Russian Visa Application Process

Russian Visa Application Process

A Russian visa is a type of visa that grants the holder the right to stay in Russia for the duration of its validity. People who want to obtain a visa for Russia must apply for a visa to Russia within the visa policy applied by the Russian Federation.

With the visa policy implemented by the Russian Federation, visa exemptions are applied to citizens of certain countries; people who do not meet the necessary criteria for visa exemption must complete Russian visa procedures.

According to the data of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the number of Russian visas issued between 2016 and 2020 is given in the table below.

Countries	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
Germany	58,953	410,780	360,582	336,423	324,959
Chinese	41,280	453,338	406,831	371,489	339,030
Republic of Türkiye	34,162	83,169	81,177	79,898	45,209
France	27,059	172,870	146,491	145,576	131,229
United Kingdom	20,770	92,573	88,290	96,246	93,169
Italy	18,272	162,529	139,797	129,124	129,038
United States	16,736	106,250	98,936	95,630	94,682

Is a Visa Required for Russia?

Visa requirements for Russia vary depending on the type of passport the person applying for a visa has and the duration of the planned trip to Russia. Within the scope of the Russia-Turkey visa application, burgundy passports are not exempt from the Russian visa application; citizens of the Republic of Turkey who hold ordinary passports are required to obtain a visa for their travels to Russia.

Citizens of the Republic of Turkey who hold a special (green) passport and a service (grey) passport and wish to travel to Russia are exempt from visa procedures for a period of 30 days for travels to Russia not exceeding 90 days within every 180 days. Citizens of the Republic of Turkey who hold a diplomatic (black) passport are exempt from Russian visa application procedures for a period of 90 days.

Can I Go to Russia Visa-Free with a Green Passport?

Green passport is a type of passport that is also called special passport and is given to civil servants. Within the scope of Turkey-Russia visa agreement, people who want to apply for green passport visa Russia are exempt from visa for 30 days for travels not exceeding 90 days within every 180-day period.

Is There a Visa for Russia in 2022?

There is a visa application for Russia in 2022. Citizens of the Republic of Turkey who want to obtain a Russian visa in 2022 must complete their application process by applying to the intermediary institution authorized for Russian visa applications after preparing the necessary visa documents completely.

What are the Russian Visa Requirements?

Russian visa requirements are listed below.

• The Russian visa applicant must have a clean criminal record
• All documents required for the Russian visa in question must be prepared completely.
• The visa applicant must have sufficient financial means to travel to Russia.
• The applicant must have a valid invitation, depending on the relevant Russian visa for which the person wishes to apply.
• The Russian visa applicant must have a valid passport.

What are the Types of Russian Visa?

Russian visa types that differ according to travel purposes are listed below.

• Russian diplomatic visa: This is a type of visa that can be given to heads of state or delegates who are foreign citizens and hold a diplomatic passport.
• Russian service visa: It is a type of visa given to foreign nationals who hold a service passport.
• Russia special visa: This is the type of visa given to people who will go to Russia for a short trip due to an invitation letter sent to them.
• Russian business visa: This is a type of visa given to people who want to travel to Russia for business-based reasons.
• Russian tourist visa: This is a type of visa given to people who have been sent an invitation letter by a tour company operating in Russia.
• Russian student visa: This is a type of visa given to students who want to travel to Russia for the purpose of studying in the country.
• Russian work visa: This is a type of visa given to people who want to travel to Russia for a certain period of time in order to work in the country.
• Russian humanitarian visa: This is a type of visa given to foreign nationals who want to travel to Russia for scientific, cultural, political or sports-based reasons. A Russian humanitarian visa can be given to people who will travel to Russia for religious events, pilgrimage, charity or humanitarian aid activities.
• Russian transit visa: This is a type of visa given to people who will travel to a different foreign country via Russia.
• Russian exit visa: This is the type of visa that people whose visa validity period has expired during their stay in Russia must apply for in order to leave the country.
• Russian e-visa: A type of visa that citizens of Algeria, Bahrain, Brunei, China, India, Iran, Japan, Northern Russia, Kuwait, Mexico, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Tunisia, the Republic of Turkey and the United Arab Emirates can apply for and allows the holder to travel to certain regions of Russia for less than 8 days.

