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FAQ
Before entering Russia
What is a Russian
visa?
Do I need a visa?
What is the difference between
a tourist visa
and a business visa?
Can I travel on a private trip
and
individually with a tourist visa?
Can I process an invitation
for a private
visa through your company?
If I am flying to another
country through
Moscow do I need a transit visa?
How long does it take to
process a business
visa? And how much does it cost?
Should
I provide you with the exact travel dates in my application form for a
tourist invitation or can I give you rough dates within the same month?
How can I change some details
in my request
for an invitation?
I am living in USA, but I
still have Russian
citizenship. Do I need a visa?
Do I need a visa for my child?
Are there any other ways of
payment fr your
services except payment by a credit card?
While at Consulate
How do I locate the nearest
Russian consulate?
What
documents should I bring to the Russian Consulate in order to apply for
my visa? Is it possible to send these documents by regular mail as I
live far from the Russian Consulate in San Francisco?
I
am a foreign national currently staying in the United States. Can I
apply for a visa in the USA or do I have to do it in my home country?
While in Russia
Do I need to register my visa?
Where can I register my visa?
Do I need to register my visa
if I intend to
stay in Russia for no longer than 3 days?
What
if I am passing through Moscow en route to another Russian city and
there is not enough time to come to your downtown Moscow office to
register my visa?
I am in Moscow now and I’d
like to stay here
for one more week. Can extend my tourist visa? For how long?
What if my visa was lost or
stolen in Moscow?
Can I extend my one-year
multiple entries
Russian visa without leavng Russia?
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Before entering Russia
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What is a Russian visa?
A visa to the Russian Federation is a document,
permitting stay in Russia for a specific period of time. A visa lists
entry/exit dates, your vital information, 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 the country could
be more troublesome than entering it. For more information please see Russian visa
and Russian visa requirements.
Do I need a visa?
Most foreign nationals 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. See different Russian Visa Types.
What is the difference between a tourist
visa and a business visa?
Tourist visas are valid for up to one month and
business
visas are valid for the period of 1 to 12 months. A tourist visa
invitation can be issued in one to two days while for business visa it
takes 5-17 business days to prepare depending on the type you choose.
See Russian Visa Types to
find the most
appropriate visa for you.
Can I travel on a private trip and individually
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. For detailed
information see Russian visa Step-by-Step.
Can I process an invitation for a private visa
through your company?
We provide only tourist and business invitations’
processing. 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 official
invitation will need to be mailed to you. 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.
If I am flying to another country through
Moscow do I need a transit visa?
Yes, you do if you intend to leave transit zone in
the
airport. You should apply for a transit visa to the Russian Consulate
showing them your air tickets to and from Moscow. They will issue your
transit visa on the grounds of your tickets. Please note that a transit
visa can be valid for up to 72 hours only. If you can't satisfy these
requirements, we suggest you apply for a regular Tourist visa
instead.
How long does it take to process a business
visa? And how much does it cost?
Please note, that we can provide you with an
invitation
for your business visa, which you then take to the Russian Consulate to
receive the visa itself. For rates and terms on business visa
invitation please see Russian visa Step-by-Step. Please
get in touch with the Russian Consulate to get the update
on fees and processing times for your visa.
Should I provide you with the exact travel
dates in
my application form for a tourist invitation or can I give you rough
dates within the same month?
A Tourist visa is
issued for a maximum of 14-30 days (check with your local Russian Embassy
or Consulate,) so you can mention rough
travel dates within that time frame. You can then enter and leave
Russia within that period.
How can I change some details in my request for
an invitation?
In case you have provided us wrong details or
forgotten about something, please, do not hesitate to e-mail or call
us at 7.495.956 4422 or US and Canada toll free 1.800.339 2118.
I am living in USA, 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 you left Russia before 1992 you have to obtain a Russian
visa and travel to Russia with your US
passport.
Do I need a visa for my child?
If you are applying for a business visa and your
child’s
info is entered into the US or EU passport of one of the parents, you
can get one invitation for the parent and the child together. Please
provide your child’s data as well as the amendment page of the parent’s
passport when you fill out the form. If your child has a separate
passport, you will need to get a separate invitation for him/her as an
accompanying family member. If one of the parent’s is a Russian citizen
and the child is traveling to Russia with that parent, you will need to
get a Russian passport or a private visa for the child. Tourist visa
invitation will not be appropriate.
