Russian Visas

The Russian Visa Regime

The Russian government maintains a restrictive and complicated visa regime for foreign travelers who visit, transit, or reside in the Russian Federation. The Russian system includes requirements of sponsorship, visas for entry and exit, migration cards, and registration. American citizens who also carry Russian passports face additional complicated regulations. Dual citizen minors who travel on their Russian passports also face special problems.

Russian immigration and visa laws change regularly. The implementation of immigration laws has not always been transparent or predictable. In addition, Russian Immigration officials at times implement laws and regulations governing entry and exit inconsistently, especially in remote areas.

The Russian government does not recognize the standing of U.S. consular officers to intervene in visa cases. The U.S. diplomatic mission in Russia is not able to act as sponsor, submit visa applications, register private travelers, or request that visas or migration cards be corrected, replaced, or extended.

Entry Visas: U.S. citizens must always possess a valid U.S. passport and appropriate visas for travel to or transit through Russia, whether by train, car, ship or airplane. It is impossible to obtain a Russian entry visa upon arrival. Travelers must obtain visas well in advance of travel from a Russian Embassy or Consulate in the United States or in a third country.

Travelers who arrive without an entry visa are not permitted to enter Russia and face immediate expulsion by route of entry, at the traveler’s expense.

U.S. citizens transiting Russia en route to any other country are advised to have transit visas. It is theoretically possible to transit Russia without a visa but in several instances, travelers experienced delays and hardships because they did not have a transit visa. Similarly, Russia-bound U.S. citizens attempting to transit Belarus or the Central Asian republics without visas have encountered difficulties. U.S. citizens are strongly advised to check the visa requirements for all countries on their itinerary.

A Russia entry/exit visa has two dates written in the European style (day. month, year) as opposed to the American style (month/day/year). The first date indicates the earliest day a traveler may enter Russia; the second date indicates the date by which a traveler must leave Russia. A Russian visa is only valid for those exact dates.

Russian tourist visas are often granted only for the specific dates mentioned in the invitation letter provided by the sponsor. U.S. citizens often receive visas valid for periods as short as four days. Even if the visa is misdated through error of a Russian Embassy or Consulate, the traveler will still not be allowed into Russia before the visa start date or be allowed to leave after the visa expiration date. Any mistakes in visa dates must be corrected before the traveler enters Russia. It is helpful to have someone who reads Russian check the visa before departing the United States.

Visas are valid for specific purposes and dates. Travelers should ensure that they apply for and receive the correct visa that reflects their intended action in Russia (i.e., student visa, religious worker visa, commercial visa). Foreigners can be expelled for engaging in activities inconsistent with their visas.

All travelers must list on the visa application all areas to be visited and subsequently register with authorities through their hotel or local sponsor upon arrival at each destination (see details below). There are several closed cities throughout Russia. Travelers who attempt to enter these cities without prior authorization are subject to fines, court hearings and/or deportation. Travelers should check with their sponsor, hotel, or the nearest Russian visa and passport office before traveling to unfamiliar cities and towns. Back to Top

Sponsorship: Under Russian law, every foreign traveler must have a Russian-based sponsor (a hotel, tour company, relative, employer, etc.). The official sponsor is listed on the visa. Generally speaking, visas sponsored by Russian individuals are "guest" visas, and visas sponsored by tour agencies or hotels are "tourist" visas. Note that travelers who enter Russia on "tourist" visas, but who then reside with Russian individuals, may have difficulty registering their visas and migration cards and may be required by Russian authorities to depart Russia sooner than they had planned.

Even if a visa was obtained through a travel agency in the United States, there is always a Russian legal entity whose name is indicated on the visa and who is considered to be the legal sponsor. It is important for travelers to know who their legal sponsor is and how to contact that sponsor. Russian law requires that the sponsor must apply on the traveler’s behalf for replacement, extension, or changes to a Russian visa. U.S. citizens are strongly advised to obtain the contact information of the visa sponsor from their tour company or hotel, in advance. To resolve any visa difficulties (lost visa, expired visa), the traveler’s sponsor must contact the nearest Russian visa and passport office (OVIR/UVIR) for assistance (see below). Resolving the visa problem usually requires the payment of a fee and a wait of up to twenty calendar days. Back to Top

Exit Visa: A valid visa is necessary to depart Russia. Generally, the visa issued by a Russian Embassy or Consulate is valid for entry and exit. It is helpful to make a photocopy of your visa in the event of loss, but note that a copy of your visa will not be sufficient for leaving the country, as Russian immigration officials always ask for the original.

