Tourist Visa

If you are planning to travel to Russia on vacation or a short-term language course for a period of up to 30 days, your best choice is a tourist visa. It is an exit-entry visa that states the dates on which you are allowed to stay in Russia and allows only one entry to the country. Please, note that this tourist visa cannot be extended upon your arrival. Therefore, if you are planning to stay longer than 30 days, you should apply for a different type of visa.

A tourist visa invitation is required to apply for this type of visa. This invitation can be issued by any authorized travel agency in Russia that has a reference number at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). This is how a Tourist visa invitation looks (sample):

To obtain a tourist visa, you will need to submit the following documents to the Consulate :

1. A completed visa application form (one per person)
   available at the Consulate/ Consulate website (You complete).
2. National passport (original) valid for at least 6 months after the intended date of departure from Russia.
3. Three identical professional passport sized (3x4 cm) photographs on a white background. Pictures can be black-and-white or color, preferably on matt paper. Please write your name in capital letters on the back of the photographs. One photograph should be stapled to the specially marked place on the application form.
4. A standard tourist visa confirmation ("Podtverzdeniye") from an authorized hosting Russian travel agency, registered with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The confirmation letter must contain the agency's reference number. (We provide).
5. A tour voucher attested by the travel agency (We provide).
6. * A cover letter from your travel agency in your home country containing:
   - applicant's name or alphabetical list of a group;
   - dates and points of arrival and departure in and from Russia, means of transport (You provide);
   - itinerary in Russia (We provide, based on your booking requirements);
   - the name of the hosting Russian company and its reference number (We provide).

   * If applying via a travel agency in your home country!

7. Visa application charge.