Visas & Customs Requirements

General Requirements:

There are 6 main types of Russian visas: a tourist visa, a business visa, a student visa, a personal visa, a work visa, a transit visa - each type corresponds to the purpose of your visit. However, many people come for a short business trip with tourist visas, and many people come to visit their friends with business visas. So, when choosing the type visa, the only consideration should be your convenience in terms of price of the visa, its speed of processing, the period of stay this visa allows and the number of entries the visa allows.

The invitation (also called visa support) is a special document issued by the party that invites you to Russia. The invitation is required by a Russian consulate to be able to process your visa. For every type of visa, there exists a different type of invitation (tourist, business, work, private, and student). The invitation (visa support) can be issued by a Russian travel agency or by a company or organization authorized by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

The following documents should be submitted to the Russian Embassy or Consulate to obtain a Tourist Visa to enter Russia:

• Your original passport with at least 2 blank visa-designated pages (passport must be valid for at least 6 months after intended departure date from Russia).


• Two copies of Russian visa application form completed and signed.


• Two passport-size photos signed on the back.


• If Tour Group or Cruise Passenger: Letter from tour company or cruise line confirming itinerary and including a copy of the confirmation from authorized Russian travel company which shows the reference number and confirmation number for the visa.


• If Individual Travel: Confirmation of hotel arrangements from authorized Russian travel company, or directly from the Russian hotel, showing reference number and confirmation number for the visa.

PLEASE NOTE:

1. Tourist visa cannot be issued for more than 30 days and Application should be submitted not less than 3 days prior to entry into Russia.
2. For the tourist groups - 10 persons and more - the visa processing requires 14 days.
3. For cruise tourists in case of staying on board of a ship for not more than 3 days and going sightseeing on guided tours a visa is not required.

General Consulates of Russia:

Houston	http://www.russianembassy.com/houston/
New York	http://newyork.rusembassy.org
San Francisco	http://www.russianembassy.biz/usa-san-francisco.htm
Washington	http://washington.rusembassy.org