Tourist Visa – russiavisacenter

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Tourist Visa

Tourist Visa

Overview

Apply by post Apply in person

Tourist visas are issued to US citizens, foreign nationals, and stateless persons whose purpose of travel involves cultural events, excursions, sightseeing, and/or general tourism.

It is issued on the basis of a confirmation that the foreign tourist is going to be hosted by a Russian travel agency.

Regular tourist visas are either Single or Double entry, for a period of no more than 30 days. But in accordance with the simplified visa formalities agreement between the Russian Federation and the United States, US citizens are now able to obtain either a 3-year Multi-Entry Tourist visa upon request which exceed the 30 day stay limit.

It is recommended that US citizens apply for a 3-year, multiple-entry Tourist visa though the applicant should be concerned that processing time takes approximately 8-9 business days and such visa type can’t be expedited, number of entries or period of stay indicated in the Confirmation of Hosting a Foreign Tourist issued by a hotel or tourist operator registered with the Federal Agency for Tourism of the Russian Ministry of Culture.

In order to apply for a 3-year multiple-entry Tourist visa, please indicate the full three year period as the length of stay in the Russian Federation when filling out the visa application. (ex. Date of Entry 25/10/2016 until Date of Departure 24/10/2019-minus one day)

Double-entry tourist visas are only issued when the second country shares a land border with Russia or those that require return transit through Russian territory, such as China and Mongolia, etc. Airline tickets with the detailed itinerary are obligatory.

In order to obtain a double-entry visa, the arrival city to be visited in the second country must be written in the travel itinerary and in the confirmation issued by the tour operator.

The maximum length of stay while traveling on a Single or Double-entry tourist visa is 30 days.

Visa Fees

Please note that the certain visa fee amount is payable for each particular visa type. Visa fees vary depending on the nationality of the applicant, visa type, number of entries, and processing time.

$550 for each applicant (For US citizens)

Payment method

For in person submission: We only accept cash for in person submission.

For postal submission: we accept only money order or cashier’s check payable to Russian Visa Services

Please note!

Consular fees and processing times for foreign nationals and stateless persons are determined by the Consulates of the Russian Federation.

The Consular Fee and the Processing Fees are non-refundable.

Documents required

List of Documents Required for a Single, Double, or Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa:

• Invitation To apply for a tourist visa it is required that you present as invitation a tourist voucher (visa support document) issued by a hotel in or a tourist agency/operator registered with the Federal Tourism Agency. Such a voucher must contain: 1) applicant’s passport information 2) confirmation number 3) reference number from the Federal Register of tour operators 4) type of visa (TOURIST), purpose of visit (TOURISM), number of entries (SINGLE- OR DOUBLE-ENTRY), and requested period of entry (FOR THE LENGTH OF UP TO 30 DAYS) 5) name and address of the host organization 6) location of intended stay of the applicant in Russia (NAME OF HOTEL AND FULL ADDRESS) 7) Stamp and signature. The information in your tourist voucher must fully correspond to the information in the applicant’s passport. Invitation containing errors will not be accepted. Please note information in tourist voucher has to be either in Russian or in English. Choosing purpose of travel in the online application The purpose of travel is indicated on your tourist voucher. If you travel for the general purpose of tourism please choose “ COMMON TOURISM ”. Please note that according to the law visiting friends or family in Russia is a private purpose and in this case you must apply for a private visa. Information for U.S. citizens It is recommended that US citizens apply for 3-year multiple-entry tourist visas regardless of the dates, number of entries and period of stay indicated in the tourist voucher. When filling out the application online, please indicate a full three year period of stay (e.g. 15.07.2020-14.07.2023) starting from the date of entry in your tourist voucher. 3-year multiple tourist visas are issued with “ COMMON TOURISM ” purpose of travel only. Validity period Single or double-entry tourist visas are issued for up to 30 days. The dates are indicated in your confirmation and voucher.
• Originally signed passport with at least two clear visa pages valid for at least 6 more months after the expiration date of the requested visa. If the validity condition is not fully met, your visa validity period will be shortened to allow 6 months of passport validity after the visa expiration date.
• A printed visa application filled out at visa.kdmid.ru , originally signed by the applicant; Electronic/scanned signatures will not be accepted.
• One standard, passport-style photograph 3.5cm x 4.5cm, (colloquially known as 2″by 2″ in the US), with a light background, no shadows, a clear view of the face, without dark glasses, or head coverings (except for persons whose religious or national traditions require it, in which case the photograph must match the passport photo);
• Payments can be made in USD by cash, by major Credit or Debit Cards or by money order payable to Russian Visa Services . Personal checks will not be accepted.
• Medical insurance Citizens of China, Iran, Ireland, Israel, as well as citizens of the countries of the European Union and the Schengen zone (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania , Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland) must present medical insurance certificates valid in Russia. For example, insurance letter must state that it covers “worldwide”, or “for traveling outside of US”, or “for traveling to Russian Federation”. Also insurance letter must indicate the exact dates of coverage and cover the whole visa duration. US CITIZENS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE IN ORDER TO APPLY FOR A VISA. Information for citizens of the EU and Schengen area countries According to the Russia-EU Visa Facilitation Agreement as well as bilateral visa agreements citizens of the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland are eligible for the following visa application fees: – $40 – 4-10 business days; – $80 – 3 business days. Please note these provisions do not affect citizens of the United Kingdom and Ireland.
• Non-US citizens must provide proof of legality of their stay in the United States (US resident alien/permanent residency status (green card), long term U.S. visa (tourist visas not accepted), form I-94 etc.). Take Note! The Russian Consulate has the right to ask for additional documentation in order to process your visa application, ask you to come in for an interview, or extend the visa processing time of your application. Additional information: If applying for a minor, please provide a copy of their Birth Certificate and both parents’ copies of passports; If applying for a spouse, please provide a copy of Marriage Certificate; If applying on behalf of another person, please provide a notarized authorization letter; If a company/organization representative is submitting documents on behalf of their employees please provide a letter from company/organization.

