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Everything you need to know about Russia visa

russia-visa-image All foreign nationals including citizens of the United Kingdom need a visa to visit Russia. In usual cases, it will take nearly 20 business days to process the visa applications.

To obtain Russian visas, the UK citizen should also complete a biometric process (scanning fingerprints), and this step can be completed by visiting a visa application center located in London, Manchester and Edinburgh.

Note: Biometric finger printing process is applicable to citizens of all foreign nationals. However, children under 12 years are exempt from the biometric process. Biometric data is not required for foreign nationals who visit the country for diplomatic and official purposes.

UK citizens who wish to visit Russia can either transit through air or by cruise ships. If the traveler is transiting through cruise ships with the help of officially licensed companies, then passengers can stay in Russia for 72 hours without a visa. Please find below the cities where foreign nationals can visit by reaching Russia through cruise ships.

St Petersburg
Kaliningrad
Vladivostok
Sochi
Vyborg
Korsakov
Novorossiysk

Note: If the foreign national is planning to continue the journey by air after reaching the country via cruise, he or she needs an exit visa to leave the country.

Types of Russian visa

As per the requirements of the traveler, Russian authorities used to issue various types of visas to foreign nationals. Some of the most common types of Russian visas are mentioned below.

· Tourist visa

· Business visa

· Work visa

· Private visa

· Student visa

· Transit visa

· Humanitarian visa

· Highly skilled migrant visa

Russia Tourist visa

If a foreign national is wishing to enter the country for tourism purposes, then he or she should apply for a Russia tourist visa. Using a tourist visa, the foreign national can also participate in exhibitions, auctions, medical consultations and surveys.

However, the traveler is not permitted to engage in any kinds of business activities after entering the country using a tourist visa.

In usual cases, Russia tourist visas will be valid for 30 days, and can be issued for both single and double entry. It should be noted that date of the validity of the visa will correspond with the dates of your legal invitation.

However, in some cases, the consulate will decide the validity of visa after thoroughly reviewing the request of the foreign national.

If the foreign national intends to extend the stay in Russia, he or she should try for an extension of the visa before it expires. It should be noted that overstaying in Russia without proper documents will result in serious legal consequences and the foreign national will be compelled to face strict actions like deportation, fine, court hearings, and ban from entering the country again.

Please find below the requirements to obtain a Russia tourist visa;

The foreign national should submit his or her passport, and it should have six months validity along with two blank pages. If you are a UK citizen who holds British passport issued since January 2017, you should make sure that you have signed your passport before the date of travel. There are several instances where British nationals were denied entry to Russia just because they did not sign their new passports.
The applicant should submit a photograph and it should be taken within the last three months. The foreign national should make sure that the photograph is taken against a white background, and printed on a top-quality paper. The applicant should display a neutral expression in the photograph, and it should provide the full-frontal view.
It is necessary to provide tourist voucher and confirmation to obtain a Russia tourist visa. The tourist voucher should be signed and stamped by an authorized official from the Russian foreign ministry.
The tourist voucher should also carry the dates of entry and exit, and it should be the same as the one mentioned in the visa application form.
The visa application form should be completed properly, and the applicant should make sure that there are no errors in it. If you find it difficult to complete the visa application form correctly, you can always avail the service of entrusted agencies like Visa Genie. Our professional team will help you in each steps of visa application, and it will help you to obtain the tourist visa to Russia without any hassles.
If you are unemployed or a self-employed applicant, you should make sure that you have sufficient balance in your bank account to support you financially during the Russian visit. In order to prove your financial stability, the UK citizen should submit his or her last three months bank statement, and it should show a minimum credit balance of £100.00 for every day of stay in Russia. Please note that several visa application forms were rejected just because the applicant did not produce the bank statement to prove his financial well being.

Russian tourist visa for children

If your child is below 18 years, and if they are sharing your passport while traveling to Russia, there is no need to obtain a visa for the child. However, if the child’s name is not mentioned in the passport of their parents, then application should be submitted to obtain a new visa for the child.

While applying for a child visa, Russian embassy officials may ask for an authorization if the minor is traveling to the country with only one parent or alone. If this happens, authorization from parents should be submitted, and it should be signed in front of the notary.

The importance of signing immigration cards while visiting Russia

All foreign nationals should sign an immigration card every time you visit Russia. The immigration card will be given to you at the passport control. This immigration card has two identical parts, and the traveler is required to sign both these parts.

One part of this immigration card will be retained by the authorities, and the remaining part should be kept safe by the foreign national. Once the foreign national leaves Russia, he or she should submit this at the passport control.

Special note: It is highly necessary to keep your immigration card safe while traveling across Russia. Most of the hotels and tourist houses in Russia will not give rooms to guests who approach them without an immigration cards citing security reasons.

Special instruction for repeat visitors: Some UK citizens might have been issued with three Russian tourist visas within the previous 12 months. These people should submit a personal statement and it should detail the purpose of these frequent visits.

This letter should justify the reason for the new visa issuance, and should make sure that the applicant is signing this statement.

Russia business visa

Business visas are issued to foreign nationals who wish to enter the country for business-related activities. In usual cases, business visas will be valid for three months, and it will offer both single entry and double entry privilege as per the needs of the foreign national.

