Getting in and visas for the Russian Federation

Passports, Visas, and other documents

Visas Citizens of most non-Russia or CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries must obtain a visa prior to arriving in Russia. Citizens of Croatia (3 months, invitation required), Cuba (30 days), and Thailand (30 days) do not need a visa. Obtaining a Russian visa is a costly, time-consuming, and often frustrating process. Most visitors should start the process at least two months in advance, but it can be done in a few weeks if you are willing to spend a little extra. There is also a way to get a visa in just a few days, but for citizens of some countries, this will cost a couple hundred dollars. For citizens of EU countries, this will cost €70 and take three days, instead of the usual 4-10 days. Getting a Russian visa There are number of ways to get a Russian visa, but first of all, you will need an official invitation. When you purchase a tour to Russia, your travel agent should provide you with one. You can also purchase an invitation online. If you have friends or relatives in Russia, you could ask them to write an invitation. The problem with such invitations is that, unlike invitations to the US, they take about one month to process (since FSB has to approve them). Once you have an invitation, you can apply for a visa. The standard price charged by the Russian Consulate for a visa is $100 in some countries, plus (in some countries) $20 for returning your passport via FedEx. EU citizens pay €35 for most kinds of visas, thanks to a reciprocal visa agreement. In order to get a visa you will need a visa application, two passport-size photos, an invitation, and passport. In some countries, you will also need two money orders for $100 and $20, as some Russian Consulates do not accept credit cards or personal checks. In others, you will need a credit/debit card because the Russian consulates in these countries don't accept money orders, cash or cheques[1]. In some countries, you will need to send all of these to any Russian consulate and wait for few weeks. In other countries, you will have to visit the consulate yourself to submit your application, wait for just one week and then pick it up in person at the consulate if the consulate doesn't allow mail applications (referring to a Russian law)[2]. Alternatively, you could pay some visa processing firm an additional $50-150 for "expedited visa processing," which actually works. To find such firms just Google - visa to Russia. Some firms include visas in their tours and take care of visa hassles for you. Difference between tourist and business visas There are two related items, the invitation (or voucher for a tourist visa) and the visa itself. The invitation is the paper which is exchanged for the actual visa. The visa is a sticker in the passport. There are several types of invitations and visas. The tourist invitation is a letter of confirmation of booking and pre-payment of your accommodation and travel arrangements in Russia. It can be obtained from a government approved hotel in Russia, on-line hotel booking service or Russian travel agency. The sign of government approval is a so called "consular reference," the government registration number with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. Only hotels and travel agencies that have consular reference can issue the confirmations valid for visa purposes. Using a local Visa Service to obtain a Russian Visa will streamline the process. They will double check your application and invitation, go to the embassy for you and return your passport to you. This saves time and frustration. It should be noted that tricks such as booking one night in a hotel and getting a visa for 30 days with the paper received from the hotel won't work. In this case the visa will be granted for only one day. However, some travel agencies will issue a confirmation for a fee, without actually collecting the accommodation pre-payment. The legality of such actions are in question and there is a bit of controversy about this. Tourist confirmation and the accommodation voucher are normally accepted as a faxed/e-mailed copy, though the consular official has a right to ask for the original if fraud is suspected. Another type of invitation is required to obtain a business visa. Business invitations are issued by the government and for many Russian consulates the original hard copy is required (though some will accept a faxed copy, always check this before applying) Obtaining the business invitation is time consuming and costly. Any registered company in Russia can apply for the business invitation for a foreign national in the visa and passport office in Russia. It normally takes 4 to 6 weeks to get one. Business visa is granted in exchange of business invitation by the Russian consulate and it is a lot more flexible than a tourist one. Can be multiple entry and valid for travel and stay in Russia for up to 12 months. However, following the introduction of new rules on October 17th 2008, a 12-month Russian business visa, (and some other types as well), will only entitle the holder to spend 90 days of the two 180-day periods of validity of the visa within Russia. In addition, should a visitor on a business visa spend 90 consecutive days within the RF, then they will not be allowed to re-enter Russia until a further period of 90 days has passed. This therefore limits the maximum time that may be spent in Russia on a one-year business visa(and some other types of visa), to just 180 days maximum. Other rules were simultaneously introduced placing restrictions on where visas may be obtained by foreign nationals to enter Russia and how frequently the person must leave Russian territory and obtain a new registration on re-arrival. Some travel agencies in Russia can help obtaining business invitation. Some Russian local governments have a right to invite foreigners for business and cultural activities by sending a TELEX to the Embassy or Consulate of Russia overseas, requesting the visa issue to a particular foreigner or group of foreigners. Such telex messages are used instead of invitation. This is normally the way to go if you are invited by the government. Personal invitation. Any Russian citizen can apply to invite foreign national for a visit at the passport and visa office. The process is much the same as for business invitation. Take 4 to 6 weeks. Looks exactly the same as business one, but the purpose of travel and the visa type will be stated as personal. The inviting individual is solely responsible for all your activities while in Russia and can be penalized heavily if something goes wrong. So personal invitations are usually not available for a fee through the net. It should be noted that you will need to pay for the cost of the invitation and the visa itself, each of which can cost from $40-100 or more, usually depending on how fast you want it issued. To save money, start the process as early as possible. Exit and reentry during the time of your visa requires permits. Getting these permits is a Kafkaesque bureaucratic nightmare best avoided entirely by spending more money in advance for a multiple entry visa. Migration Card When you go through passport control into Russia, you will give the border official a filled-in migration card. You should be given the card back, and it should be stamped. You must carry this card with you at all times in Russia, and you may be asked for it when you leave. You receive the migration card while you're en-route to Russia, either on the train or in the plane. It is a small white piece of paper nearly the size of two index cards. There are two parts: one for exit and one for entry. When you cross the border the 'entry' portion is taken and you keep 'exit' part. You must get this card registered. If on a tourist visa, your hotel should do this. If you are on a business visa, usually it is best to do it through the company that got you the invitation. This registration has a fee also, and without it you could get in trouble. Police on the streets will do random passport checks so you must have your passport on you at all times. But you're not alone — this goes for Russian citizens as well.

