Russia, the world’s largest country stretching from far north-east of Asia to Europe has always been a major attraction. When people think of Russia first things that come into mind are vodka, fur, KGB spies, deadly cold winter, etc. We agree that Russia has a somewhat bad reputation. But what we also know is that behind this lie wonders to discover. Throwing these stereotypes away, you will find reasons why so many travelers fall in love with Russia. Russia is a giant country in every aspect. From the metro to the buildings everything has a distinct sheer size. You will find Moscow so vast to explore, you will probably find time not enough to complete a full visit. When you leave the city, things become more interesting in a way. You will be stunned when you see the endless Siberian forests. I mean it is kind of impossible to comprehend the size. Only if you could look at these forests from space, then you could imagine what we are talking about. This sheer size brings a huge variety of nature hidden in these forests as well. Though we highly recommend you to visit Russia other than winter since winter in Siberia is harsh. In Russia historical monuments, structures had been built in unique architectural styles. This architecture reflects Russia’s history. For art lovers, the country is a perfect destination. It is worthwhile to mention St Petersburg in this regard. During the rising of the Russian empire, it served as a cultural center. In the Hermitage museum, you will find the most astonishing finest art pieces. To visit Russia, one, of course, get the right to enter the country. Luckily nationals of some countries are not even bothered to undergo bureaucratic procedures. But for some, it is mandatory to acquire Russian tourist visa to enter Russia. If you are wondering how to apply for Russian tourist visa? You are in luck. Because we will cover Russian tourist visa. We will cover requirements for Russian tourist visa, Russian double entry tourist visa, Russian tourist visa processing time, invitation for Russian tourist visa, Russian tourist visa application, Russian tourist visa cost and try to answer questions like how to get a Russian tourist visa and how much is a Russian tourist visa? But first let’s have a look at Russia’s visa policy.
Russia’s visa policy
Visa policy of can differs from country to country depending on its relationship with other countries. We can divide the countries into two groups according to their visa statutes to Russia. They are visa-free and visa-required countries. Visa-free countries are Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, Israel, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Macao, Maldives, Mauritius, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nauru, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Samoa, Serbia, Seychelles, South Africa, South Korea, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Tajikistan, Thailand, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela. Countries that are not in the list are visa-required countries. Regarding visa types, they can be categorized as follows: Tourist Visa, Humanitarian Visa, Business Visa, Student Visa, Transit Visa, Work Visa, Private Visa. All visa types have their subcategories and requirements, conditions. For this article, we are interested in Tourist visa and we will look at requirements for Russian tourist visa, Russian double-entry tourist visa, Russian tourist visa processing time, the invitation for Russian tourist visa, Russian tourist visa application, Russian tourist visa cost.
Russian Tourist Visa
Russian tourist visa is designed for people who intend to visit the country for tourism for not exceeding 30 days. It is issued by the Russian federation for short-stay travels. Russian tourist visa is valid for 30 days and can be either single-entry or multiple-entry depending on the conditions. By having a tourist visa one can attend business meetings, negotiations, exhibitions, auctions, and consultations or examinations for medical purposes. But there is a condition for that. When you are applying for tourist if you plan to attend one of those we mentioned, you should choose “tourism with a special purpose” in the field of “purpose of visit”. And the visa will be issued according to the length of those activities. Double-entry tourist visas are only given if the intended route includes crossing the border and entering states neighboring Russia under the condition of reentering Russia. To apply for Russian tourist visa one should meet the requirements and present requested documents: • If your travel is hosted by a tour operator registered in the Unified Register of Tour Operators, a confirmation that the travel is hosted by them. • Original Passport with a minimum of two free pages. It should remain valid for at least 6 months after the visa expires. • In the case that your citizenship and the country you reside and apply for a visa from differs, then a resident permit is needed. • Russian tourist visa application form duly completed and filled out, signed by the applicant. You can find the Russian tourist visa application form on the website visa.kdmid.ru. • A photo that is taken recently or not older than 6 months. It should be in the size equal to 3,5x4,5 cm and the background should be light-colored preferably white to distinguish the features. The photo should be high quality and printed on a normal photographic paper. The photo should cover the full face of the applicant, no hat, cap, sunglasses, headcover unless they are essential due to religious beliefs. • Travel insurance. The insurance should cover the expenses during the days spent in the Russian federation. In the medical insurance the date of agreement signed should be indicated. The policy number of insurance should be given. Full name, contact details of insurer and the person insured. List of medical services provided shoul be indicated. The insurance should be worth of minimum 30 000 euros. More documents can be asked to present depending on the country you apply from. How much is a Russian tourist visa? To answer this, it costs between 30 and 300 euros. However, the fee can change based on your nationality. Where to apply for a Russian tourist visa? It is not that different from others. To apply tourist visa for Russia you first have to locate the local Russian embassy, consulate, or visa application center. If there is non in your country, you can contact the one in the neighboring country or nearest one. Then make an appointment. After that attend the place and present documents required alongside the fee. Wait for the results to come out which takes around 10-20 days. There are some things that you should be aware of prior to your travels. You have to fill out a migration card upon your arrival. Although Russian authorities do not always point this out, it is essential for your travel. These cards will be distributed by flight attendants. The migration card is comprised of two parts. One will be processed by immigration authorities on arrival and the other part is for your entire travel. You will need this card to register in hotels. Note that you will hand it to the authorities when you leave the country. If you are going to stay in Russia for more than three days then you will need to register the card with your sponsor.
Russian Tourist E-visa
In 2021, the Russian government launched new platforms to ease the procedures of visas. The E-visa allows you to remain in Russia for up to 16 days. E-visa is given for tourism, business, and humanitarian purposes. However only nationals of a limited number of countries can apply for the E-visa. They are namely Germany, Andorra, Saudi Arabia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Cyprus, North Korea, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Norway, Oman, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, Vatican City. With new application, you can save tons of time and avoid frasturation. No invitation is required and the process is 100 percent online and faster to obtain. It is advised to register in the portal at least 4 days prior to your travel. With this visa you can enter 16 airports, 2 railway stations, 1 land border, 14 car borders and 7 different sea ports. You might be wondering and asking how much does the e-visa cost? The fee for the e-visa is around 70 euros. However the amount of the fee can differ from country to country.
