Visa exceptions for non-UK citizens without British Residency

The full list of exceptions is below.

Categories of citizens who are allowed to enter the Russian Federation on the basis of the order of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 16 March 2020 No. 635-r:

1. Accredited or appointed employees of diplomatic missions and consular offices of foreign states in the Russian Federation, international organisations and their missions, other official missions of foreign states located on the territory of the Russian Federation, officials of the Standing Committee of the Union State, as well as family members of these persons, international truck drivers, crews of air, sea and river vessels, train and locomotive crews of international railway traffic, personnel determined by the international agreements of the Russian Federation in the field of railway transport, employees of the Intergovernmental Courier Communications, members of official delegations entering the Russian Federation, subject to presentation of valid documents proving their identity and recognised by the Russian Federation in this capacity, and visas or in a visa-free manner in cases stipulated by international treaties of the Russian Federation.

2. Persons holding diplomatic, service or ordinary private visas issued due to death of a close relative, as well as ordinary private visas issued by decision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.

3. Citizens of countries with which the Russian Federation has international treaties on visa-free travel of citizens entering the Russian Federation, as couriers of diplomatic communication or those entering due to death of a close relative (spouse, parent, child, adoptive parent, adopted child, guardian and trustee), subject to presentation of valid documents proving their identity and recognised by the Russian Federation in this capacity, and a copy of the death certificate as well as a document confirming the degree of relationship.

4. Persons who are family members (spouses, parents, children, adoptive parents, adopted children), guardians and trustees of citizens of the Russian Federation, subject to presentation of valid documents proving their identity and recognised by the Russian Federation in this capacity, and a visa or in a visa-free manner in the cases provided for by international treaties of the Russian Federation, subject to presentation of a copy of a document confirming the degree of relationship.

5. Persons permanently residing in the territory of the Russian Federation (with the exception of persons specified in paragraph thirteen of clause 2 of the order of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 27 March 2020 No. 763-r), as well as by transit through air checkpoints of the state border of the Russian Federation without leaving their boundaries.

6. Persons who are participants and family members of the participants of the State programme by assisting the voluntary resettlement to the Russian Federation of compatriots living abroad (hereinafter – the State programme), approved by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated 22 June 2006 No. 637, upon presentation of valid identity documents and recognised in the Russian Federation in this capacity, and certificates of a participant of the State programme.

7. Persons participating in the adjustment and maintenance of foreign-made equipment indicated in the list sent to the Federal Security Service of Russia and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia by the federal executive body, in which sphere of jurisdiction the organisation – customer of the foreign-made equipment is.

8. Persons entering the Russian Federation on a single-entry basis, involved in labour activities as highly qualified specialists, included in the list (indicating the checkpoint of the state border of the Russian Federation and the date of entry) sent to the Federal Security Service of Russia and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia by the federal executive body, in which sphere of jurisdiction the organisation is – the employer or customer of work (services), subject to presentation by the specified persons of valid documents proving their identity and recognised by the Russian Federation in this capacity, and a visa or visa-free procedure in cases stipulated by international treaties of the Russian Federation, and subject to presentation of a valid employment contract or civil law contract for performance of work (provision of services) with the employer or customer of the works (services).

9. Citizens of the Republic of Belarus who are employees of Belarusian companies taking part in work to ensure a continuous production process at industrial facilities in the Russian Federation in the field of nuclear energy, construction, oil and gas production, mineral processing, sent to industrial sites in the Russian Federation to work on a rotational basis specified in the list sent to the Federal Security Service of Russia and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia by the federal executive body, in which sphere of jurisdiction the customer of these works is, or by the State Atomic Energy Corporation “Rosatom”, and crossing the Russian-Belarusian state border or checkpoints across the state border of the Russian Federation.

10. Persons permanently residing in the town of Baykonur, Kyzyl-Orda region of the Republic of Kazakhstan or sent to the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan to participate in the implementation of state programmes of the Russian Federation, presidential programmes, the Federal space programme of Russia, interstate and federal target programmes, programmes of the Union State and programmes of international cooperation in the field of space activities specified in the list sent to the FSB of Russia by the State Corporation for Space Activities “Roskosmos”, subject to presentation of valid documents proving their identity and recognised by the Russian Federation in this capacity, and visas or in a visa-free manner in cases provided for by international treaties of the Russian Federation.

11. Citizens of Ukraine and stateless persons permanently residing in the territories of certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine, if there is a registration mark concerning the place of residence on the territory of the corresponding districts of Donetsk or Lugansk regions of Ukraine in the passports of citizen of Ukraine or identity documents provided for by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated 18 February 2017, No. 74 “On recognition of documents and registration plates of vehicles in the Russian Federation issued to citizens of Ukraine and stateless persons permanently residing in certain areas of Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine”.

12. Persons entering the Russian Federation with the purpose of medical treatment, subject to presentation of valid documents proving their identity and recognised by the Russian Federation in this capacity, and visas or in a visa-free manner in cases stipulated by international treaties of the Russian Federation, as well as documents (copies of documents) issued by a medical organisation confirming an invitation for treatment with an indication of the time of treatment or documents (copies of documents) issued by the Ministry of Healthcare of Russia.

13. Persons entering the Russian Federation to visit sick close relatives (spouses, parents, children, adoptive parents, adopted children), guardians and trustees in case of need of care, subject to presentation of valid identity documents recognised by the Russian Federation in this capacity, and visas or in a visa-free manner in cases stipulated by international treaties of the Russian Federation, as well as documents (copies of documents) issued by a medical organisation.

14. Persons holding a residence permit or other document confirming the right for permanent residence in a foreign state specified in the annex to this order, and entering the Russian Federation from this state through air checkpoints of the state border of the Russian Federation.

16. Persons entering the Russian Federation, involved in labour activities as highly qualified specialists in the field of sports or participating in sports events on the territory of the Russian Federation, included in the list (indicating the checkpoint of the state border of the Russian Federation and the date of entry) sent by the Ministry of Sports of Russia to the Federal Security Service of Russia, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and the Federal Air Transport Agency, subject to presentation by the indicated persons of valid documents proving their identity and recognised by the Russian Federation in this capacity, as well as ordinary work or ordinary humanitarian visas for the purpose of sports ties or in a visa-free manner in cases stipulated by international treaties of the Russian Federation.