas
and tourist support documents. Friends or relatives who will host you
during your Russian visit will need to obtain a visa invitation for you
from the Passport and Visa Department of the local Police Precinct. This
original official invitation will need to be mailed to you as Russian
Consulates worldwide accept only original private visa invitations.
Obtaining this type of invitation can be a very lengthy and troublesome
procedure, and we suggest applying for either
Tourist visa or
Business visa instead. However,
if you have received your original invitation documents from Russia and
want us to help you prepare, lodge, collect and check your visa then
please contact us and we will
be happy to help.
How can I check on the progress of my visa or
support application?
To check on the progress of your application with us, please
click here and then enter in your application
reference number. If you have lost this, then please
contact us.
You will also receive automatic emails and notifications from our system as
the status of your visa application changes.
Should I provide you with the exact travel
dates in my application for a tourist invitation or can I give you rough
dates?
A Russian Tourist visa is issued for the exact dates you request and as shown on the invitation up to
a maximum of 30 days inclusive of day of entry and exit. Please note you may not enter Russia before the visa starts and you must leave
Russia before the visa expires and as such we would suggest that you add a few days before and after your
expected dates of travel to allow for changes in your plans and you can then enter and leave Russia within that period.
How can I change some details in my
application?
In case you have provided us wrong details or forgotten about
something, please contact our UK
office immediately and we will see what we can do. Depending upon
which stage we are at with your application, we may be able to make the
alteration without charge, make it with an additional charge or not be
change it at all.
I am living in the UK, but I still have
Russian citizenship. Do I need a visa?
If you are a Russian citizen and have a valid Russian passport, you
have to enter Russia with it and there is no visa required.
If your Russian passport has expired you must renew your Russian passport and travel on this.
The consulate will only process a visa for a person born in Russia if they can prove that they have never had,
or have renounced, their Russian citizenship. Remember, even if your Russian passport has expired, or you obtain a
second foreign passport, this does not mean that you are no longer a Russian citizen.
Do I need a visa for my child?
If your child has a separate passport, you will need to get a
separate visa for them. If your child is included in your passport then
you will only need to pay an additional £10.00 visa support fee per
child.
All children, that is a person under the age of 18, need to
provide additional documents with their applications in the event
that:
They are travelling alone or not with both parents or
guardians.
They have a different surname from one or both parents or
guardians.
A copy of the birth certificate in the event that the
child has a different surname than one or both parents (we recommend you
send this anyway in all cases of travelling with a child)
These documents do not need to be notarised, apostilled or witnessed by
a solicitor and you should not send originals unless we ask you to
do so.
If the child cannot sign the application form themselves, then the parent or
guardian should sign on their behalf and note this under the signature, e.g.
Mother.
In the event that you are the sole parent or guardian of the child and you
are not able to provide the second parent's passport copy and signature then you
should provide:
A copy of your divorce certificate OR death certificate
of parent(s) OR child's birth certificate noting "father unknown" and
Child's birth certificate AND alter the parental consent
letter to explain why the second parent / guardian is not able to give
consent.
If you have been awarded sole guardianship / custody of
the child, or parental responsibility by a court of law, then please enclose
a copy of this as well.
If you wish to obtain a three, six or twelve month visa for a child to accompany an adult travelling on a business visa,
then you need to be aware of the following:
To allow us to raise the "accompanying family member" visa support documents, at least
one parent or guardian must be travelling with the child and have their
business visa support raised at the same time as the child. A copy of the child’s birth certificate is also required.
If the parents already have their visas, then when you
apply you should provide a copy or scan of any visas and a copy of the
child's birth certificate. Please note, the visa support provider for the accompanying family member visa has to be the same as that of the related parent’s visa, so if the parent(s) arranged their own visa support (i.e. not through Real Russia), they will need to do so again for the family member.
A child's accompanying family member visa dates must be the same as or within
the parents' or guardians'.
Finally, all of the above thread only explicitly applies to the UK, other
consulates in other countries may be different.
A new law, introduced in March 2010, simplifying the private visa application process for children,
under the age of 18, of parent(s) holding a Russian passport who are to enter Russia with their Russian parent(s);
in this case, the parent(s) holding the valid Russian passport must submit the application documents (original Russian passport of parent and their UK visa showing legal status in the UK, child’s original birth certificate, plus the application form, recent passport photograph and passport of the child, parental consent letter, copy of non-Russian parent’s passport, and any extra paperwork for non-UK nationals where applicable) in person at the
Russian Visa Application Centre and a visa support document is not required. The Russian Consulate have made it clear that from May 2010 they will only accept private visa applications (and refuse tourist visa applications) from such applicants.
Please contact us for more information.
What documents should I bring to the Russian
Consulate in order to apply for my visa and is it possible to send these
documents by post?
