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Russian Business Visas
Russian business visas allow for a single, double or multiple visits and may be valid from one to twelve months.
They are generally used by people who travel to Russia on official or private business and allow you to travel when and stay where you wish (within the validity of the visa).
A business visa may be issued for different reasons including cultural relationships, accompanying family members and commercial driving. Please let us know if you have specific requirements.
Please note, 3-working day and 5-working day visa support for multi-entry business visas are currently unavailable due to technical issues at the Migration Service in Russia. We apologise for the inconvenience and will re-instate these services as soon as they become available again.
How much will it cost?
We offer a comprehensive range of service levels to suit almost any need. The cost is dependent upon how quickly you need your visa, how long you are prepared for your passport to be at the consulate, how many entries you need and how long you need your visa valid for.
Prices range between £193.04 and £772.71 for UK passport holders.
For citizens of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary, Greece, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Germany, Finland, France, Czech Republic, Sweden, Estonia, Norway there are reduced consular fees which mean that the prices range between £123.04 and £532.71.
For all other passport holders, consular fees vary depending on nationality and are reflected in the prices below.
What is included in the cost?
Our prices include all costs necessary to get your visa and return it to you:
- Fees for all necessary visa support documents and letters of invitation
- Russian ministry processing charges
- Local taxes
- Consular tariffs
- Preparation, delivery, collection and management of your application at the appropriate consulate by our staff.
You also have the option of choosing:
- Central London courier delivery the day your visa is ready
- Royal Mail Special Delivery of your passport and Russian visa back to you (UK only)
- £5,000 of consequential loss postal insurance (UK mainland only).
You do not have to:
- Book a flight
- Book a hotel
- Go to the consulate yourself.
The price you see is the price you pay!
How do I order?
As we have 60 service options available we have placed these into tables which you can “show” and “hide” by clicking on the name of the visa type below.
IMPORTANT: The Russian consulate may refuse to issue a multiple entry visa unless during the previous year the applicant has been issued with at least one Russian visa (which they have used).
Please take note of the “What is the Processing Time?” information below when ordering your visa. If you place your mouse pointer over a price then our system will advise you of when the visa is expected to be collected from the consulate, excluding any UK or Russian public holidays. To start the process, simply click on the price to go to the online order form.
| Consular Processing time | ||
|---|---|---|
| Visa Support Processing time | 6 days | Next day |
| I have my own Visa Support | £132.50 | £245.00 |
| 12 Working Days | £160.00 | £275.00 |
| 8 Working Days | £180.00 | £295.00 |
| 5 Working Days | £190.00 | £305.00 |
| 3 Working Days | £200.00 | £315.00 |
| 2 Working Days | £215.00 | £330.00 |
| 1 Working Day | £235.00 | £350.00 |
| Express | £275.00 | £390.00 |
| Consular Processing time | ||
|---|---|---|
| Visa Support Processing time | 6 days | Next day |
| I have my own Visa Support | £132.50 | £245.00 |
| 12 Working Days | £170.00 | £285.00 |
| 8 Working Days | £190.00 | £305.00 |
| 5 Working Days | £200.00 | £315.00 |
| 3 Working Days | £215.00 | £330.00 |
| 2 Working Days | £225.00 | £340.00 |
| 1 Working Day | £250.00 | £365.00 |
| Express | £305.00 | £420.00 |
| Consular Processing time | ||
|---|---|---|
| Visa Support Processing time | 6 days | Next day |
| I have my own Visa Support | £162.50 | £295.00 |
| 12 Working Days | £200.00 | £335.00 |
| 8 Working Days | £220.00 | £355.00 |
| 5 Working Days | £230.00 | £365.00 |
| 3 Working Days | £245.00 | £380.00 |
| 2 Working Days | £265.00 | £400.00 |
| 1 Working Day | £285.00 | £420.00 |
| Express | £340.00 | £475.00 |
| Consular Processing time | ||
|---|---|---|
| Visa Support Processing time | 6 days | Next day |
| I have my own Visa Support | £162.50 | £295.00 |
| 12 Working Days | £210.00 | £345.00 |
| 8 Working Days | £230.00 | £365.00 |
| 5 Working Days | £250.00 | £385.00 |
| 3 Working Days | £255.00 | £390.00 |
| 2 Working Days | £270.00 | £405.00 |
| 1 Working Day | £295.00 | £430.00 |
| Express | £365.00 | £500.00 |
| Consular Processing time | ||
|---|---|---|
| Visa Support Processing time | 6 days | Next day |
| I have my own Visa Support | £232.50 | £345.00 |
| 18 Working Days | £325.00 | £440.00 |
| 14 Working Days | £355.00 | £470.00 |
| 12 Working Days (TELEX) | £450.54 | £575.21 |
| 5 Working Days | £440.00 | £555.00 |
| 3 Working Days | £515.00 | £630.00 |
| Consular Processing time | ||
|---|---|---|
| Visa Support Processing time | 6 days | Next day |
| I have my own Visa Support | £232.50 | £345.00 |
| 18 Working Days | £360.00 | £475.00 |
| 14 Working Days | £390.00 | £505.00 |
| 12 Working Days (TELEX) | £475.54 | £600.21 |
| 5 Working Days | £470.00 | £585.00 |
| 3 Working Days | £595.00 | £710.00 |
- Click on an option above to order your visa online
- Not sure what visa or service you need? Click here for our visa calculator
What is the Processing time?
