Applying for a visa to travel to Russia from the UK, whether for work, business, study or tourism, is not as complicated a process as it may seems. In this article, I’ll explain how to gather all of the documents you’ll need to apply for a visa from your computer in a way that is quick (less than 1 hour) and cost-effective. I also explain the additional requirements for Covid-19. Despite the the war in Ukraine, consulates issue visas to travel to Russia.
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I’ve had to apply for tourist visas to Russia for family and friends on several different occasions. The process for obtaining a visa to Russia is an extremely bureaucratic one and thanks to this, many companies have taken advantage of the opportunity to do business related to it.
Hundreds of internet articles explain the process for obtaining a Russian visa, but I haven’t found any that clearly explain each step of the process in detail or explain how to complete the process yourself without relying on outside help or intermediaries.
It’s for this reason that I’d like to explain in detail how a UK citizen can obtain a visa to travel to Russia in an easy and inexpensive way without having to contact intermediary businesses who only add to the overall price of the visa.
Important Notes:
Before going into detail about the Russian visa application process, it’s important to answer a few questions in order to better understand the procedures.
A visa is nothing more than authorization for a citizen of a foreign country to enter, stay in, or pass through the territory of the Russian Federation. It is a document that adheres to your passport and looks something like this:
If you are from the United Kingdom, you will need to obtain a visa in order to travel to Russia. However, people from countries that have bilateral agreements with Russia are exempt from needing to obtain a visa. For example, those with passports from ex-USSR states like Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Ukraine, etc. are allowed to enter Russian territory using ordinary passports from their respective countries.
Depending on the purpose of the entry you’re making, the Russian Federation issues 7 types of visas:
In general, all visas are processed in a similar way. The only difference worth mentioning is the obtaining of the so-called letter of invitation that, in the case of a tourist visa, is issued by the hotel where you are staying or, in the case of a business visa, must be issued by a Russian company that has invited you to visit and in the case of a student visa, the Russian educational institution where the person will be attending.
However, to meet the increasing demand of Russian Visas, the Embassy of the Russian Federation outsourced its Visa Application Processing to a private company (Artionis AG Services UK Ltd). Thus, at present this company manage and process Russian visas through the Russian Visa Application Center in London, Edinburgh, and Manchester.
The Russian Visa Center Application acts as an intermediary between the applicant and the consular section by receiving documents, verifying they are correct and complete, and sending them to the consular section to have them processed. However, the final decision to approve or deny a visa application still comes from the Consulate.
All other websites that offer Russian visa are NOT AUTHORIZED AGENCIES but simply private companies that act as intermediaries and make the final cost of the visa a lot more.
Note. Holders of foreign diplomatic and service passports intending to visit Russia on an official business have to apply in person at the Embassy.
Walk-in Service, no appointment required.
London:
Russia Visa Centre
15- 27 Gee Street,
Barbican, London
EC1V 3RD
Edinburgh:
Russia Visa Centre
64 Albion Road (back entrance)
Edinburgh
EH7 5QZ
Manchester:
Russia Visa Application Centre
Suite 5, 1st Floor, Building No. 2
Universal Square
Devonshire Street North
Manchester
M12 6JH
Please note:
From 10 December 2014, it is mandatory to visit the Visa application centre in person to apply for Russian Visa, due to the new requirement to collect biometric data (fingerprinting).
However, recently Russia Visa Application Centres offer to the applicants Mobile Biometric service: a team of officers can come to your home or office to check your visa application documents, collect your fingerprints and securely deliver this information to the Embassy for the decision. Note that fee may vary and additional charge will be added for using this service depending on the situation.
If you go to the Russia Visa Application Center, you don’t need to make an appointment in advance. Once you arrive at the visa centre, the security guard will issue you a token. You would then be required to wait in the applicant area until your token is called. At the counter, the officer will check your documents, process your application if it is completed and issue you a receipt. You would then be able to track your application through the website until the time your passport is received back with a decision.