If you are applying for your visa yourself, you should bring your
support documents, your passport
which must be valid for 6 months after your proposed departure from
Russia and have two blank pages, a single passport photograph, the
consular fee (postal order or cash only), proof of medical insurance and
a completed application
form. It is always a good idea to get in touch with the
Russian Consulate
in order to check the latest update on the required documents.
If you have no opportunity to go to the Russian Consulate yourself,
you can generally send your documents by mail. We would recommend that
you use Royal Mail Special Delivery.
I am a foreign national currently staying in
the UK. Can you process my visa application?
In many cases, yes we can.
If you wish to obtain a visa for a UK or EU passport, a passport that does not does not require entry clearance into the
UK or a passport with valid UK entry clearance then we can process your application. For non-UK and non-EU nationals
applying for a Russian visa, you will be required to show that you have been legally resident in the UK for
at least 90 days prior to applying for your visa.
Citizens of Latin America, Africa and Asian countries should
get their visas in the Russian Consulate of their native countries.
Please note, that this is no longer a requirement for German
citizens and they may apply in the UK.
All passport holders of African countries (except South African) and Asian
and South American countries, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Algiers, Egypt, Iran, Iraq,
Nigeria, Cameroon, China, Vietnam, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and countries
that border these should contact us before making an application.
I am a
not in the UK at the moment. Can you process my visa application?
Even if you are not a British passport holder or not currently in the
UK in most cases we can process your Russian, Mongolian, Kazakh, Belarus
and Chinese visa application for you. Please note that the Chinese
and Russian consulates may not process visas for non-EU nationals or nationals who
require entry clearance into the UK if no entry clearance or visa is in
the passport.
If you are not in the UK when applying for your visas you will need to send
your applications to us by courier or secure post and we would return them the
same way.
If you wish us to return your passport and visas by courier, select "Other
courier - price on application" as the return delivery option when ordering your
visa, complete the credit card authorisation form, enclose this
with your applications and we will charge your card directly for the return
courier to your requested address. If you are in mainland Europe then you may
choose to use Royal Mail international signed for delivery at the time of
ordering your visa online by selecting "European mainland delivery" as the
return delivery option.
For the return courier or European mainland delivery, please ensure that you
give us the full return address including a post code and local contact
telephone number - you may use the comments box on the online form for this
purpose.
In all cases passport holders of African countries (except South African) and Asian
and South American countries, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Algiers, Egypt, Iran, Iraq,
Nigeria, Cameroon, China, Vietnam, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and countries
that border these should contact us before making an application.
Can you get me
a work permit or student visa?
No, Real Russia can not provide work permits
for foreign nationals who wish to work in Russia, these can only
be obtained from the company that you are going to work for in Russia.
If you are going to work in Sakhalin then please see the
following information.
We also can not issue visa invitations with the
purpose of "education" or "study", again this is only legal if issued by the
school, college or university that you will be attending.
If required we can help with the processing at the
consulate of these visas, please contact
us for details.
Do I need to register my visa?
All foreign citizens arriving in the Russian Federation must register their visas
within three working days of their arrival (excluding weekends and
official public holidays). An unregistered visa can
cause problems and delays with even the most common tasks that require a
passport as identification and even cause you to be denied exit from
Russia.
Visa registration procedures and requirements can differ in each city
and region of Russia. Please see our short guide to
registering your visa for more
information.
What is the migration card for?
On the 10th February 2003 the requirements for Migration cards came
into force for the purposes of migration control into the territory of
the Russian Federation. Every foreign citizen (with the exception of the
members of the diplomatic missions and international organisations) is
required to fill in a migration card when visiting Russia. You can view
a sample card here.
You will be given a migration card by your carrier before you enter
Russia, they are also available at the ports of entry. You should complete
both parts (entry and exit) and hand this over to the passport control
officer on entry.
Please keep it safe and hand it back again to the passport control
officer at departure. If you lose your
migratory card you should report this to the regional bodies of domestic
affairs domiciliary within three days.
Please note that your future entry into the Russia Federation may be restricted if
you do not submit your migration card during your visit.
Can I
extend my tourist visa while in Russia and if so, for how long?
Generally the Russian visas can not be extended except
in cases such as:
Missing your flight
Accident
Serious illness
Seat unavailability in case of an open-date ticket
In all the cases mentioned above our
Moscow office can extend your visa for up to
2 weeks and you will need to provide the appropriate documents to prove your case. The cost of the exit visa
varies according to circumstances to between £100 to £250. If you
believe that you may need to stay for more than 30 days, you should
consider a business visa.
What do I do if my visa is lost or stolen?
In that unfortunate case, you need a new exit visa.
First of all, you must contact a local police precinct and make a
request for an official document confirming that your visa was lost. To
make the processing easier we recommend you to state that your documents
were lost, not stolen.