Are there any other ways of payment for your
services except payment by a credit card?
There are different ways of payment for our
services.
You can transfer money to our bank account or authorize somebody to pay
in cash in Moscow on your behalf. For detailed information see Russian visa Step-by-Step.
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While at Consulate
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How do I locate
the nearest Russian consulate?
For all data about Complete address and contact
information including telephone numbers and emails of all Russian
Consulates worldwide are published on www.russianembassy.net.
What documents should I bring to the Russian
Consulate in order to apply for my visa? Is it possible to send these
documents by regular mail as I live far from the Russian Consulate in
San Francisco?
In order to obtain your Russian visa, you should
bring your invitation letter,
your passport, 3 mat finish photos 3x4 cm, consular fee and a proof of
medical insurance to the Russian Consulate. For multiple entry visas,
you also require an HIV Test certificate (test results issued within
the previous 90 days). It is always a good idea to get in touch with
the Russian Consulate
in order to receive the latest update on the required documents.
If you have no opportunity to go to the Russian
Consulate/Embassy
yourself, you can generally send there your visa documents by mail. You
will get your visa by mail from the consulate when it is ready. Either
way, you first need to get your visa support invitation.
I am a foreign national currently staying in
the
United States. Can I apply for a visa in the USA or do I have to do it
in my home country?
Citizens of Germany, Latin America, Africa and
Asian countries should get their visas in the Russian
Consulates
on the territory of their native countries. However, if you reside in
the US and a have residence permit, work permit, Green Card, etc. you
may apply at the Russian Consulate there as well. Before you go to any
Russian Consulate you will first need to obtain a visa support invitation.
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While in Russia
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Do I need to
register my visa?
All foreign citizens arriving in Russia must
register
their visas within three working days upon your arrival (excluding
weekends and official holidays). An unregistered visa can cause
problems and delays with even the most common tasks that require a
passport as identification and may oblige you to pay fines to or be
held by the police (milizia). Proof of visa registration is the
rectangular stamp in your passport or Migration Card indicating:
· the period of validity
and date of registration;
· registration number, name
of registering authority, and signature of executing officer.
Visa registration procedures and requirements can
differ in each city and region of Russia. Please see Registration of Visas in Russia.
Where can I register my visa?
If you are staying at a hotel, the hotel will
register
your visa. You will be asked of your visa and passport. A small
registration fee can be imposed. Otherwise, please see Russian Visa Registration.
Do I need to register my visa if I intend to
stay in Russia for no longer than 3 days?
If you are going to stay in Russia less than 3
business days there is no need to register your visa.
What if I am passing through Moscow en route to
another Russian city and there is not enough time to come to your
downtown Moscow office to register my visa?
You should send us the copies of your passport,
visa and
the exact address of your stay in the city of your final destination.
We will send an official letter with the request to register your visa
to that city’s local authorities (the UVIR office). We need your fax
number in order to send you the letter. You should bring this letter to
the UVIR office in your destination city and your visa will be
registered there. Your official invitation would
be stating
Moscow and the city of your final destination. For detailed information
please see Russian Visa Registration.
I am in Moscow now and I’d like to stay here
for one more week. Can extend my tourist visa? For how long?
Generally the Russian visas cannot be extended. It
can be prolonged in case of:
· Missing your flight
· Accident
· Serious illness
· Seat unavailability in
case of an open-date ticket
In all the cases mentioned above we can extend
your visa for up to 2 weeks only.
Note: you need to provide appropriate documents to
prove your case.
The cost of the exit visa could be from 150 to 300
USD, depending on the circumstances.
What if my visa was lost or stolen in Moscow?
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 at the
Embassy or Consulate of your native country.
With the documents mentioned above, one matt
finished
photo and your return ticket (with the fixed returned date) you should
come to our Moscow
office. We will then 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?
Please take a note that multiple-entry visas are
not extended. In order to stay in Russia for more you will need a new visa. You
may apply for a new invitation
for a visa while your visa is still valid. When we receive your
invitation letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs you should leave
Russia before your old visa expires and get a new one in any Russian
Consulate abroad. Only the citizens of
the countries listed below should get their visas in their native
countries.
· Germany
· Latin America
· African countries
· Asian countries
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Need help? Customer care consultants are standing by.
Call us 7.495.956 4422 or US and Canada toll free 1.800.339 2118.
You can also send us an e-mail message and we will get back to you within the following business day.
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