All Russian visa applications must be submitted with visa support, which
is an official invitation from Russia. The Russian visa support is not
an invitation letter from a host in Russia; it is a legal document
including the traveler’s passport information and travel information.
The Russian visa invitation can only be obtained through an authorized
agency.
What kind of invitation is needed will depend on the purpose of travel
to Russia and the type of Russian visa the traveler is applying for.
Types of russia Invitations:
Important: When filling out the
Russian Visa Application Form, answers must match
information on the Official Russian Visa Invitation exactly. Therefore
the visa support invitation must be processed (or at least requested)
before the Russian Visa Application Form should be completed.
Travel Dates: Russian visa validity depends on the date
of entry and date of departure on the visa support invitation
documents. When requesting your Russian visa invitation, be sure that
the date of entry is on or earlier than the first possible date you plan
to enter Russia. Also make sure that the date of departure is on or
after the latest possible date to depart from Russia.
The invitation and
Russian visa application can be processed before any tickets or
reservations are booked.
The traveler does not need to enter and depart Russia on the exact dates
on the invitation and visa, as long as the actual travel dates fall
within the dates on the invitation and visa. In other words, the
traveler must arrive in Russia on or after the date of entry on the
invitation and visa. The traveler must depart from Russia on or before
the date of departure on the invitation and visa. It is possible to
allow some flexibility for changes in travel plans by allowing extra
days before the entry date and after the departure date (up to the
maximum stay allowed by the specific type of visa).
Travisa Visa Service
can provide tourist visa support documents as well as business visa
support documents. If Travisa Visa Service is obtaining your invitation
for you, Travisa will provide you with the inviting organization
information needed for your online
Russian visa application. Below you will find detailed information
about Russia visa support, including the different types of invitations
and Russian visas.
TOURIST VOUCHER AND
confirmation
For a Russian tourist visa,
the visa invitation is called a tourist voucher and confirmation or
hotel voucher and confirmation. This is not the same thing as
confirmation of a hotel booking or reservation. It is two legal
documents (though in some cases the voucher and confirmation are printed
side by side on one page) including the applicant’s passport information
and travel information. Travisa Visa Service can obtain the tourist
voucher and confirmation to support your Russian tourist visa
application. Simply submit our online
Russia Invitation Request Form and Travisa Visa Service will
obtain the voucher and confirmation from our sponsor in Russia and send
it to you via email within 24 business hours. Same day Russia tourist
voucher is also available!
official business invitation
To obtain a
Russian business visa, an
official invitation issued by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs or
the Russian Ministry of the Interior is required. This business
invitation may be sent to the applicant to attach to the Russian visa
application, or it may be sent directly to the Russian Consulate by
telex. Travisa can obtain the official Russian business invitation to
support your Russian visa application. Simply submit our online Russia
Invitation Request Form and Travisa Visa Service will obtain the
official invitation from the Russian Ministry of the Interior through
our sponsor (inviting organization) in Russia. Official business
invitation processing times vary depending on the type of business
invitation and number of entries to Russia needed. Travisa offers the
fastest expedited business invitations available.
*Please note: Business
is the category of visa for travel to Russia for standard business
meetings, as well as travel to provide technical services, travel as a
crew member, accompanying family member of a business visa holder, and
for cultural visits.
Travisa can obtain the official invitation for a Russian visa to support
all of these activities in Russia; submit the business invitation
request and specify the purpose of travel.
Russian Homestay (or Private
Visit) Invitation
Travelers who will be staying with a friend or
relative in a private home in Russia need a
homestay visa
(also called a private visa). The Russian homestay visa (or private
visa) requires an original invitation document that the host in Russia
must obtain from the local office of the Russian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and send to the applicant to attach to the Russian visa
application form. This process can take a long time, so it is important
that the Russian host begins working on this Russian invitation well in
advance so that there is time to obtain the visa.
Travisa can process Russian homestay visas, though the visa invitation
must be obtained directly from the host.