How to Apply for a Russian Visa?

Russian visa applications are made by the applicant in person or through accredited agencies to Russian consulates or the application center of the Russian visa intermediary institution. For Russian visa application procedures; filling out the visa application form, preparing the necessary documents, paying the visa fee, making a visa appointment and completing other visa procedures during the appointment. There is an option to apply by mail for applications to be made through the Russian visa center.

Can I Apply for a Visa Online for the Russian Federation?

There is an e-visa application for online visa applications for the Russian Federation, but the application system is not open as of 2022. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces on its website that e-visa applications will not be accepted for a temporary period, and no information is provided about when the application will come into force again.

If the application system is open, only citizens of certain countries can benefit from the Russian electronic visa application. For citizens of eligible countries, Russian e-visa applications can be made quickly online. People whose electronic Russian visa applications are accepted have the right to stay in Russia for a maximum of 8 days within a 30-day period.

Can Turkish Citizens Apply for a Russian Federation E-Visa?

The Republic of Turkey is among the countries that can apply for an e-visa for the Russian Federation. Citizens of the Republic of Turkey who want to apply for an electronic visa for Russia must apply for a business, tourism or event visa type.

What are the Required Documents for a Russian Visa?

The documents required for a Russian visa are listed below.

• Russian visa application form: The visa applicant must fill out the Russian visa application form online at visa.kdmid.ru completely and with correct information.
• Voucher (invitation) document: For those who want to travel to Russia as part of a tour organization company's trip, an invitation letter issued by the organization company and written on the company's letterhead must be presented for visa application.
• Passport: A passport that is valid for at least 6 months after the expiry date of the applied Russian visa and has at least 2 blank pages must be presented for visa application procedures.
• Documents related to transportation reservations: Documents such as airline tickets issued in the name of the applicant for the trip to Russia must be submitted in the application file.
• Documents related to accommodation reservations: Documents such as hotel reservations containing information about where the applicant will stay during his/her travel to Russia must be submitted in the visa application file.
• Biometric photo: Two colour biometric photos, taken within the last 6 months in accordance with biometric standards, with a light-coloured background, with the person's face clearly visible, measuring 35 mm long and 45 mm long, must be submitted for visa application procedures.

Russian visa application documents may vary depending on the visa applicant's age, professional status and the type of visa he/she will apply for .

How to Fill Out the Russia Visa Application Form?

The Russian visa application form is filled out online at visa.kdmid.ru. In order to fill out the Russian visa application form, the country of application and the language options must first be selected via the online system, but the Turkish language option is not among the available language options. After selecting the language in which the Russian visa application form will be filled and the country in which the application will be made, a new form can be created by reading and approving the necessary conditions.

After accepting the necessary conditions for the Russian visa application process, the form filling process can be started by determining and approving the user password in the last step. When filling out the Russian online visa application form, care must be taken to fill in all the necessary information, to avoid any spelling errors, and to ensure that the information provided is consistent with the information in the supporting documents submitted for the application. After filling out the online Russian visa form for the visa application , a printout of the form must be taken.

A sample image for the Russia online visa application form is given below.

What is a Voucher Document for a Russian Visa?

A voucher for a Russian visa is an invitation document written by an authorized person for the applicant to travel to Russia, which is required for the visa to be applied for. The Russian invitation document can be written by a Russian citizen, an accommodation institution or a tour organization company operating in Russia.

For a Russian visa, the invitation document must be presented in a signed and stamped form. The Russian voucher document must include the applicant's personal information, passport information, anticipated travel dates, accommodation information and transportation information.