The Russian Visa Application Center offer additional services:
Everything is set up so that you don’t have to come back on another day (and of course do business since they are additional payment services).
One last option is to use the services of a private agency, which will be in charge of carrying out the whole process of managing the visa. The main advantage is the comfort (you give them your data and they take care of everything). The main drawback is that the price will be higher.
If you can not move in person to the visa center because it is far from your place of residence, you can apply for a visa through one of these private agencies
The cost for processing a visa is divided into three quantities:
You have the option of having your passport returned, once processed by the Embassy of Russian Federation, via DX Secure at a nominal charge of £13.80 to be paid at the time of submitting your application. The passport will be sent directly to your address as specified by you in a Special Delivery Envelope (SDE).
In summary, the total cost is:
You have the option of paying the visa fees by cash or Credit/Debit card (except American Express) when applying at the Visa Application Centre. Cheques are not accepted.
Applying for a visa and gathering the necessary documentation can take some time, so I recommend beginning the process about 3 or 4 weeks ahead of time. Although, if you already have a passport and electronic copies of your documents, as I explain in this article, it is possible to get through the process in 10 days (or 1 or 2 days if you use the expedited process).
Also note that you can apply for a visa up to 6 months before your date of travel to Russia.
When applying for a visa, you must provide the following information:
Documentation in some special cases:
Next I’ll explain the step-by-step process of obtaining your visa. Remember that the visa application form must be filled out with information from your letter of invitation and must clearly state the dates of your visit and which cities you will be staying in. Because of this, it’s better to gather your documents and complete the form once you have all of the information you need for the visa application.
To apply for a visa, you must have a Passport which should be valid for a minimum of six months after visa’s expiration date and has at least 2 blank pages which do not need to be consecutive.
Remember that you must have an original passport as the visa is an adhesive document that you have to stick inside the pages of your passport.
Your passport must not present any type of deterioration such as being torn on the cover, be stained or having broken pages. In these cases it is better to renew the passport before applying for the visa, since in the consulate they are usually very strict and they won’t approve the visa if the passport is damaged.
Your visa must include your entry and exit dates meaning the first and last date that you will be in the country. This means you will need to know the exact dates of your trip before applying for your visa.
You do not have to buy tickets in order to get a visa but you should take the following into account:
Once you know your entry and exit dates, you should outline your itinerary and plan out the cities you want to visit and the hotels or apartments where you’ll be staying:
To book accommodation I always use Zenhotels, a Russian booking platform in which you can find wide variety of accommodation and very good deals. Other good option is Booking.com
Many people ask me about hotels to stay in Russia. Well, I made a short list of hotels I recommend as value for money is very good:
Moscow
St. Petersburg
A typical example itinerary for a trip to Russia:
The letter of invitation (also known as the visa support letter) is the most important document but also the most controversial. The letter of invitation should not be confused for a hotel reservation. They are not the same. It is not necessary to have a hotel reservation in order to get a visa.
This document is needed to apply for a visa and must be issued by a Russian person, institution, hotel, or business who has invited you to visit them. A Russian family member, university you’ll be attending, a business or a hotel where you will be staying can provide you with the letter.
Visa support is the most common support received when getting a tourist visa. This document is issued by the hotel in which you’ll be staying and is printed on an A4 page. It is divided in two separate but similar parts:
I included this screenshot of an actual letter of invitation but blurred the personal information so that you can see the important pieces more easily:
How do you get visa support for a tourist trip? There are two options:
The best options that I used to get an invitation letter are two (choose the one you prefer):
iVisaOnline is one of the best systems currently available to obtain an invitation letter to travel to Russia. The system of issuing visa support is fully automated. You receive the invitation letter immediately after paying (in PDF format ready to print). You can pay by credit card or Paypal. Currently, the price is about £15 each visa support.