Homestay Invitation (if traveling with Russian
Family Members)
In certain circumstances, US citizens who are
immediate family members of a Russian citizen, (for example, spouse or
child of a Russian citizen living in the US), and traveling together
with the Russian citizen, Travisa Visa Service can submit the Russian
Homestay visa application with a letter of invitation from the Russian
citizen replacing the official homestay invitation from Russia. The
requirements for this type of Russia invitation are very specific,
please review Travisa’s Russian Visa Instructions for detailed
information.
student visa invitation
The
Russian student visa
requires an original invitation document that the host institution
(school or university) in Russia must obtain from the Russian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs and send to the applicant to attach to the Russian
visa application form. The original Russia invitation must be attached
to the Russian visa application; scanned, emailed or faxed copies of the
Russian student invitation are not accepted. This process can take a
long time, so it is important to be in contact with the Russian host
institution well in advance so that there is time to obtain the visa.
Travisa Visa Service can process Russian student visas, though the visa
invitation must be obtained directly from the host institution in
Russia.
Work Visa Invitation
The
Russian work visa
requires an original invitation document that the employer in Russia
must obtain from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and send to the
applicant to attach to the Russian visa application form. The original
Russia invitation must be attached to the Russian visa application;
scanned, emailed or faxed copies of the original work visa invitation
are not accepted.
Travisa can process Russian work visas, though the visa invitation must
be obtained directly from the Russian employer.
Transit Visa Information
There are many factors
to determine whether a Russian visa is required to transit through
Russia en route to another destination. A
Russian transit visa
is required, depending on citizenship, if remaining in Russia more than
12 hours, if departing the airport terminal to change planes, if passing
immigration for any reason or if changing to a domestic carrier
(including a flight to Belarus or on a Belarus airline). If the airlines
change terminals - including Sheremetyevo-1 to Sheremetyevo-2 for
example - a transit visa is required. It is best to confirm with the
airline to determine whether a transit visa will be required for the
specific itinerary. If a transit visa is required, the travel itinerary
can be submitted instead of an official invitation.
Please note: if the traveler is spending the night at a
hotel in Russia, it is best to apply for a Russian tourist visa, rather
than a transit visa.
Travisa Visa Service can obtain the voucher and confirmation to support
a Russian tourist visa application.
Travisa Visa Service can process your visa support invitation, as well
as your Russian visa. Simply submit your request online using our
Russian Invitation
Request Form. Once you submit your request, you will immediately
receive a confirmation number as well as confirmation email. Travisa
will then send you the specific inviting organization information and
details of your invitation by email, so that you can complete your
Russian visa application form.
All foreigners who visit Russia must be registered with the local
Russian government office. For tourist visitors staying in hotels, the
hotel will take care of this for you. For tourists staying in rental
apartments, the landlord must register the tourist visa for you. For
business travelers, the hotel can also register the Russian business
visa. Students and employees with a student visa or work visa can be
registered by the school/institution or employer who provided the
official invitation. If visiting a private individual on a
homestay/private visa, the Russian host must register the visa at the
local post office or government office.
Effective July 1, Russian Consulates throughout the United States have
transitioned to a new on-line visa application form. This form is hosted
by the Russian government and requires very specific and detailed
information. Answers on the application form must be precise, and the
questions that apply to the inviting organization and travel plans must
match the official invitation exactly. In addition, the Russian online
visa application form can take up to an hour to complete.
Travisa Visa Service has provided a helpful
guide to filling out the Russian visa application form
correctly.
Travisa Visa Service can process your
Russian visa application, as well as your invitation. Simply review the
Russian Visa Instructions carefully, make sure that you have all of the
required application materials, and submit your
online invitation
request. Once you receive the inviting organization information from
Travisa, fill out your online Russian Visa Application Form and
Travisa’s Global Reservation Form and send all of the documents to
Travisa for processing. Once Travisa receives the forms and passport,
you will receive a confirmation of receipt and estimates on when the
order will be processed and returned to you. You will receive email
status updates and can also check your status or contact Travisa at any
time during the visa processing.
Travisa Visa Service can process
Russian visas for any applicant living in the United States, Canada or
United Kingdom.
Russia Visa Requirements (USA)
Russia Visa Requirements
(Canada)
Russia
Visa Requirements (UK)
For visa requirements and information for any destination please visit
our main website to find entry and visa requirements and detailed
information for citizens of any country living in the US, Canada or
United Kingdom.
Travisa Visa Service (USA)
Travisa Visa Service (Canada)
Travisa Visa Service (UK)
