Electronic visas to Russia
Are you planning a trip to Russia soon? Whatever the reason – business, entertainment, medicine – you will need to cross the border with the appropriate documents. So you should make sure that you have an electronic visa to Russia with you.
An electronic visa to Russia is part of the visa program in Russia, it is single-entry and is valid for 60 days from the date of its issue.
In this article, we are going to tell you what a single electronic visa is, citizens of which countries need it, how much it costs to obtain a single electronic visa, the reasons for which it is issued, whether you need to print it out, how to apply for this visa, what will happen if you fill out the application for this visa incorrectly, through which checkpoints you can enter and exit with this visa, what documents you will need to show when crossing the border with this visa.
What is a Uniform eVisa?
Most UK citizens need a Uniform eVisa. For example, you need one if:
– Your trip is for a maximum of 16 days;
– You do not already have a visa to travel to Russia;
– You are travelling by train, plane or ship;
– You are transiting through Russia.
Characteristics of a single electronic visa:
– easy to fill out and convenient for living in Russia;
– single entry;
– valid for 60 days from the date of issue;
– it allows you to live in Russia for no more than 16 days from the date of entry;
– after using the previous visa, you can apply for a new electronic visa.
Citizens of which countries need it?
Since August 1, 2023, the issuance of unified electronic visas for foreigners from 55 countries has begun.
The list of foreign countries whose citizens are issued such a visa is expected to expand, currently including 64 countries:
- Austria
- Bahrain
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Vatican
- Hungary
- Germany
- Greece
- Denmark
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Ireland
- Iceland
- Spain
- Italy
- Cyprus
- China (including Taiwan)
- Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
- Kuwait
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Liechtenstein
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Mexico
- Monaco
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Oman
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- San Marino
- Saudi Arabia
- North Macedonia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Turkey
- Philippines
- Finland
- France
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Switzerland
- Sweden
- Estonia
- Japan
- Vietnam
- Cambodia
- Myanmar
- Barbados
- Butane
- Zimbabwe
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Papua New Guinea
- Saint Lucia
- Tonga
- Trinidad
- Tobago
- Turkmenistan
- Eswatini.
What are the reasons for issuing a unified electronic visa to Russia?
The reasons for issuing a unified electronic visa to Russia are:
– for a guest visit;
– for a business visit;
– for a tourist visit;
– for participation in scientific events;
– for participation in cultural events;
– for participation in socio-political events;
– for participation in economic events;
– for participation in sports events.
How to apply for a visa?
Application for a visa:
– is completely similar to the standard visa application form of other countries;
– the application must be completed electronically from your personal account on the special portal of the Russian MFA electronic-visa.kdmid.ru or through a mobile application posted for download on that site;
– attach the following documents to the application:
- digital photo of the applicant’s face;
- scanned page with data of the foreign citizen’s passport. Please note that more than 6 months must remain before the expiration of the passport from the date of application.
– You can apply around the clock, as it works at any time;
– as soon as you have paid the consular fee, your application will be reviewed within 4 calendar days;
– do not forget to check the status of the application on the website. If your status changes, it will be sent to the email you specified during registration;
– once the documents have been verified, your status will be “Processing complete” and start downloading the PDF file.
What happens if you fill out the application for this visa incorrectly?
If an error is found in the application form, your status will be “Correction required”. You have 10 days to correct your error and send the application for verification. You will not need to pay the fee again. It turns out that the application submission date here is the date when you sent the documents for re-verification.
Incorrect completion of your visa application form entails the cancellation of the already issued visa and refusal of entry into Russia.
If you still have technical questions about the registration of a single electronic visa to Russia, then contact the service for sending requests in the personal account of a foreigner or send a request to the e-mail evisa_info@kdmid.ru.
What documents are NOT REQUIRED to obtain a unified electronic visa?
Documents that are not required to obtain a unified electronic visa:
– invitations;
– tourist vouchers;
– hotel reservation confirmation.