In certain cases, after analyzing the requirements of the traveler, business visas will be issued for twelve months, and the foreign national can enter Russia multiple times during this time period.

Requirements to obtain a business visa

The foreign national should submit the below-mentioned documents to obtain a business visa.

The foreign national’s actual passport with two blank pages. If the applicant needs a multiple entry visa, his passport should have two facing blank pages.
The applicant should submit his or her photograph along with the completed visa application form.
A copy of Russian invitation should be submitted. It should be noted that this letter of invitation must be approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or by any regional representatives.
It should be noted that the letter of invitation should contain the name of the applicant, purpose of travel, dates of entry and departure along with other mandatory details.
The invitation letter should also bear the signature of the official who is authorized to invite foreigners to Russia.

Special note: Russian authorities will deny entry of foreign nationals who reach the country with a valid visa in an expired passport. To avoid these hassles, the traveler should transfer his or her visa from cancelled passport to a new one before starting the journey.

Russia work visa

Work visas are issued to foreign nationals who intend to enter Russia for employment. The validity of work visas will range from as low as 90 days to as long as three years. Single and double entry are available for 90 days visa, while visas above this validity period offer multiple entry privilege.

Apart from providing the basic documentation requirements like passport, photograph, and the visa application form, the foreign national should also submit a business introduction letter from the UK employer, and an invitation letter from the Russian entity. It should be noted that the letter of invitation should be either approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or by its regional representatives.

Special note: To obtain a work visa, the foreign national should also submit a medical certificate taken within three months of the date of submission of the application. People who apply for work visas should also hold a negative HIV certificate.

If you already have a valid visa, you should initially cancel it before applying for a new work visa.

Private visa

If a foreign national wish to visit their relatives or friends living in Russia, they can apply for a private visa. In order to obtain a private visa, the foreign national should submit the below-mentioned documents.

Passport with sufficient validity and blank pages.
A color photograph taken within the last three months.
A letter of invitation approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Russia.
The applicant should submit his bank statements to prove his or her financial stability.
The visa application form should be filled correctly. Sometimes, people may find it difficult to fill the visa application form, and to overcome this issue, you can seek the help of agencies like Visa Genie.

Note: All documents and supporting documents should be in English or Russian language only. If you have answered NO for questions about previous employment and educational institutions, it is necessary to submit a signed covering letter confirming the same along with your visa application form.

Russia student visa

Students who have confirmed their admission in Russian educational institutions can apply for a student visa. It should be noted that students who reach Russia for short term courses should also apply for this visa to enter the country.

In order to obtain a Russia student visa, the applicant should submit his or her passport, visa application form and a photograph. The foreign national should also provide an original invitation issued by General Directorate for Migration for the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Russia. While applying for a student visa, the applicant should also submit a negative HIV certificate.

For both single and multiple entry visas, the foreign national should keep the immigration card safe until he or she exits Russia. In case of loss or damage of the immigration card, the foreign national should contact the local authorities quickly and should apply for a duplicate card.

Russia transit visa

UK citizens are visa exempt if they are staying in Russia for a period for 24 hours. Even though visa exempt, a British citizen should meet the below-mentioned criteria while staying in the country during this time period.

A valid passport with one blank page.
The foreign national should stay within the transit area of the airport.
The UK citizen should continue the journey in the same airline without changing the terminal.
The traveler should be transiting any where other than to and from Belarus or Kazakhstan.
The foreign national should have sufficient funds, and should hold all documents to reach the next destination.

If the foreign national is staying in Russia for more than 24-hours during the transit, he or she should obtain a transit visa, and should submit all the documents including passport, visa application form, photographs, proof of travel arrangements, and proof of sufficient funds.

Humanitarian visa

Humanitarian visas are issued to foreign nationals who visit Russia for various cultural purposes and for events related to sports, science and religion. The validity of a humanitarian visa ranges from three months to one year, and it offers single entry, double entry and multiple entry privilege for the travelers as per his or her needs.

To obtain a humanitarian visa, the foreign traveler should submit various documents that includes a six-month valid passport with two blank pages, recently taken photograph and a visa application form.

Apart from these usual documents, the traveler should also submit an invitation letter issued by the General Directorate for Migration for the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Russia. It is also necessary to submit an introductory letter from the applicant’s UK employer.

Note: The invitation letter should contain the official seal and legal address of the host institution, and it should also have all the trip details of the foreign traveler that includes entry dates and exit dates, purpose of travel etc.

If the foreign applicant is self-employed, he or she should provide three months bank statement. It should be noted that the bank statement of the applicant should show a current balance of a minimum of £100 per day for the duration of the visit.

Russian Highly Skilled Migrant Visa

If a foreign national intends to work as a highly skilled specialist in Russia, he or she should apply for a highly skilled migrant visa. Unlike other visas, application form for this visa should be filled in Russian language. In the application form, the foreign national should fill the details mentioned below.

The visa applicant should fill his or her passport details in Russian.
He or she should detail information that affirms skills in a particular area.
If the applicant has expert knowledge or qualification in any particular area, he or she should mention that in the visa application form.

Note: The foreign national should understand that highly skilled migrant visa and work visa are entirely different from each other.