Visitors who lose or have their U.S. passport and Russian visa stolen must replace their passport at the U.S. Embassy or one of the Consulates General, and then obtain a new visa to depart with the assistance of their sponsor (see above). Without a valid visa in their new United States passports, U.S. citizens cannot leave Russia. As noted above, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates General are not able to intercede in cases in which visas must be replaced, corrected, or extended.

Travelers who overstay their visa’s validity, even for one day, will be prevented from leaving until their sponsor intervenes and requests a visa extension on their behalf (see above). United States citizens without valid visas face significant delays in leaving Russia and may have trouble finding adequate accommodation. Travelers with an expired visa may have difficulty checking in at any hotel, guesthouse, hostel, or other lodging establishment in Russia. There are no adequate public shelters or safe havens in Russia and the Embassy or the Consulates General have no means to accommodate such stranded travelers.

Visas for students and English teachers sometimes allow only one entry. In these cases, the sponsoring school is responsible for registering the visa and migration card and obtaining an exit visa. Obtaining an exit visa can take up to twenty days so students and teachers need to plan accordingly. Back to Top

Migration Card: All foreigners entering Russia must fill out a migration card, depositing one part with immigration authorities at the port of entry and holding on to the other part for the duration of their stay. Upon exit, the migration card, which serves as a record of entry, exit, and registration, must be submitted to immigration authorities. The card is also necessary to register at hotels.

Migration cards, in theory, are available at all ports of entry from Russian immigration officials (Border Guards). The cards are generally distributed to passengers on incoming flights and left in literature racks at arrival points. Officials at borders and airports usually do not point out these cards to travelers and it is up to the travelers to find them and fill them out. From time to time, various ports of entry – even the major international airport in Moscow – run out of these cards. There is no mechanism to obtain such cards once a traveler has entered into Russia. The Russian government has not indicated what a traveler should do in such a case.

Lost/stolen migration cards cannot be replaced. While authorities will not prevent travelers who have lost their migration cards from leaving the country, foreigners could experience problems when trying to reenter Russia at a future date.

Visa Registration: All visitors to Russia must have their visas registered. If the traveler stays in a hotel, the hotel will register the visa. A failure to register is unlikely to result in problems leaving Russia, but travelers could experience problems when trying to reenter Russia at a future date.

Rules for registration of foreigners in the Russian Federation changed in January 2007. Registration is now performed either by the traveler’s visa sponsor, or by a hotel, landlord, employer, or other entity acting as an "acceptance agent." The registration application form is called Uvedomleniye o Pribytii Inostrannogo Grazhdanina v Mesto Prebyvaniya and is available at post offices and on the website of the Moscow Migration Service at http://fmsmoscow.ru/registracija.html.

The registration form consists of two parts. The first, top part is filed by the sponsor or acceptance agent with the Federal Migration Service (it may be called pasportny stol, UVIR, OVIR, or PVU depending on the region). The smaller bottom part remains with the traveler, who returns the form to the sponsor or acceptance agent upon departure. The sponsor or acceptance agent in turn must mail the form to the local migration office within two days. The process must be repeated if a foreigner travels to a different region of Russia for more than three days. The registration fee is set and is usually posted in post offices and migration offices. There is a surcharge if the form is mailed. The registration rules are posted in Russian on http://fmsmoscow.ru/docs/migrac_uchet.doc

Police have the authority to stop people and request their documents at any time without cause. Due to the possibility of random document checks by police, U.S. citizens should carry their original passports, registration slips, migration cards, and visas with them at all times. Failure to provide proper documentation can result in detention and/or heavy fines. Back to Top

Restrictions on Stay: The new Law on Foreigners introduces a number of cases when a decision on "undesirability" can be made regarding a foreigner’s stay in Russia. The procedure for making such a decision and the list of offices authorized to do so is defined by the Russian government. A foreigner whose stay is deemed "undesirable" is obligated to leave the country; otherwise, he is subject to deportation and can be prohibited from entering the country in the future. Back to Top