Then, you need to get a new passport from the British Embassy in
Moscow.
With the documents mentioned above, one matt finished photo and your
return ticket (with the fixed returned date) you should go to our
Moscow office. We will process a new exit visa for you. Please note
that the processing takes no less than 5 business days.
Can I extend my one-year multiple entries Russian visa without
leaving Russia?
No, you can not extend a multiple entry visa, you need to leave
Russia and apply for a new visa.
How much money can I take in and out of
Russia?
You may "import" into the Russian Federation up to $10,000 (or
equivalent) and "export" up to $3,000 without declaring it at the
customs. If you export from the country a sum of money over $3,000 and
up to $10,000 it must be declared on departure.
If you are exporting from the country a sum of over $10,000 you must
provide documentary proof that you either imported it into the country
or have legally obtained it whilst in the country.
If you complete a declaration form to state that you are bringing in
more than $3,000 you must ensure that it is stamped by a Customs
official at your port of entry or it will not be valid. Declaration
forms are freely available at the ports of entry.
If you cash travellers cheques, or obtain money from a bank, make
sure you keep all documents as proof. Please note, that travellers
cheques may be difficult to cash and be charged at a premium, outside of
Moscow and St. Petersburg. Sterling may also be difficult to change so we
recommend you take either US dollars or Euros.
NOTE! If you fail to complete a
declaration form on arrival or to get it validated by Customs officials
your foreign currency and non-declared items may be confiscated when you
leave Russia and you may be fined.
Do I need travel insurance?
A Reciprocal Health Care Agreement is in operation between the UK and
the Russian Federation that entitles UK citizens to free treatment in a
Russian hospital. However, we strongly recommend that travellers
take out full insurance cover for medical treatment and accidents as
Private medical treatment can be expensive and public health care is
often not of European standards.
You can
order travel insurance
for as little as £7 a trip that will cover you travelling in
Russia and throughout the region.
What are the Official Russian Public Holidays?
Russian Official Public holidays include:
1st and 2nd January - New Year's Holiday
7th January - Russian Orthodox Christmas
23rd February - Army Day
8th March - Women's Day
1st and 2nd May - Labour Day
9th May - Victory Day (VE Day)
12th June - Declaration of Sovereignty Day
(founding of Russian Federation)
4th November - Russian Unity Day
12th December - Constitution Day.
Please note that most, if not all official offices, including the
consulates in the UK will be closed on these days - and often, there is
a "go slow" just before and just after.
Do I need to carry my passport with me at all
times?
Yes, visitors should carry their passports
with a registered visa and
migration card at all times as random document
checks are carried out by local police (they often target tourists).
Failure to provide proper documentation can lead to detention and fines.
Saying that you have your passport at the hotel does not work, believe
me I have personal experience of this!
You may want to consider making a photocopy of your passport page,
Russian visa page and registration stamp and keeping this safe in the
event of losing your originals.
If I am refused a
visa or change my mind can I get my money back?
We start processing your application
immediately upon receipt of your order, and, as such we can only refund
the consulate tariff and postage cost elements if you cancel your order
before we submit your application to the Russian Consulate.
In the event that we have already submitted
your application to the Russian Consulate when you cancel your order, or
in the unlikely event that your visa application is refused, we are
unfortunately unable to provide a refund.
How can I pay
for visas and services?
You can pay for visas and services in the
following ways:
Online - for most services you can pay
online at the time of order using your credit or debit card. Please note
that there is a 2.5% surcharge for all online payments. If you do not have a
payment link provided by our system then you may
Pay Online by
clicking here.
Credit / Debit card - you may
call our UK office with your
credit / debit card details or complete the
authorisation form and either fax this
to +44 (0) 207 900 3633 or post it with your order. Please note that there is a 2.5% surcharge for
credit card payments payments, 3.5% surcharge for American Express payments
though UK debit cards, such as Maestro, have no surcharge.
Cheque - cheques must be drawn in Pounds
Sterling on a UK bank and made in favour of "Real Russia Limited".
Postal or International Money order -
must be drawn in Pounds Sterling on and made in favour of "Real Russia
Limited".
Cash - Pounds sterling only.
Paypal - using most major credit and
debit cards. Please note that there is a 4% surcharge for this service. If
you wish to transfer money directly using Paypal then use
sales@realrussia.co.uk as the
email address to send to, please don't forget to add the 4% surcharge and
tell us what the money is for in the description.
Bank transfer — we accept payment by bank transfer in Pounds Sterling, US Dollars and Euros into the accounts as detailed below.
Bank:
The Royal Bank of Scotland
Branch:
2 Canute Square, Knutsford, Cheshire, UK, WA16 6BJ United Kingdom
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