FAQ´s

This section provides answers to many of the frequently asked questions by clients about the visa application process.

Yes. You will be required to provide a duly executed power of attorney for a person requesting a visa.

 Information on visa types may be obtained on the Russia Visa Center website, section „Visa types“ or on the website of the Embassy or Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Italy.

No. According the Russian Federation legislation there must not be two valid visas in a passport.

If there already is a valid visa in your passport (for example an unused single-entry visa, double-entry visa with which the Russian Federation was entered only once or unused multiple-entry visa), we recommend submitting the documents for a new visa not earlier than 10 days before visa expiry date.

The insurance covers expenses related to a sudden sickness or an accident away from home:

– expenses of an ambulance, hospital and medical treatment, as well as medication;

– patient transportation to a home country;

– accommodation and living costs of a person accompanying the insurance holder;

– In case of a fatal accident, expenses of burial abroad, or return of the remains to a home country.

In order to obtain a visa into the Russian Federation, it is necessary to provide a medical insurance policy.

A policy must be valid on the whole territory of the Russian Federation and during the whole period of stay.

A negative HIV test is necessary for all applicants requesting a work or student visa (single-, double- or multiple-entry) on the basis of an invitation issued by the Federal Migration Service of the Russian Federation (Russian FMS), due to the fact that the visa may be prolonged in Russia.

If the applicant is a highly skilled specialist and he is applying for a multiple visa for a period of over 3 months, a certificate confirming that the foreign national is HIV-negative is required. Accompanying family members are also requested to submit their HIV Test Certificate. HIV Test (AIDS) Certificate should be signed by a doctor as well as by the applicant and stamped by a medical organization. Besides that, the test should include personal data (name, date of birth, passport number, validity of passport, citizenship, period of stay in Russia) and HIV-infection blood test (date of the test, diagnostic method and type of medicine used for the test, test result).

Strictly originals of the following documents must be provided:

– Passport valid for no less than 6 months from the visa expiry date (1,5 years from visa validity start date when obtaining a work or student visa)

– Visa application form, printed and signed personally by the applicant. The signature must match a signature in a passport;

– Photograph;

– Invitations issued by the General Administration for Migration Issues of the Ministry of Internal affairs of the Russian Federation, when applying for any kind of business, humanitarian, private, student and work visas;

– Medical insurance policy.

Please note: Consular institution may request the original documents of the copies that were earlier submitted for consideration.

Citizens of non-European Union countries may apply for a visa into the Russian Federation only with a tourist invitation, an invitation issued by a Federal Migration service of the Russian Federation (Russia FMS) or Ministry of the Foreign Affairs (except if otherwise provided in an international agreement of the Russian Federation).

In addition, if Italy is indicated as the place of residence in the invitation, it is necessary to submit the documents confirming the legitimacy of residency in Italy.

Citizens of migration-prone countries may apply for a visa only in person and only if they possess Italy residence permit as well as return tickets.

A visa for the entry into the Russian Federation is not required for citizens of countries that have signed reciprocal agreements on the abolition or easing the visa restrictions with Russia.

As a rule, only short-term trips can be carried out without a visa (no more than 90 days for each 180 days a year). For a longer stay in Russia it is required to obtain an appropriate long-term visa.

Also, visa is not required if Russia is entered and exited as part of a program “72 hours without a visa” (on a ferry).

Citizens of the above mentioned countries must fill in a visa application form on two pages.

Australian citizens must submit a detailed autobiography (with Russian translation!).

When applying for a multiple-entry visa, all citizens of these countries must submit two application forms. A copy may serve as a second application form.

With a tourist visa one may stay in Russia for up to 1 month (30 days).

If the change of planes is carried out within a transit area and 24 hours or without a change of the airport terminal, a transit visa is not required. However, in this case, you may not leave the airport in order to visit the city.

In case of a transfer of planes in an airport a transit visa is required only if a passenger spends more than 24 hours in a transit area.

When buying tickets, the Russian Visa Office recommends inquiring the transport operator whether a transit visa is required. ATTENTION! In case of a forced transit a transit visa may be obtained in an airport Consular centre. Citizens travelling with a transit to member-countries of the Customs Union (Belorussia, Kazakhstan), as well as USA citizens travelling with a transit through the Russian Federation territory, it is necessary to obtain a transit visa even if the period of their stay in a transit area does not exceed 24 hours.

It is necessary to distinguish between automobile transit and travelling by a car.

Transit is a necessary crossing of the Russian Federation territory by a shortest route, for example in cases when it is impossible or too time consuming to reach the destination country by other means.

Necessary time for transit is calculated in the following manner: 500km/day by a shortest route (you can check your route in public maps).

An automobile travel by any different route is considered to be an instance of ordinary or car tourism in Russia. In this case in order to obtain a visa it is necessary to submit paid hotel vouchers in stopping points or a foreign tourist acceptance confirmation by any touristic organization accredited by the Russian Federation MFA, which will select the best route and accommodations (hotels along the way) for you. The purpose of travel in this case is “car tourism”.

Car documents and the car insurance are not required for obtaining a visa. However, they are required at the border and during the travel.

You may submit the documents at the Russian Visa for a Consular institution consideration on a possibility of issuing a rush visa (up to 3 business days).

Please note, that the decision to issue a visa on expedite basis is taken by the Ambassador or Consul General of the Russian Federation.

Service fee remains the same regardless the processing time. Please inquire with the closest Russian Visa Center for further information.

A registration must be made within 7 business days after your arrival into the Russian Federation, it consists of informing (notifying) the regional office of the Federal Migration service about your arrival to a place of stay in Russia. All procedures regarding registering and striking of the register is carried out by a receiving party.

On arrival it is necessary to submit a passport and a migration card which is to be filled in before entering the Russian Federation to a receiving party. In such a case it is not allowed to take away a passport and a migration card.

A receiving party may be citizens of Russia, as well as foreign citizens permanently residing in the Russian Federation or persons without citizenship (with a resident permit) and legal entities, their affiliated branches or representation offices where you actually reside (are situated) or work.

In case of a check-in into a hotel a receiving party is the hotel administration, it notifies a regional office of the Federal Migration service about your arrival within a day, it also performs all necessary actions regarding the registration of foreign citizens and bears responsibility for compliance with the set rules of residency.

On your departure from Russia a receiving party must notify a corresponding regional office of the Federal Migration service within a day according to the location of an organization (institution) by sending (passing) a detachable section of the notification form about the arrival for striking you off the registration at a place of stay.