If you're planning to visit the land of the Tsars in the future, find out all you need to know about applying for a Russian e-visa, which is currently available to 56 nationalities. Documents to be provided, fees, deadlines: we'll help you see things more clearly, so you can plan your next tourist, business, private or humanitarian trip to Russia with complete peace of mind.
Do I need a visa to travel to Russia?
Do I need a visa to travel to Russia?Since January 1, 2021, Russia has introduced a new visa system, known as the "unified visa", for some of its international visitors. It allows citizens from 56 countries around the world to visit the entire Russian territory from numerous air, sea, border, rail and land entry points, for up to 16 consecutive days, with a visa in electronic format. The types of stay covered by the Russian e-visa are tourist, business, private (including visits to relatives) and humanitarian.
If your nationality is on the following list, you can now obtain an e-visa for Russia from an agency specializing in travel documents such as Visamundi : Andorra, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Northern Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, Vatican City.
Do you need an e-visa for Russia, but are you planning a stay of more than 16 days and 15 nights? Then you have two options:
- apply for a regular visa at the Russian embassy in your country of residence before your departure,
- travel to Russia with an e-visa and leave Russian territory before your travel document expires in order to apply for a new e-visa and be able to return to Russia for 16 days or less.
The e-visa for Russia cannot be extended, and includes a single entry to Russia. If you exceed the initial 16-day period, you will be subject to legal proceedings and banned from entering Russia for 5 years. In all cases, whether you are applying for a paper or electronic Russian visa, you must be outside the country at the time of application. If you are not applying for an e-visa for Russia, go to an embassy to obtain a conventional visa in the 3 months preceding your departure for Russia.
How do I get an e-visa for Russia?
All the steps involved in obtaining an e-visa for Russia are carried out online. If you want to save time and concentrate on organizing your stay in Russia, trust Visamundi to transmit your e-visa application to the appropriate authorities. Just take a few minutes to fill in our online form, specifying the reason for your trip to Russia, the date of your arrival in the country, the date of your departure from the country and essential information about your identity and identity document.
Please also send us the following documents by e-mail:
- a photocopy of your passport, valid for at least 6 months from the date of issue of your visa application,
- a recent color passport photo,
- proof of travel insurance covering repatriation and local medical expenses.
Without these documents, we are unable to process your e-visa application for Russia. Written in any language, signed and stamped, the travel insurance is requested on arrival for the e-visa and before departure for the classic visa. It must cover the dates of stay and indicate the benefits insured, the contact details of the insurer in Russia, the contract number and the traveler's full identity as shown on his or her passport.
You don't need to know anything about Russia to apply for a Russian e-visa. You do, however, need to have a means of leaving the country, such as a return air ticket, and a hotel reservation. If you're staying with a local, you'll need to provide the name of your host when you apply online.
How much does an e-visa for Russia cost?
How much does an e-visa for Russia cost?At Visamundi, we apply the official consular fee of €48 for each traveller, excluding service charges. As an added bonus, the unified visa is free for accompanied children under 6. All minors, including those under 6, must still apply for a Russian e-visa.
Has your e-visa application for Russia been rejected by the local authorities? We'll reimburse the full cost of your visa application, so you can rest assured that you're not taking any financial risks.
How long does it take to obtain and validate an e-visa for Russia?
The average processing time for an e-visa application for Russia is 4 days. To be on the safe side, apply at least 10 days before your expected arrival in Russia. Once your application has been validated by the Russian authorities, we will send you your travel document in electronic format (PDF). Print it out in color and present it, along with your passport and travel insurance, when you arrive in Russia.
The e-visa for Russia is valid for 60 days from the date of issue. The validity period starts as soon as you receive the document by e-mail, which gives you 2 months to enter Russia. We will send you a free copy of your travel document for Russia if you lose the "original" copy before the start of your stay.