Please be advised that a person cannot hold two or more valid Russian visas at the same time. In this case, the older valid (unexpired) visa must be canceled before a new visa is issued.

In accordance with the Russian law, citizens of the Russian Federation regardless of any other citizenship they may have, must travel to Russia on valid Russian documents only.

We remind you that in accordance to Article 12 of Russian Law “On citizenship of the Russian Federation”, children born to two parents who are Russian citizens, automatically gain Russian citizenship, regardless of the place of birth. In this case visas are not issued, and they must apply for Russian citizenship, or have their information written into the passport of one of their parents, or obtain a Russian passport.

Photo specifications

Note : The photographs submitted must meet with these specifications.

Please provide one recent photograph (not more than 6 months old) of yourself. The photographs should be:

• 3.5cm x 4.5cm, (colloquially known as 2″by 2″ in the US), taken against a light background (white or off-white) so that features are distinguishable and contrast against the background.
• Clear quality and with the face in focus.
• Printed on normal photographic paper (camera print).
• Full face, non-smiling (without sunglasses, a hat/cap or other head covering, unless the applicant wears such items because of their religious belief or ethnic background).
• Please stick the Photograph on the Visa Application Form.

Note : Please follow these instructions carefully. If photographs presented do not meet these requirements your application will be considered incomplete.

Processing time

Normal applications: 10 business days minimum.

Urgent applications: 3-5 business days minimum.

Important notice: Processing time is a minimum and may vary from case to case. Your visa application processing will start from the day your application was dispatched to the Consulate. Therefore please add few more days to the indicated timings, depending on whether you will apply in person or by post.

We are not involved in the process of assessment of visa applications, or their grant or refusal, and shall not be liable or responsible for any delay by the Consulates or the Embassy of the Russian Federation in USA, in assessing, granting or refusing any visa application.

Download forms

Important notice:

All questions in the visa application form must be answered in full, including the contact details of the applicant (full address with postal code, telephone and e-mail) and other questions that are not marked with a “*”, otherwise you will be asked to fill in these questions after arrival in the visa center.

Please note : If in your online visa application you answered “NO” to questions about previous places of work and educational institutions, you must attach a signed cover letter confirming that you did not really have previous jobs or studied in educational institutions.

Please note that if your application form requires any corrections or if you did not have a possibility to complete an online application form before visiting the Visa Application Centre, our team members will be happy to help. The cost of this service is $ 30 USD (Taxes included).

Please make sure that at the end of the electronic visa application you have chosen the visa application center that you are planning to visit. If you do not, the visa center staff may have to ask you to fill out a new visa application form.

To avoid confusion when choosing a passport category in the application, note that a diplomatic passport is issued to a civil servant who travels internationally for official state affairs. An official passport (service passport, as well as a special passport) is issued to the civil servant for travel related to work, and accompanying dependents. A tourist or ordinary passport is a document issued by the national government for the purpose of international travel, which certifies the identity and citizenship of its owner.

After completing your application form, please print it, sign it and submit it along with all supporting documents, payment and passport. Make sure that the signature on your application form is identical to the signature in your passport. We would like to assure you that we pay special attention to the processing of your personal data. By sending us your visa application, you confirm that you have accepted our Terms and Conditions .

To fill out the electronic visa application form click here .

Apply by post

Visa is an authorisation issued by the representative of the Government of a country permitting a person, not resident in that country, to enter its boundaries.

The Embassy of the Russian Federation in USA issues visas for Russia only.

Depending on your purpose of travel, you should log on to the website of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in USA to check whether you are eligible or require a visa.

The Russia Visa Centre USA branch is the preferred outsourced partner to the Embassy of Russian Federation in USA. The Russia Visa Centre USA branch function as collection and processing centres to guarantee a better service in response to the growing demand for Russian visas from applicants residing in USA.

Apply by Person

Useful links

Consulate General of the Russian Federation in New York

Embassy of the Russian Federation in the USA

Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Houston

General Directorate for Migration for the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia

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