Delay Of Exit: There is a new provision in the law that if administrative sanctions are imposed on a foreigner, such person may be temporarily prohibited from exiting Russia. Taking into account an extensive number of actions entailing administrative sanctions according to the Russian Code on Administrative Violations, the above provisions may cause problems with departure. Administrative sanctions in this country can be imposed for such seemingly minor breaches as jaywalking or violating Russian Labor Law. Back to Top

Extending or Replacing Russian Visas:

If you have visa problems, you must first consult with your sponsor. Sponsors are required to handle all visa problems, including extending their guests' visas and applying for replacement in the event the original is lost. Sponsors must provide consent and assistance for their guests to extend or modify their visas. If you do not know who your sponsor is and you have lost your visa and have no copy of it, you can contact the travel agency you purchased your visa from, or the Russian Embassy or Consulate where you received your visa, and ask them for a copy of their records. The Embassy cannot substitute for your sponsor.

The Central PVU office, under the authority of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, is responsible for registering, extending, or modifying Russian visas. There is a central PASPORTNY STOL/PVU office in virtually every Russian city. Smaller, local PASPORTNY STOL offices (Otdeliniye Viz I Registratsiy) are located throughout Russia. Pay special attention to the destination written on your visa. If your sponsor and final destination are not in Moscow, under normal circumstances you should not address visa problems in the capital. Russian officials may require that you travel to your destination to sort out your visa problems.

Americans in possession of Student or Guest visas must find out from their sponsor which local PASPORTNY STOL/PVU office is responsible for their visa. Commercial and Transit visa holders must go to the central PVU. Officers at PASPORTNY STOL/PVU do not always speak English, and the process is generally long and cumbersome.

If your visa sponsor is located in Moscow, the central PVU is located at 42 Pokrovka St., tel. (495) 200-8427, Metro Krasnie Vorota or Kurskaya. The office is closed Wednesdays.

If you are in Moscow but you do not know who your visa sponsor is, or if the sponsor is located elsewhere in Russia and you cannot travel to the region, please go to the Federal Migration Service, 4 Verkhnyaya Radishchevskaya St., Bldg 1., tel. (495) 698-0078, Metro Taganskaya.

You will need to bring a number of documents to obtain your exit visa:

A letter (at least a faxed copy) from your sponsor stating your problem,
Your visa (if you have it, or a copy if you don't have the original),
Your migration card,
A police certificate indicating that the loss or theft was reported to police (if your visa was lost or stolen),
Your U.S. passport,
Rubles to pay the small fines and processing fees. All fines and processing fees must be paid at the local SberBank. The officials at the PASPORTNY STOL/PVU office will explain this process.

Once PASPORTNY STOL/PVU accepts your documents and you have paid your fines and fees, the officials will advise you when to pick up your documents. Processing time can be as long as one or two weeks. Under the law PASPORTNY STOL/PVU is allowed up to 20 working days to process your documents. Only your sponsor can expedite this process.

Americans who ask for expedited visa processing are frequently told by Russian officials to obtain a letter or diplomatic note from the U.S. Embassy. Other than in emergency cases, the U.S. government cannot intervene on behalf of American travelers. The Embassy is willing to explain this policy and attempt to clarify misunderstandings by telephone. If a PASPORTNY STOL/PVU officer requests an Embassy letter, please ask him/her to contact the American Citizen Services Unit at (495) 728-5577. Back to Top

Types of Visas

There are seven basic types of Russian visas: Commercial, Tourist, Student, Guest, Diplomatic, Transit, and visas for entry into the Russian Federation for the purpose of requesting asylum. Russian visas are issued only upon presentation of the appropriate invitation (tourist vouchers or hotel reservations will often suffice) from a Russian source. Only Russian individuals and agencies (hereafter referred to as sponsors) can invite Americans to visit Russia. In doing so, the sponsor takes full responsibility for both the welfare and actions of their American guests. Back to Top

