At the beginning of 2020, a new rule came into force that greatly facilitates the application for an electronic tourist visa to visit the Russian Federation.
Specifically, the requirement to go to the Russian embassy or consulate to manage said visa was cancelled.
NOTE: By decree No. 635 corresponding to March 16, 2020, the new procedure for obtaining visas is suspended until the situation with the Corona-virus pandemic (Covid-19) improves.
Which countries can their citizens benefit from the new rule?
The list of countries that their citizens can use the new procedure for obtaining electronic visas are the following:
- Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,The Vatican.
- Bahrain, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan (China), Turkey.
- Mexico.
- The rpdc.
Entry conditions with the online visa:
You can enter the territory of the Russian Federation by applying the electronic visa through the following control points:
Airports:
- Vnukovo – Moscow
- Domodedovo – Moscow
- Sheremetyevo – Moscow
- Saint Petersburg (Pulkovo)
- Khabarovsk (Novy)
- Kaliningrad (Khrabrovo)
- Belgorod
- Volgograd (Gumrak)
- Yekaterinburg (Koltsovo)
- Kazan, Krasnodar (Pashkovsky)
- Krasnoyarsk (Emelyanovo)
- Nizhny Novgorod (Strigino)
- Novosibirsk (Tolmachevo)
- Rostov-on-don (Platov)
- samara (kurumoch)
Maritime entrances:
- Vladivostok, Zarubino
- Kaliningrad
- St. Petersburg
- Sochi
Railway checkpoints:
- Pogranichny
- Khasan
Automobile checkpoints:
- Bagrationovsk
- Gusev
- Mamonovo (Gzhekhotki)
- Mamonovo (Gronovo)
- Morskoe
- Pogranichny
- Sovetsk
- Chernyshevskoe
- Ivangorod
- Ubylinka
- Burachki
- Vyartsilya
- Kunichina Gora
- Shumilkino
Pedestrian control post:
- Ivangorod
Mixed checkpoint:
- Blagoveshchensk
Requirements for the electronic visa:
One of the novelties in this new system is to not condition the visa application with the possession of an invitation, accommodation reservation or any other document that confirms the purpose of the trip to the Russian Federation.
Conditions of stay in Russia with the electronic visa:
The electronic visa entitles you to enter the Russian Federation only once and stay in the Russian Federation on a business or guest visit; but as a tourist; as well as to participate in scientific, cultural, socio-political, economic, sporting and transit events.
If the trip to Russia does not fall into the categories mentioned above, then the visa must be managed in person at the Russian embassy or consulate.
In addition to being a single-entry visa, the visitor only has the right to stay on Russian territory for a maximum of 16 days and the validity of the visa is 60 days.
There are exceptions to extend the stay: the need for emergency treatment or the appearance of force majeure circumstances, as well as in the event of a natural catastrophe.
When and where should I submit the visa application:
The Russian electronic visa application can only be applied for in a period started between 40 and 4 days before the date of travel.
The application for the electronic visa is made on the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, the link is still to be defined since the aforementioned decree put the process on pause until the situation of the pandemic improves worldwide.
You can check: https://www.mid.ru/en/main_en
Keep in mind that there will be reviews and fee payments that depend on each case separately.
Need help?
If you plan to visit Russia and need help with the electronic visa, we will be happy to support you free of charge with the steps to follow in the process, contact us.