The automated process of purchasing visa support can be done through this link:
The form is simple to fill. Here is an example:
1. Information
2. Confirmation
3. Payment: PayPal or credit card
4. Download Invitation
After payment you can download the invitation letter in PDF format. You will also receive the invitation in your email. An example of a visa support:
The information you need to fill out the visa application form:
Another excellent system is that used by Russia Support, an agency specializing in the issuance of invitation letters. The form is very easy to fill out and allows you to get the invitation letter, ready to print and to present along with the rest of the documentation. The price is cheaper, it costs £ 14,90. They usually send the letter of invitation quickly (in minutes), although sometimes it may take a few hours.
The process of purchasing visa support can be done through this link:
The form is simple to fill:
1. Information
2. Confirmation
3. Payment
4. Invitation
Once you have all of the information you need as far as dates, entries/exits, a current passport, and your letter of invitation, you are ready to fill out the visa application form.
The form can be filled out electronically by visiting this link:
The application should include your personal information, the purpose of your visit (tourism, business, study, etc.), your itinerary and dates, your insurance policy information and other information that I’ll show you here.
When you go to fill out the form for the first time, you should select your country (UK) and the language you would like to continue in. Also mark in the box that you have read the introductory information. Next, click Complete new application form.
You can leave your form incomplete and come back another day but make sure to write down the code you are given in reference to your account since you will need it, along with your last name and answer to your security question, in order to log back in to your account. If you forget your code, you will have to fill out a new application.
The first information they will ask on the application under the “Visa details” section are:
Once you have filled out this information, click the Next button:
On the next page, you should input your personal information in capital letters as it appears on your passport:
On the next page, finish entering the information from your passport:
In the section that says Visit details, you should include the following information from your visa support that I mentioned earlier:
Note: If you have more than one visa support, you only need to fill out the information for the visa support from the first city that you will be visiting.
You should also include information from your itinerary (cities you’ll visit) as well as the name of your insurance company and policy number if you have travelers insurance. It’s always recommended that you have traveler’s insurance (For example, Cherehapa). Be aware that it will not let you include commas or periods in the boxes.
Next, you need to indicate who is paying for the trip to Russian as well as the hotels you will be staying in including the name and address (these should coincide with those listed in your visa support).
To continue, you will need to answer a series of questions, the answer to most o which will be “no” except for the question that asks if you have personally completed the application to which you should answer “yes.”
On the next page, mark whether you have attended any educational institutions, excluding secondary school. Also mark if you have ever changed your place of employment before entering the current job.
Please note that if in your online application form you answered ‘NO’ for questions about previous employment and educational institutions, you need to enclose signed covering letter confirming the same with your application.
On the next page, mark whether or not you have received a Russian visa in the past, if you lost your passport, or if it has been stolen as well as the other countries that you have visited in the last 10 years which will probably take some difficult remembering (I can hardly ever remember them all).
To continue, you will need to enter family information (name of your father and mother, your contact information, and the company where you work or school where you study. The required fields are marked with a red asterisk. If applicable, you should indicate whether your parents are from Russia.
Lastly, select the place where you will be processing your visa application. You can select the Visa Application Center in London, Edinburgh, or Manchester:
Note: when you are applying in Manchester, ensure to select ‘London Visa Centre’ as the location when prompted while completing the online application form.
Once you have finished entering all of the information, a summary will appear in case you would like to change something. If all of the information looks correct, click the Save button.
On the next page, you’ll see that you can download the completed form as a PDF. Simply click on the A4 Print button.
Example of visa application form:
Print the completed form, write the date, and don’t forget to sign it and stick a photo.
The photographs should be:
Applicants who are self-employed, working from home, company directors or unemployed need to provide bank statements for the last 3 months which have a current balance of a minimum of £100 per day for the duration of the visit (this is not required for students, housewives and retired applicants). If you wish to provide online banking printouts make sure they will be certified and stamped by your bank.
