Russia Tourist Visa
An eVisa is required. We can assist in processing this document.
Travel Document Type
eVisa
Government Fee
USD 0.00
Byevisa Processing Fee
USD 25.00
Processing Time
5 business days
All About the Russia eVisa
Do you plan to visit Russia in the foreseeable future? This vast country is home to world-famous cities such as St. Petersburg and Moscow, and unforgettable sights including the Kremlin, Red Square and St. Basil’s Cathedral.
Fortunately, it’s now easier than ever to obtain your travel pass to enter this country. This is because, in January 2021, the Russian government launched its nation-wide Electronic Visa (eVisa), allowing the citizens of 53 countries to visit all of Russia’s territory.
The Russian eVisa allows you to come here for the purposes of a private or business visit, tourism, as well as to participate in scientific, cultural, socio-political, economic or sporting events. This is a Single Entry document (meaning that you can only enter and exit once) valid for 60 days from the date of issue, and you can visit for up 16 days including your entry and exit days.
To apply for this online Russia tourist visa, you require a passport that’s valid for at least 6 months from the date of submitting your application. Your passport must be machine-readable and have enough blank pages for the entry and exit stamps at customs. You also require a valid email address to receive your eVisa, and you can apply from any internet-connected device.
Obtaining your Russian eVisa with Byevisa is a cinch. Here we talk you through how to do it, so you can get on with planning your visits to the Hermitage, the Winter Palace or Lake Baikal!
Contents
What Is the Difference Between a Russia e-Visa vs a Visa on Arrival (VoA)?
Some countries have a Visa on Arrival policy, where travellers can get authorisation upon arriving at the airport. However, this is not possible for travel to Russia. If you need a visa for Russia, you’ve got to get it ahead of time.
The fastest and easiest way to do so is to apply for an Electronic Visa with Byevisa. You can get your travel document sent to your email inbox in as little as 5 business days.
We simplify the application process, so you don’t have to take a trip to visit a Russian diplomatic mission or consular office in your home country and go through all the trouble of processing your documents there. If you are from a country eligible for an eVisa, save yourself the headache by applying online.
Russia Visa Requirements and Eligibility
You can check if you can apply for this travel document here:
Alternatively, the citizens of the following 53 countries are eligible for this travel pass:
Andorra
Austria
Bahrain
Belgium
Bulgaria
China
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran, Islamic Republic of
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of
Kuwait
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Malta
Mexico
Monaco
Netherlands
North Macedonia
Norway
Oman
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Romania
San Marino
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan, China
Turkey
Vatican
Here are the requirements to apply:
- You need a passport that’s valid for at least 6 months from your application date.
- Your passport must be machine-readable and issued by your country of nationality:
- Machine-readable passports have a section at the bottom of the bio page with <<< symbols (usually this occupies more than 1 line). Keep in mind that the machine-readable name may differ from the one that appears in the visible portion of the passport next to your photo; apply with the name in the visible portion.
- Your passport must have sufficient blank pages for entry and exit stamps at customs.
- You require valid medical insurance for the duration of your stay in Russia.
- You must submit your application no earlier than 40 days and no later than 4 days before your planned entry date.
You also need:
- A valid email address to receive your eVisa.
- A digital passport photo of your face as follows:
- Colour photo in JPEG format, 35×45 aspect ratio.
- Taken in the past 6 months and reflects your current appearance.
- Image must be clear and in focus.
- Plain light-coloured background, without a frame. No shadows, objects or other people. No flash reflections on the face or red eyes.
- Your head must be centred, from the top of the hairline to the tip of the chin, with top of head and top of shoulders visible. Your face must take up 70% to 80% of the photo with your nose on the symmetry line.
- You must be facing forward, looking at the camera, with a neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open and visible (not covered by hair or glasses frames).
- Head should not be tilted or turned.
- Religious head coverings are acceptable. They may not cover facial features, and the face must be visible from bottom of chin to top of forehead.
- If you wear glasses, avoid heavy frames. Your eyes must be visible. Tinted lenses and flash reflections of lenses are not permitted.
- The colour scheme must be neutral and show your natural skin tone.
- A debit or credit card to pay for your application, or a PayPal account.
In addition, you can only enter this country at the following approved crossing points:
Air Checkpoints:
Belgorod
Ekaterinburg (Koltsovo)
Kazan
Krasnodar (Pashkovsky)
Krasnoyarsk (Yemelyanovo)
Moscow (Domodedovo)
Moscow (Sheremetyevo)
Moscow (Vnukovo)
Nizhny Novgorod (Strigino)
Novosibirsk (Tolmachevo)
Pulkovo
Rostov-on-Don (Platov)
Samara (Kurumoch)
Volgograd (Gumrak)
Naval Checkpoints:
Big port Saint Petersburg (Marine Station)
Passenger port Saint Petersburg
Vladivostok
Zarubino
Railroad Checkpoints:
Khasan
Pogranichny
Automobile Checkpoints:
Bagrationovsk
Gusev
Ivangorod
Mamonovo (Grzechotki)
Mamonovo (Gronowo)
Morskoje
Sovetsk
Ubylinka
Pedestrian Checkpoint:
Ivangorod
Fortunately, unlike with previous Russian travel passes, you’re not required to submit an invitation letter or a hotel booking confirmation to acquire your eVisa. So when you get your visa online, that’s one less thing you have to worry about.