Processing time, unless stated as calendar days, is calculated in business days and excludes weekends, UK public holidays and Russian public holidays and does not include the day of order.
The Visa Support Processing Time is the number of days that it will take us to raise your visa support documents; remember, processing of your visa support documents will not start until you have paid and sent us a scan or clear fax of your passport page. Once we have received these we will ask you to send us your passport so that we may lodge your visa application with the consulate. Please note that Visa Support Processing Time is not applicable if you are providing your own visa support documents.
Please note that:
- The Russian authorities will not process applications for invitations for business and multiple entry visa support documents earlier than 45 calendar days from the start date requested. If you apply more than 45 days in advance of the start date requested we will hold your application and apply at the earliest opportunity or you may change the start date to get the visa processing earlier. Today we are able to submit visa support documents for processing that have a start date before: 26 April 2010.
- If you are travelling to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk or other cities on Sakhalin Island invitations may take one extra day to process. Please also see the following information with regards to working in this region.
- If you are applying for a multiple entry visa then the original invitation will be sent by courier from Russia to our London office and assuming we have all of your other documents the visa application will be lodged at the consulate the next day. We assume a maximum delivery time of 3 days and this is built into the expected dates shown as is the cost of the courier.
The Consular Processing Time is the number of processing days that it will take the Russian Consulate to issue your visa once we have lodged your application.
So, to work out how many days your visa will take to process and obtain, add the visa support processing time, the consular processing time and any delivery time for the invitation together.
Please note that we do not need your passport for the whole processing time, just the element where we need to submit it to the consulate. Depending upon the service you select this will be between 3 and 8 business days.
What documents do I need to provide with my application pack?
The documents that you need to provide to allow us to lodge your application at the consulate depend on your nationality and residency in the United Kingdom.
Check your visa application requirements by selecting your passport nationality from the menu:
and purpose of visit: type of VSD:
How long can I stay in Russia using my visa?
Generally you may stay in Russia only up to the maximum validity period of the visa.
Please note that effective 01.06.07 according to new laws dependent upon your nationality there may be restrictions on how long you can stay in Russia within specific periods. This restriction, if it applies, will be written into the visa.
All nationalities are restricted to a maximum of 90 days in a 180 day period when using a multiple entry visa.
Can I use a business visa for non-business purposes?
A business visa can also be used for non business reasons such as tourism or visiting friends, however, if you are only considering a single trip of up to 30 days within a twelve month period, it may be more cost effective to consider a tourist visa.
Do I need a visa for my child?
In most cases, a child can get an ‘accompanying family member’ visa based on a parent's business visa. Please review the following information on taking a child to Russia.
Can I deliver my passport and collect my visa from your office in person?
Yes, of course you can, we have an office in central London and we will be happy to see you and assist with your application if needed. If you intend to deliver an application in person or collect your passport and visa we are open for collection and deliveries during the following times.
| Passport Collection and Delivery times | ||
|---|---|---|
| Weekdays | 9.00 | 18.00 |
| Saturday | 09.00 | 11.00 |
| Bank / public holidays | By arrangement | |
Visa applications received by our office after 16.30 on weekdays or at any time on Saturdays or non-working days will not start to be processed until the following working day.
How can I pay for my visa?
You have several options to pay for your visa including:
- credit or debit card when you place your order online (please note there is an additional 2.5% card processing fee)
- credit / debit card by phone / fax
- cheque
- postal order
- cash
- bank transfer
Sounds good, how do I get my visa?
To order your business visa on-line, simply click on the level of service you want from the options above.
What will happen when I click the service I want?
When you select the visa type and service level you want from the options above we will ask you to fill in a simple online form with details about yourself, your trip and finally you will have the option to pay using your credit or debit card through our secure servers.
We will email, fax or post your visa application form to you.
You upload or email the last page of your passport (and in some cases a copy of your last Russian visa) to us so that we may start to generate your visa support documents.
You sign the visa application form and send this, along with your passport, a single colour passport photograph and the documents requested to us.That's it, that's all you have to do!
We will complete all the necessary forms and submit your visa application to the Russian Consulate once your visa support document is available. During the processing of your application, we will be on hand to answer any queries the Consulate may have and to ensure that your application is dealt with in a timely and efficient manner.
The day your visa is ready we will collect it in person and return this to you using Royal Mail Special Delivery so you will have it the next business day before 1.00pm.
You can follow the progress of your order through our online order tracking system which will detail the steps taken and the steps remaining to obtain your visa.
Remember, when you are in Russia, please ensure that you register your visa.
Are there any specifications for the passport photo?
The Russian consulate require that the photograph provided meet the following specifications; if the photograph you provide does not meet these then the application may be rejected or considered incomplete.
- The frame size must be 35mm x 45mm
- The photo must have been taken no earlier than 6 months before the application date
- The photo must be clear, well defined and taken against a plain white or light-coloured background
- Your face must be square to the camera with a neutral expression, neither frowning nor smiling, and with your mouth closed
- Sunglasses are not acceptable
- The photo must show the full front view of the head, with the face in the middle of the photo, and include the top of the shoulders
- It must be printed on normal photographic paper (camera print).
Can you tell me more?
We try to give you as much information as we can to help you choose the service you need, though if you still have questions please feel free to look at our Frequently Asked Questions or contact us directly and we will be happy to help.