Russian visa for foreigners: who needs it, types, documents and obtaining

Russian visa policy can hardly be called "friendly" to foreigners from far abroad. Citizens of most countries in the world, except those with which there is an agreement on visa-free travel, need an entry document. A visa to Russia for a foreigner is opened at a foreign consulate or visa centers at the place of residence of the applicant.

A list of countries reflecting the current visa regime for entry into the Russian Federation for their citizens is available on the website of the CD of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

Visa types

A Russian visa is a sticker in a foreigner's passport. It contains information about the applicant (full name in Latin and Cyrillic, gender, date of birth, citizenship, passport details, date of issue of the entry document and possible period of residence in the Russian Federation, invitation number, purpose of trip and number of visas).

There are several types of visas, each of which is associated with specific purposes of arrival, has its own terms and cost, and involves the preparation of a certain set of documentation. The Consulate of the Russian Federation issues the following types of entry documents:

Tourist- for recreation in the Russian Federation, acquaintance with the country, sightseeing;
Guest- for foreigners who plan to visit relatives or friends;
workers- for employment in Russian companies;
transit- for travel through Russia in order to visit a third country;
Business- for a business visit, entry into the Russian Federation as part of an official delegation, negotiating with partners;
Educational- for studying at Russian universities or other educational institutions.

Types of visas differ in multiplicity:

Single give the right to a one-time trip to the Russian Federation;
double allows two trips;
Multiple- the number of trips is not limited.

Tourist visa

Suitable for a short vacation in Russia, visiting the country for recreational or cultural purposes, participation in entertainment events, conferences and festivals. It is important to understand here that It will not work to recover on your own on a trip to Russia. An invitation is required. It is prepared by an authorized travel company; an ordinary traveler who wants to get to know Russia cannot do without its mediation.

Not all firms are engaged in issuing invitations, but only those that have passed accreditation and received a reference number from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

Required documentation:

Passport with a "reserve" of 6 months.
. Citizens of the US, UK, Canada and Georgia fill out.
Two photographs 3.5 x 4.5 cm.
Voucher and invitation from a Russian tour operator.
Receipt of payment of the fee (the cost must be specified on the website of the consulate of the Russian Federation in a particular country).

Tourist visas are opened for 30 days, it is possible to obtain a single or double entry document.

Invitation

Citizens of these states have the right to obtain visas to the Russian Federation, but their registration will be difficult. The documents of such potential guests are carefully checked, which increases the time for issuing visas. Employers have difficulties with obtaining a quota for attracting employees from migration-prone countries, issuing an invitation, and so on. Often additional paperwork and guarantees are required.

Visitor visa

A guest or private visa is opened on the basis of an invitation from an individual - a Russian or a foreigner legally residing in the Russian Federation. This type of entry document is needed to visit friends or relatives in Russia. You will need the same set of documents as for a tourist visa, but the invitation is prepared by a private person.

For its registration, the following documents are submitted to the FMS:

Passport of the inviting party;
Copy of the inviting person's passport;
on issuing an invitation;
in which the inviter assumes obligations for the medical, material and housing support of the invited guest;
income document of the inviting party;
receipt of payment of state duty (800 rubles).

It takes 20 days to issue an invitation. The received original is sent to the foreigner by courier service (delivery cost is paid separately). A guest visa to Russia for a foreigner is issued for 90 days with the possibility of single or double entry.

Work Visa

In order to be employed in a Russian company, a foreigner must obtain a work visa, which will allow him to legally stay in the country and receive a salary. A work visa is also opened on the basis of an invitation. It is prepared by the employer with whom the foreigner has signed an employment contract or is planning to conclude it in the future.

It is necessary to prepare:

Passport with a "reserve" of 1.5 years after entering from the Russian Federation;
with personal data;
Two photographs sized 3.5x4.5 cm;
A copy of the diploma with a translation into Russian;
Work invitation;
Medical insurance;
Medical certificate.

A working Russian visa for foreign citizens is issued for a year, for a HQS - for 3 years without restrictions on exits and entries into the Russian Federation.

Before a foreigner becomes the owner of a visa, his employer will have to prepare a huge set of papers and solve a lot of issues. First, get a quota and permission to attract foreign labor. Secondly, issue an invitation for the future employee to enter the Russian Federation and send him the original.

Transit visa

Travel through the Russian Federation to visit a third country is allowed only on the basis of a transit visa, to obtain it no invitation needed.

Required documents:

Passport with a "reserve" of 6 months;
Questionnaire with personal information;
Two photographs sized 3.5x4.5 cm;
Tickets and visa to the country of destination.

A visa is not required if the connection for the next flight occurs within 24 hours without leaving the international section of the airport. If you need to leave the transit zone for a transfer or the connection time exceeds a day, an entry document must be opened without fail. Transit visas in case of movement by land transport are issued for the period necessary to cross the country, with a stopover for a change of no more than 3 days.