What should the photo be like for a Russian visa?

For a Russian visa, the photo must be taken within the last 6 months in accordance with biometric standards.

The Russian visa photo must be 35 mm wide and 45 mm long. The photo to be submitted for the Russian visa application must have a white or light-colored background, be of high quality, focus on the person's face, cover the entire face, and be printed on normal photo paper.

The Russian visa photo should not include sunglasses, hats or any other clothing that covers the face or head, except for those worn due to the person's religious belief or ethnic origin. The specifications of the Russian visa photo to be submitted for the visa application must be met completely.

Is Health Insurance Required for a Russian Visa?

Health insurance for a Russian visa is required for citizens of European Union member states, China, Ireland, Israel and Iran, but it is not required among the documents required for a Russian visa application for citizens of the Republic of Turkey.

Although it is not mandatory, it is recommended to have Russian travel health insurance in order to take precautions against health problems or unexpected situations that may occur during your trip to Russia and to avoid high treatment costs.

How to Get a Russian Visa?

Russian visa is obtained by the visa applicant personally or through accredited agencies by applying to the Russian foreign missions or Russian visa intermediary institutions in the Republic of Turkey. In order to apply for a Russian visa; the visa application form must be filled out completely through the online system and then printed, the necessary documents must be prepared, the visa fee must be paid, a visa appointment must be made and other visa procedures must be completed during the appointment.

For applications to be made to the Russian visa center, there is an option to pay the fee by bank transfer and send the necessary documents by mail. Before applying for a Russian visa from the consulates, it is necessary to fill out the visa questionnaire and print it out.

The visa questionnaire for Russian visa application can be filled out online via the website of the consular department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation at visa.kdmid.ru. Only visa questionnaires filled out through the official website are accepted for Russian visa applications at the relevant consulate general. The Russian visa questionnaire must be submitted with the visa applicant's photograph pasted in the relevant place and signed personally. All information written in the Russian visa questionnaire must be correct and legal. Incorrect information provided in the Russian visa questionnaire may result in visa refusal, cancellation of the approved visa and implementation of other measures stipulated in the laws of the Russian Federation Constitution.

How to Get a Russian Visa for Workers?

Russian visa for employees is obtained by submitting, in addition to standard Russian visa documents, documents such as an employment contract, bank statement for the last 6 months, employer approval letter and income tax return during the visa application.

It is important for working people applying for a Russian visa to prove their employment status with additional documents in addition to the standard Russian visa documents, as this shows that they will not stay in Russia because they are working in their own country.

How to Get a Russian Visa for Unemployed Persons?

Russian visas for unemployed people are obtained by submitting, in addition to standard visa application documents, documents such as financial adequacy documents and sponsorship documents in cases where the person does not have sufficient financial means for the trip to Russia.

It is important for unemployed people applying for a Russian visa to show that they can cover the costs of the trip.

How to Get a Russian Student Visa?

A Russian visa for students is obtained with a registration document from the institution where the student studies and a permission document from the school, depending on the student status of the applicant, in addition to standard documents.

How to Get a Russian Visa for Retirees?

Russian visa for retirees is obtained by applying to the relevant institutions with the documents required for Russian visa applications, as well as a document showing the applicant's retirement status and the last 6 months' retirement salary.

Where to Apply for a Russian Visa?

Russian visa applications are made by the applicant personally or through accredited agencies to the Russian consulates in the Republic of Turkey or to the Russian Visa Center in Istanbul authorized by the consulates.

You can contact the Russian Embassy in Ankara at Andrey Karlov Sokak, No: 5, Kavaklıdere, Çankaya by calling 0312 439 21 22 or by sending an e-mail to rus-ankara@yandex.ru.

You can contact the Russian Consulate General in Istanbul at Istiklal Street, No: 219 D: 225A, Beyoğlu by calling 0212 292 51 01 or by sending an e-mail to stambul@mid.ru.