Student Visas: An invitation for a foreign national to enter Russia for the purpose of studying at an educational institution is issued by the PASPORTNY STOL/PVU upon application from the educational institution. Student visas are unique in that they do not include an exit visa, but rather require a separate application for one to the proper Russian authorities. Often, student visas are valid only for three months, with a possible extension by the local PASPORTNY STOL/PVU. Always stamped in passports, they allow foreigners to remain in Russia for the duration of the visa's validity, but not to leave the country upon its expiration. It is the responsibility of your Russian school to ensure timely extensions and obtain permission to exit. If you want to leave Russia before the scheduled time implied by your contract with your school, you have to notify the school visa department long in advance to give them time to file necessary paperwork with the Russian authorities. Under law that time period can be as long as 30 days. Back to Top

Work Visas: There are quotas on invitations to foreigners to enter Russia in order to work. These quotas are established by territorial agencies in the regions and are approved annually by the Russian Government. According to the law, quotas take into account the demographic situation in the relevant region of Russia and its ability to accommodate foreign nationals. This is theoretically based on the principle that priority should be given to the use of domestic labor. The prospective employer must initiate the application process for this type of visa at PASPORTNY STOL/PVU. Prospective employers who hire foreigners must also receive permission from the local branch of the Ministry of Interior's Federal Migration Service. The Federal Migration Service then issues the foreigner a document confirming his legal employment. Please note that Russian authorities may require tests for drugs and infectious diseases for holders of work visas.

There are a few categories of foreigners who can be employed without such a permit: those who have a Russian residency permit or permanent registration with police; church employees; technical experts who come for a short period to assemble imported equipment; and those who come for educational activities. Back to Top

Temporary Residence: Temporary residence is granted for a three-year term. The issuance of temporary residence permits (razreshenie na vremennoe prozhivanie) is subject to a quota established annually by the Government for each separate region of Russia (the quota for the year 2003 was 90,000 for Moscow, 1,000 for St. Petersburg). Certain categories of foreign citizens are not subject to the quota, including, foreign citizens previously citizens of the USSR; foreigners married to Russians residing in Russia; and foreign investors making investments of a magnitude yet to be established.

Temporary residence permits are issued by PASPORTNY STOL/PVU on the basis of an application filed personally by the foreign citizen. The application can be filed either with a local PASPORTNY STOL/PVU or with a Russian Embassy outside Russia and should be reviewed within 6 months. In case of approval, the foreigner can get a visa to enter Russia (visas for person temporarily residing in Russia) with a four-month validity period, which should be extended upon obtaining a temporary residence permit for a period of validity of such permit.

The following documents are required to obtain a temporary residence permit: an application form; four photos; passport; police certificate; applicant's income papers; HIV certificate; and documentation that the foreign citizen is not a drug addict and does not have any infectious diseases.

Foreign citizens who are not subject to the quota for the issuance of a temporary residence permits should additionally submit: marriage certificate and spouse’s passport (if the spouse is a Russian citizen); birth certificate or passport of a USSR citizen (for former Soviet/Russian citizens); document confirming that the foreign citizen has an established place to residence, or consent of Russian citizens registered in Russia at their place of residence to provide a place of residence for the foreign citizen.

A foreigner who holds a temporary residence permit is not required to obtain a work permit if the place of employment is in the territory of the Russian administrative unit (subyekt) where the temporary residence permit was issued.

Temporary residence status also has its own particular restrictions, including mandatory fingerprint registration, restrictions on change of residence within Russia, and annual registration with the internal affairs agencies.

Evidence of temporary residence permit is a stamp "Разрешение на временное проживание" or Temporary Residence Permit, put into the bearer’s passport. The stamp is not/not sufficient for leaving the country. Based on the stamp the local passport authorities at the stamp issuing office only should give the bearer an exit-reentry visa. The stamp is useful and mandatory to have at the time of police document checks as a visa substitute. It will also help the person get a Russian visa outside Russia in case the exit-reentry visa is lost while traveling. Back to Top

Permanent Residence: Foreign citizens intending to permanently reside in Russia can obtain a permanent residence permit (vid na zhitelstvo) valid for five years that may be extended an unlimited number of times. Foreigners may apply for it at the local OVER/PVU based on their at least one-year residence in Russia. The application has to be filed no later than six months prior to the expiration of the temporary residence permit.

The advantages of permanent resident status are ability to work in any part of Russia without a special permit; ability to choose a place of residence in Russia; ability to issue visa invitations to Russia for other foreign citizens in one’s own name. Back to Top

U.S. Consulate

Russian Visas