Once you have of your documents, the final step is to take everything to the Visa Application Center that is nearest your place or residence (London, Edinburgh or Manchester). All applicants must to go in person to apply for the Russian Visa. However, recently Russia Visa Application Centres offer to the applicants Mobile Biometric service: a team of officers can come to your home or office to check your visa application documents, collect your fingerprints and securely deliver this information to the Embassy for the decision
Now that you have applied for your visa to the Russian Federation, and waiting for your application to be processed, you can track your application status here. You will need to present the original receipt given to you during the submission which will be collected from you as a proof of delivery of your passport.
UK citizens are not required to present traveler’s medical insurance in order to receive a visa though it is recommend that you have travel insurance that will cover anything that may happen during your trip (medical expenses, cancellation costs, etc.)
A very good option is Cherehapa, a Russian company specializing in travel insurance. You can buy, extend and claim online your travel insurance to Russia, even after you’ve left home. The insurance has a medical expenses coverage of 35,000 euros and with Covid-19 insurance coverage.
If you want to apply for a Russian visa on your own the easiest way is to apply through the authorized Visa Application Center. The standard visa will cost you £101.40 (single entry) which includes the £38.40 administrative fee.
If you already have a passport (remember that you have to take the original passport), the rest of the necessary documents for the visa application can be quickly and easily gathered in less than one hour through the Internet:
Once you have obtained the visa and before boarding the plane, you must take into account the additional requirements for Covid-19 that must be met:
Once you have the visa and the Covid-19 documentation, you should bear in mind that there are two additional steps that must be done once you get to Russia: the immigration card and visa registration. The first thing is usually completed by the customs officer and the second the hotel where you will stay.
It is important to always carry both the passport and the immigration card while traveling, and the accreditation of the registry in case it may be required from you on the street by the police (it is rare for them to do so, though).
Once you enter the territory of the Russian Federation, you must fill out the immigration card, though in practice, at large airports, it is usually the immigration service which takes care of it (either digitally or manually). It is done during passport control.
The immigration card is a paper which consists of two equal parts that are the size of a passport page. One of the parts is kept by the border police and the second will be delivered to you. It is important that you keep this card as they will ask it to you when you leave the country. In addition, you will also need the immigration card to register the visa, as I explain in the next section.
In the following screenshot you can see how the immigration card looks, which usually comes in Russian and English:
If you have applied for a tourist visa, you have the obligation to register within the first 7 working days of arrival (excluding weekends and holidays). Before March 2011, the registration must be done within 48 hours, but the new Russian law modified this term. If you are going to stay in Russia less than 7 working days, then you do not need to register.
The purpose of this registry (which comes from the communist era) is to notify immigration authorities of the place where you will stay while you are in Russia. The registration must be done in each of the cities that you are going to visit.
You will need to fill out another registration form. It’s not your obligation to register, but rather the hotel where you are staying or the host of the apartment where you are staying.
If you are staying in a hotel, when you arrive, the hotel itself will register your visa. They will ask you the passport with the visa and immigration card (the one you get at the border when you arrive to the country).
If you will not stay in a hotel, but in a private house, then the Russian host is the one required to register his/her guest at a police station or at the post office. You don’t need to be present in the registry but you must provide your host a copy of the first page of the passport, the visa and the immigration card. You may be charged a small fee for this procedure.
The accreditation registration is not required to leave the country, though the immigration card is required.
In the following screenshot you can see how this form looks. The tourist stays with the bottom part (from the dotted line):
I hope this article has helped you apply for your visa to Russia from the United Kingdom!
If you’ve found it useful, please share. Thank you!
Written by:
Irena Domingo Published on:
January 5, 2024
Hello, my name is Irena. I was born in Russia in 1974 during the Soviet era. I worked as a Russian teacher and as a translator and interpreter for the past 30 years. One of my main hobbies is traveling. I started this blog with one aim: to create the most comprehensive guide ever written for traveling to Russia and beyond. Author of the Russia Guidebook 2024 (PDF)
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