The address of the Russian Consulate General in Trabzon is Refik Cesur Caddesi No: 6, Trabzon, the phone number is 0462 326 26 00, the e-mail address is trabzon@yandex.ru.

The address of the Russian Consulate General in Antalya is Park sok.,No: 30, 07100 Yenikapı, Antalya and the phone number is 0242 248 32 02, the e-mail address is antalyakons@yandex.ru.

Is There an Authorized Intermediary Firm for Russian Visa Procedures?

Yes, there is an authorized intermediary institution for Russian visa procedures. The intermediary institution Russia Visa Center is an intermediary institution located in Istanbul with the authority of the relevant consulates and authorized for Russian visa application procedures. Visa applications can be made through the intermediary institution Russia visa application center.

The evaluation of Turkey-Russia visa applications is not within the authority of the visa application center and this authority belongs only to Russian consulates. Those who prepare the necessary Russian visa application documents can complete the application process through the Russian visa application center.

Does VFS Provide Services for Russian Visa Procedures?

No, VFS does not provide services for Russian visa procedures.

For Russian visa applications, you must apply to the Russia Visa Centre instead of VFS Global Russia.

How to Get a Russian Federation Visa Appointment?

Russian Federation visa appointment is made through the online system.

Russian Consulate visa appointments are made online through the appointment system even when they are made at the consulates. After the applicants have prepared the necessary documents completely, they must make a Russian visa appointment through the online system for the application process .

The image of the online appointment screen for the Russian Federation visa is given below.

How to Cancel or Change a Russia Visa Appointment?

Cancellation or change of a Russian visa appointment can be made online through the intermediary institution website or the official websites of the consulates.

The visual of the appointment cancellation or change screen on the website of the Russian foreign mission is given below.

How Much Is The Russia Visa Fee?

Russian visa prices are given in the table below.

Number of entries and exits	Visa processing time	Visa fee
Single entry visa	4-10 days	80 dollars
Single entry visa	1- 3 days	160 dollars
Double entry visa	4- 10 days	$128
Double entry visa	1- 3 days	$256
Multiple entry visa	4- 10 days	$240
Multiple entry visa	1- 3 days	$480

Fees to be paid for a Russian visa application can be paid in cash or in dollars through designated banks, depending on where the visa application is made.

For single-entry visa applications for 2022, the visa fee for Russia is approximately 180 dollars, including visa fee, application form filling, hotel and flight reservations, travel health insurance, and, if necessary, sworn translation and consultancy fees.

How Many Days Does It Take to Get a Russian Visa?

Russian visas are usually issued within 6 to 10 working days, but this period may be extended depending on the workload of relevant foreign missions, requests for additional documents from the applicant, and the visa evaluation process falling on public holidays.

Does Russian Federation Issue Express Visa?

The Russian Federation can issue an express visa in case of urgency.

Citizens of the Republic of Turkey who have an urgent situation can benefit from the express visa service applied by Russia. The evaluation period of applications with a Russian express visa can take 3 business days or less.

How to Track Your Russian Visa Application?

There is no tracking system for the relevant foreign missions to track applications for a Russian visa. Visa applications made through the intermediary institution Russian Visa Center can be tracked through the online tracking system with the applicant's passport number or reference number and date of birth.

How to Extend a Russian Visa?

For the extension of a Russian visa, the applicant must apply to the Russian immigration service in person. If the visa extension is accepted, the Russian visa period can be extended by a maximum of 10 days. Those who want to extend their Russian visa must apply with their ID, residence document, 2 biometric photographs, visa extension fee payment receipt and invitation document before the expiration of their current Russian visa.

What are the Reasons for Russian Visa Rejection?

Reasons for Russian visa refusal are listed below.