Business visa

People often come to Russia to expand business ties, sign contracts, and negotiate with partners. In all these situations, an entry document is required. A business visa to Russia for a foreigner is opened on the basis of an invitation from an accredited organization. To obtain it, the FMS provides information about the inviting company, data of a foreigner, warranty obligations, etc.

The set of papers for a business visa is the same as for a tourist visa, but is supplemented by a business invitation. Visas are issued for 90 days with the possibility of single or double entry or up to 12 months (multivisa).

Study visa

A study visa will allow foreign guests to study at universities and legally reside in the Russian Federation. Issued at the invitation of the educational institution. The entry permit is valid for one year and is renewed in case of transfer to the next course. The complete visa package includes:

Passport with a "reserve" of 1.5 years;
with a pasted photo (size 3.5x4.5 cm);
Educational invitation from the university;
Medical insurance policy;
Medical certificate.

Obtaining procedure

Citizens from a number of countries with which the Russian Federation has concluded an agreement on visa-free travel do not need an entry document. In most cases, the period of residence in Russia for this category of foreigners ranges from 14 to 90 days. There are restrictions on the purpose of the visit - the trip must be non-commercial. For a long stay in the Russian Federation, such travelers will need a visa.

All other guests receive an entry document in the general order. The standard procedure for opening a Russian visa is to collect the necessary documentation and submit it to a foreign representation of Russia or a visa center. The visa application is considered within 7-10 days, in some cases the procedure is delayed for several weeks. If the trip to Russia is of an emergency nature, for a fee, you can use the service of urgent registration of an entry permit. After a short wait, you need to visit the consulate or center for the second time and pick up the finished passport. Sometimes the issuance of an entry document is denied.

Refusal to extradite

A visa to Russia is not always issued. The reasons for refusal depend on various factors, but the main ones are:

Visa cost

The cost of a visa for each state is different. You can specify the amount of the fee on the Consular Information Portal (kdmid.ru) or the official website of the Russian diplomatic mission in a particular country.

For example, for US citizens, the fee is set at $160 for simple issuance and $250 for urgent issuance. This is the highest tariff for a Russian visa. The fee is set to reciprocity . Russians, applying for an American visa, pay similar amounts.

Valid term of a visa

A foreign guest is not entitled to stay in the Russian Federation for more than 90 days in a half-year, except for US citizens who can stay in the country for up to 6 months on a 3-year multivisa (under an agreement between the Russian Federation and the United States to simplify visa formalities for citizens of these countries). This does not apply to study and work visas when a long period of residence in Russia is expected. Such entry documents are issued for the period of study or employment (on the basis of a certificate of admission to a university or an employment contract).

Penalties

After the expiration of the entry document, the foreigner is obliged to leave Russia. But sometimes there are circumstances that prevent timely departure. If for some reason a foreigner did not leave the Russian Federation on time, then he will have to pay a fine and receive exit visa, otherwise they will not be released from the country.

Delay up to 3 days

In case of delay up to 3 days, a consular representative, who is available at all international airports, deals with the issue of exit visas. An exit visa with a delay of up to 3 days is issued on the spot, the fine is up to 5,000 rubles (paid at the airport terminal).

Delay more than 3 days

Difficulties will arise for guests who stay in Russia longer than 3 days. In such situations, the issue of the departure of a foreign traveler is decided in court. If there are good reasons (serious illness, death of a relative, and so on), the case can be resolved without serious consequences (deportation or expulsion). An entry visa is issued if the court recognizes the violation of migration rules as valid, otherwise the foreigner will be deported, which will lead to a ban on entry into Russia for the next 3-5 years. Repeated violators of the visa regime can be detained and taken into custody pending a court decision.

Extension

To avoid trouble, you need to renew the entry document in a timely manner. To extend the visa, they apply to the FMS 20 days before the expiration date of the entry document and provide papers confirming the need for further residence in the Russian Federation. Prolongation is possible for a maximum of 10 days, provided that the total period of the guest's stay in Russia does not exceed 90 days. If unforeseen circumstances arise, for example, related to emergency treatment, the visa is extended for the time needed to resolve the issue.

Study visas are extended after the transition to the next course, work visas - at the conclusion of a new labor contract.

Registration

After obtaining a visa and crossing the borders of the Russian Federation, a foreigner is obliged to register at the Migration Service at the place of residence within 7 days. In the case of a guest visa, registration issues are handled by the inviting party, that is, the owner of the accommodation where the foreigner temporarily stayed. For this, a package of documents is submitted to the FMS.

note that registration is the responsibility of the owner of the apartment or hotel, where the foreign citizen resides. For late registration, the inviting party will be fined up to 5,000 rubles. In the case of a tourist trip, the hotel or travel agency is responsible for timely check-in.

Some nuances

The information provided is of a general nature. A set of documents, conditions for issuing visas may differ for citizens of specific countries. Additional requirements can be found on the website of the Russian Embassy (www.kdmid.ru/docs.aspx). To do this, select the consular office located in the desired country.