Through which checkpoints will it be possible to enter and exit with this visa?
You can enter and exit Russia only through certain checkpoints. See the list of these checkpoints here:
- Altai Krai: Barnaul
- Arkhangelsk Oblast: Arkhangelsk (Talagi)
- Astrakhan Oblast: Astrakhan (Narimanovo)
- Belgorod Oblast: Belgorod
- Bryansk Oblast: Bryansk
- Republic of Bashkortostan: Ufa
- Republic of Buryatia: Ulan-Ude (Mukhino)
- Volgograd Oblast: Volgograd (Gumrak)
- Republic of Dagestan: Makhachkala (Uytash)
- Sverdlovsk Oblast: Yekaterinburg (Koltsovo)
- Stavropol Krai: Mineralnye Vody
- Zabaykalsky Krai: Chita (Kadala)
- Irkutsk Oblast: Irkutsk
- Kabardino-Balkarian Republic: Nalchik
- Kaliningrad Oblast: Kaliningrad (Khrabrovo)
- Kaluga Region: Kaluga (Grabtsevo)
- Kamchatka Region: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (Elizovo)
- Kemerovo Region: Kemerovo
- Krasnodar Region: Krasnodar (Pashkovsky), Sochi
- Krasnoyarsk Region: Krasnoyarsk (Emelyanovo)
- Moscow and Moscow Region: Moscow (Vnukovo), Moscow (Domodedovo), Moscow (Sheremetyevo), Moscow (Zhukovsky)
- Omsk Region: Omsk (Central)
- Orenburg Region: Orenburg (Central)
- Komi Republic: Syktyvkar
- Lipetsk Region: Lipetsk
- Murmansk Region: Murmansk
- Nizhny Novgorod Region: Nizhny Novgorod (Strigino)
- Novosibirsk Region: Novosibirsk (Tolmachevo)
- Primorsky Krai: Vladivostok (Knevichi)
- Perm Krai: Perm (Bolshoye Savino)
- Rostov Oblast: Rostov-on-Don (Platov)
- Samara Oblast: Samara (Kurumoch)
- Saratov Oblast: Saratov (Gagarin)
- St. Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast: St. Petersburg (Pulkovo)
- Sakhalin Oblast: Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (Khomutovo)
- North Ossetia: Vladikavkaz (Beslan)
- Republic of Tatarstan: Kazan
- Tomsk Oblast: Tomsk (Bogashevo)
- Tyumen Oblast: Tyumen (Roshchino)
- Ulyanovsk Oblast: Ulyanovsk (Vostochny)
- Chelyabinsk Oblast: Chelyabinsk (Balandino)
- Chuvash Republic: Cheboksary
- Khabarovsk Krai: Khabarovsk (Novy)
- Republic of Khakassia: Abakan
- Chechen Republic: Grozny (Severny)
- Chukotka Autonomous Okrug: Anadyr (Ugolny)
- Yaroslavl Oblast: Yaroslavl (Tunoshna)
How long does it take to get a visa?
Regardless of weekends and holidays, the application must be submitted no earlier than 40 days and no later than 4 days before the expected date of arrival in Russia. You will not need to visit a Russian consular office or visa center to submit documents.
How much does it cost to apply for a single electronic visa?
Applying for a single electronic visa is a paid service. You can pay on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry or in the mobile application of the Russian Foreign Ministry using Internet acquiring technology with bank cards of international payment systems such as Visa, Mastercard.
According to the Consular Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, the cost of an electronic visa to Russia will be up to 52 dollars, and for children under six years of age the cost will be up to 2 dollars.
What documents will need to be shown when crossing the border with this visa?
If you want to cross the border, you will need to show these documents:
– printed notification of registration of an electronic visa;
– foreign passport;
– medical policy that would be valid for the entire period of stay in Russia.
Do I need to apply for a visa through a third party?
We do not recommend that you apply for this visa through a third party because:
– You are transferring your personal data to intermediaries;
– You are responsible for the data specified by third parties in your visa application.