• Incomplete or invalid documents were submitted in the Russian visa application.
• The Russian visa questionnaire was not filled in or was filled in using incorrect information.
• The visa applicant is banned from entering the Russian Federation
• The visa applicant does not provide a valid reason for traveling to Russia.
• A criminal record of a Russian visa applicant
• Doubts about the validity of the sponsor stated in the Russian visa application
• The health condition of the Russian visa applicant is not suitable for the travel in question.
• There are suspicions that the visa applicant will not return to his/her country.

Can a Russian Visa Rejection Be Appealed?

Russian visa refusals can be appealed. Applicants who are denied a Russian visa can appeal the visa refusal by writing an appeal letter addressed to the relevant Russian foreign missions. A valid reason for the appeal must be provided in the petition written to appeal a Russian visa refusal.

Frequently Asked Questions

The most frequently asked questions and answers to our center about Russian visa and application procedures are given below.

What to Do After Entering Russia with a Visa?

After entering Russia with a visa, the immigration card given by the border police must be received. The two identical sections of the immigration card given to people at the Russian border must be filled in and one of them must be given to the border police. Foreign nationals traveling to Russia must return the immigration card to the border police when exiting Russia.

People who will stay in Russia for more than 7 days must register their visas. After entering Russia, people have 7 business days to register their visas. Russian visa registration procedures can be carried out by the hotel or the owner of the house. People who will stay in a house during their trip to Russia must submit a photocopy of the first page of their passport, their Russian visa and their immigration card to the owner for visa registration procedures.

Are Covid-19 Restrictions on Entry to Russia Still in Place?

There are still Covid-19 restrictions on entry to Russia. Citizens of the Republic of Turkey who wish to travel to Russia must present a negative PCR test result in either Russian or English within 72 hours of arrival in the country. There is no quarantine or vaccination requirement for citizens of the Republic of Turkey traveling to Russia.

Is a Transit Visa Required for Flights Connecting Moscow?

For flights connecting with Moscow, the transit Moscow visa requirement varies depending on the waiting time at the airport.

In cases where citizens of the Republic of Turkey will land at an international airport in Moscow, the capital of Russia , and will transfer to another flight of the same airline, they can stay within the borders of Russia for 24 hours without the need for a Russian transit visa if there is a transit zone at the airport in question. In cases where individuals will exit from the transit waiting zone, they must obtain a transit Russian visa.

Does Russia Provide Visa on Arrival?

Russia does not issue visas upon arrival and therefore people wishing to travel from the Republic of Türkiye to Russia cannot obtain a visa at the Russian border.

Standard visa application steps must be followed for Russian visa applications. In accordance with the standard visa application steps, visa applications for Russian visas must be made from visa application centers or consulates.

Although Russia does not issue visas upon arrival, the country does have an e-visa system. Depending on the nationality, purpose of travel to Russia and the point of entry to Russia, it is possible to apply for a Russian electronic visa.

Can I Go to Russia with a Schengen Visa?

No, you cannot go to Russia with a Schengen visa.

Which Countries Require a Visa to Russia?

There are 98 countries to which Russia applies visas. Russia applies visas to countries such as Austria, Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, England and Hungary in the European continent and to countries such as India and Indonesia in the Asian continent.

Countries that do not require a visa for a certain period of travel within the scope of the visa agreement with Russia include Brazil, Cuba, Argentina, Peru, the United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, South Korea, Azerbaijan and El Salvador.

Where to Go with a Russian Visa?

It is not possible to go to another foreign country with a Russian visa.

What is the Penalty for Russian Violation?

Penalties for Russian visa violations vary depending on the type of violation.

Those who exceed their Russian visa period are subject to a ban on entry to Russia for a period of 3 years. Those who work in the Russian Federation outside of legal channels are subject to a fine of 300,000 rubles, and those who work in the country without permission can be sentenced to imprisonment from 2 to 5 years.

How Much Is the Consultancy Fee for Russian Visa Procedures?

The consultancy fee for Russian visa procedures is determined depending on the type of visa the person will apply for and varies between 35 dollars and 50 dollars.