By plane

Moscow and Saint Petersburg are served by direct flights from most European capitals, and Moscow also has direct flights many cities in East Asia, South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and North America. Currently the only non-stop flights from the United States to Russia are offered by Delta (from New York and Atlanta to Moscow) and Aeroflot (from New York, Washington and Los Angeles to Moscow). There is also non-stop service offered from Toronto, Canada. There are airports in all large cities in Russia. Some international service can be found in: Novosibirsk, Sochi, Vladivostok, Kaliningrad, Ekaterinburg. International service to other destinations is much more limited. Local airlines are listed in Get around. Low-cost air-lines from Europe: From Austria:

• NIKI [3] flies to Moscow (Domodedovo International Airport[4]) from Vienna (Vienna International Airport). Approximate one-way price — EUR 99.

From Germany:

• Air Berlin [5] flies to Moscow (Domodedovo International Airport) from Berlin (Berlin Tegel), Duesseldorf (Düsseldorf International), Munich (Franz Josef Strauss Airport) and Stuttgart (Stuttgart Airport). There is also a connection from Berlin (Berlin Tegel) to Saint Petersburg (Pulkovo Airport). Approximate one-way price — EUR 110

• Germanwings [6] flies to Moscow (Vnukovo International Airport) from Berlin (Berlin Schönefeld), Cologne (Köln Bonn Airport), Hamburg (Hamburg Airport) and Stuttgart (Stuttgart Airport). There are also connections from Berlin (Berlin Schönefeld) and Cologne (Köln Bonn Airport) to Saint Petersburg (Pulkovo Airport). Approximate one-way price — USD 100.

From Italy:

• Evolavia [7] flies to Moscow (Domodedovo International Airport) from Ancona (Raffaello Sanzio Airport) on Wednesday. Approximate one-way price — EUR 140.
• Wind jet [8] flies to Moscow (Domodedovo International Airport) from Catania (Fontanarossa International Airport), Forlì (L. Ridolfi), Palermo and Verona. Approximate one-way price — EUR 90.

From Norway:

• Norwegian [9] flies to Saint Petersburg (Pulkovo Airport[10]) from Oslo (Oslo Airport). Approximate one-way price — EUR 94.

From Spain:

• clickair [11] flies to Moscow (Domodedovo International Airport) from Barcelona (Barcelona Airport). Approximate one-way price — EUR 179.

From United Arab Emirates

• Emirates Air flies to Domodedovo International. New jets, high quality, a little pricey.

Transferring between the international and domestic terminals at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO) can be difficult for a non-Russian speaker. Many therefore arrange for a (pricey) private car in advance.

By train

Train service is usually reliable. You can get a direct train from many cities in Eastern and Central Europe to Moscow and sometimes Saint Petersburg. Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga, Berlin, Budapest and Warsaw are all possible departure points with daily services to Russia. Most long distance trains have 2 to 6 passengers per room, 4 being the most common. The Trans-Siberian Railway spans the entire country and connects with Chinese cities such as Beijing and Harbin, as well as Mongolia's Ulaanbaatar. For details on domestic Russian trains, see below in the Get Around: By Train section.

By car

Traveling in Russia by car can be difficult. Roads may be poorly marked, if marked at all, and poorly maintained — especially outside the cities and towns. Car rental services are only starting to develop in major cities such as Moscow or Saint Petersburg, and are expensive. Crossing the border by car is a peculiar entertainment. There is no doubt that car travel is the best way to see the country, but it is a risky enterprise which is recommended only for the brave and capable. Russian highways have highway patrol police (GAI) roadblock every 20 km or so. If you have an international license plate, prepare to pay a bribe ($5-$20) in some of the most corrupt regions (e.g., in the Caucasus). Russian traffic rules are very numerous and you will be found violating some of them. If you decide not to pay, at best you should expect to spend several hours at every road block. Service is scarce and poor, and the countryside can be quite dangerous without experience and fluency in the Russian language. It is possible to travel safely by car in Russia using a private licensed guide. Traveling independently is not recommended, especially for the non-Russian speaker. Guides generally provide their own cars and or vans and know the roads, the customs and the countryside making seeing small towns and historic sites possible.

By bus

A few bus companies, most notably Eurolines and Eurolines, operate international coach services from a number of destinations to Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Tallinn, Helsinki, Riga, Vilnius, Warsaw and Berlin all have regular services to Russia.

By boat

• Ferry services operate in the summer between Sochi and Turkey's Trabzon.