Please note that it’s only possible to extend your eVisa for Russia in insurmountable circumstances (force majeure), such as requiring emergency medical treatment or in a natural disaster.
If you already hold a valid Russian visa, you’re not obliged to apply for the eVisa.
Nationalities Exempt from a Visa for Russia
Also, if you’re asking yourself ‘Do I need a visa for Russia?’, it may interest you to know that the citizens of some countries are not required to obtain a visa for this country. These visa-exempt nations are:
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei Darussalam *14 days
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominica
Ecuador
El Salvador
Fiji
Grenada
Guatemala
Guyana
Honduras
Israel
Jamaica
Kazakhstan
Korea, Republic of (South Korea)
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Maldives
Mauritius
Moldova
Mongolia
Montenegro
Nauru *14 days
Nicaragua
Palau
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Qatar
Samoa
Seychelles
South Africa
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Suriname
Tajikistan
Thailand
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Venezuela
Passport-carrying citizens of the above countries can stay for 30, 60 or 90 days without a visa, depending on your nationality.
Lastly, If you are from the United States, UK, Canada, Australia or any other country not listed above as eligible for an e-Visa or visa-exempt, you will need to process your visa in the traditional way, at a Russian embassy or consulate in your country.
Russia eVisa Validity Period
The eVisa is valid for 60 days from the date of issuance. You are allowed to stay in the country for a Single Entry of up to 16 days, but all 16 days must be within the 60-day validity period.
Please note that the day of entry and day of exit are counted as 2 days. The simple rule to remember is that if you enter on the 1st of a given month, for example, you must leave the country no later than the 16th of the same month.
As stated above, you must leave the country while your eVisa is valid. If you enter on a Tuesday, but your 60-day validity period expires on the following Sunday, you must leave on Sunday even though you have stayed for less than 16 days.
Russia Visa Application Process
To apply for your Russian travel pass with Byevisa takes just a few minutes. Here are the steps you take:
- Gather the necessary documents listed above.
- At the widget at the top of this page, select your nationality and destination, then click ‘Get Visa Info’.
- You’ll immediately see if you’re eligible for this travel pass. If you are, click ‘Apply Now’. Otherwise, you may have to contact your nearest Russian embassy or consulate to obtain your entry document.
- Fill out Byevisa’s simple online form. You have to provide your personal details, passport information and travel information, as well as your digital photo.
- Take care to enter your details exactly as they appear on your passport to ensure your application is accepted the first time.
- Choose how quickly you need to receive your eVisa. Byevisa offers 3 different processing speeds, namely 5, 7 or 9 business days.
- Complete your payment information. You’ll need a credit card, debit card or a PayPal account.
- Check your email to see the confirmation message that Byevisa has sent to let you know your application has been received.
- Relax and enjoy your free time while Byevisa takes care of getting your official travel document.
- Check your email after the processing time has passed to see that Byevisa has sent you a message with your eVisa attached.
- You can show your eVisa on your smartphone to Russia’s border officials when you arrive, although we recommend that you print out your document and take it with you when you travel, just in case.
- Enter the country through one of the designated airports, seaports or land ports. See a full list of valid points of entry in the ‘Requirements’ section above.
- Enjoy visiting the country for up to 16 days!
What Is the Russia Visa Cost?
The Russia government charges X USD for the new eVisa. Children under the age of 6 at the time of application are exempt from this fee. There’s also a small fee for using the Byevisa service, which saves you the time and frustration of doing the paperwork yourself.
The cost of getting your travel document sent straight to your email depends on how quickly you need it. When you fill out the application form, you are asked to choose 1 of the following:
- Standard service: Receive your travel pass in 9 business days for 25.00 USD.
- Rapid service: Have it in 7 business days for 40.00 USD.
- Highly Rapid service: Have it in 5 business days for 50.00 USD.
Russia eVisa Status Check
Once you have received our email confirming that your application has been submitted successfully, you can look up what stage it’s in at any time.
To do so, simply click the ‘Log in’ button in the main menu, and enter your details and enquiry. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can. Among other things, you can find out the following:
- Date of application.
- Processing speed selected, which tells you when you can expect to receive your document.
- Current status: (1) authorised, (2) pending, (3) remains valid, or (4) rejected.
When your application is authorised or, in very rare cases, rejected, Byevisa will send a message directly to your email inbox to let you know.
As long as you’re checking your email regularly, you will know when you receive your travel document. The email that Byevisa sends you will include your eVisa attached as a PDF, so you can download it and print it out.
More Russia eVisa Questions and Information
Looking for more answers about travelling to the land of ballet and caviar? Our FAQ section covers everything you need to know before you go.
