Russian Visa

What is a Russian Visa?

A visa for the Russian Federation is a document, permitting stay in Russia for a specific period of time (see picture). A visa lists entry/exit dates, your vital invitation, passport details, and has two photos stapled to it. Please note, that your Russian visa is an exit permit just as it is an entry permit: if you lose it or stay over your designated departure date, leaving the country could be more troublesome than entering it.

Types of Russian Visas:

• Business visa (granted only if you plan a business trip to Russia)
• Private or homestay visa (granted if you have a personal invitation from a Russian citizen)
• Transit visa (granted if you are travelling through Russia)

Tourist visa:

• single entry tourist visa
  This only permits you to enter and exit the country once. If you plan to trvel outside of Russia and then to return you will need a double entry tourist visa.
• double-entry tourist visa
  is available at some Russian consulates but it costs more and the exact dates of both entries/exits from Russia are stated in it;
• extension of visa
  is provided by all hostels, members of the RYHA, to a maximum of 30 days.

Visa Requirements

To apply for a Russian tourist visa you need to have a visa support letter (invitation from a tourist company, hotel or hostel) and a confimation voucher (a letter of confirmation) from a Russian Youth hostel.

Visa Support Invitation

Two provide you with a visa support invitation the following details should be required:

• full name
• title
• fax & telephone number (including country code)
• citizenship, date of birth, passport number and passport expiry date
• date of entry (to Russia)
• date of exit (from Russia)
• cities to be visited
• names of hostels
• method of payment

All this information should be sent by fax or e-mail.

Comfirmation Voucher

To have a confirmed reservation you should pre-pay for the first night's accommodation and administrative fees by credit card. A credit card charge form will be sent to you as soon as the hostel gets the above mentioned details.

In case the pre-payment by credit card is not possible it should be done upon arrival. On this occasion the actual arrival date should be confirmed in 1-2 days in advance.

Registration

Registration is needed to ensure that you can be contacted in case of any imergency.

Every person staying in Russia for over 3 days should register at the Department of Passports and Visas.

Hostels are responsible for the registration of their guests. In case the invitation was provided by another company the person will not be able to get registered by Russian youth hostels.

Registration Requirements

You should apply for registration upon arrival and hand in your passport and visa by 10 o'clock in the morning. You will get your documents back within 2 or 3 days.

Please note! Registration is necessary only if you are staying in Russia for over 3 working days.

Unregistered Visa

If the visa was not registered the person will by fined by the Russian customs officials on exit. The amount of the fine is not clearly stated. This means the person will be charged to the discretion of the customs officials.

Expired Visa

In this case the person won't be able to leave the country till he/she pays a fine to get an exit permit.