Russian Business Visas

Ticket holders for UEFA Euro 2020 football matches will be able to travel to the Russian Federation with valid identity documents and DO NOT require a Russian visa.

If you are a ticket holder for a Euro 2020 match in St Petersburg you will be able to enter Russia up to 14 days before the first match and leave 10 days after the final match visa-free so long as you have a passport or valid identity document recognised by the Russian authorities.

See our blog post on 'Euro 2020 in St Petersburg' to learn more about match dates, travel and getting around St Petersburg.

An e-visa only allows a single entry (for business, tourism or a humanitarian visit) to the specific region of Russia for a maximum term of 8 days. This type of visa is typically issued within four calendar days, including weekends and bank holidays. Unlike conventional visas, there is no need for any invitations, confirmations or need to visit the consular agency. 

E-visas to visit Russia’s Saint Petersburg and its Surrounding Region (Leningrad Region)

As of 1st October 2019, nationals of up to 53 foreign states may be granted an e-visa to enter Russia through St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region via plane, ship or vehicle.

E-visas to visit Russia’s Kaliningrad Region

From 01 July 2019, electronic visas are introduced for visiting the Kaliningrad Region of Russia. Nationals of 53 foreign States are eligible for an e-visa. It allows entry into the Kaliningrad Region through border crossing points located in that region, i.e. by direct flight to Kaliningrad, by sea, railway or road. 

E-visas to visit Russia's Far East 

From 8 August 2017 nationals of 18 foreign States may be granted an e-visa to enter the Russian Federation through the border crossing checkpoints, located on the territory of the Far East (e.g. Primorsky Krai, Sakhalin Oblast etc.). 

How the e-visa works:

1. Fill in your e-visa application form.
2. Get your e-visa emailed to you.
3. Print out the notification or download this to your mobile phone.
4. Show your notification to a transport company employee.
5. Show your notification to a Border Service Officer at the border.

Please contact us for more information.

Please note: The e-visa is valid for travellers going to the specified regions only, you cannot visit other parts of Russia with this e-visa. In addition, it is not currently possible to get entry and exit on an e-visa by train at this time.

The prices shown above include all fees, costs and charges to process and issue your visa, nothing is hidden, the price you see is the price you pay.

While our service fees are fixed, the consular fees and other costs are dependent upon your nationality, how quickly you need your visa, how long you are prepared for your passport to be at the consulate, how many entries you need and how long you need your visa valid for.

Visa support service

The Visa Support service (processing time) refers to a number of working days (excluding weekends and the day of order) that it will take us to issue your visa support documents once we have submitted your application to the Russian authorities. Depending on the number of entries requested, this may take between 8 and 18 working days.

Remember, we can only start processing your application once you have paid and sent us a clear scan of your passport photo page.

While we endeavour to process the orders as quickly as possible, you should note that orders made after 14.00 GMT will be processed the following working day only.

Consular service

The Consular service (processing time) refers to a number of working days that it will take to obtain your visa once you have submitted your fingerprints to the Russian visa application centre.

Depending upon the service you select, this will be between 4 and 21 working days (some exceptions apply depending on your nationality, type of invitation used and cities to be visited).

Once your visa support documents (if we are arranging these for you) have been issued and received by the Russian Consulate, your application can be submitted to the Russian Visa Application Centre the next consular working day provided that we have got your documents, they are all in order and you are able to visit the visa centre to give your biometric data (fingerprints) – please click here for more information.

How to work out how long your visa will take

So, to work out how many days your visa will take to process and obtain, add the visa support service and the consular service processing time together.

The visa due dates indicated on the order form (when you move your mouse over the price) account for UK and Russian public holidays.

How soon can I apply?

The Russian authorities will not process business visa support applications earlier than 90 calendar days before the requested visa start date. Today we are able to submit for processing the visa support documents that have a start date on or before [date]

If you submit your order earlier, then we will hold your application and apply for your business visa support documents at the earliest opportunity. Alternatively, you may change your visa start date to an earlier date to be able to apply for your visa sooner.

Are there any external issues which may affect my visa processing?

Be aware that the Russian authorities as well as the Russian Consulate may occasionally experience delays when issuing the visa support documents and visas (especially during peak season such as spring, summer, leading up to festive period - Christmas and New Year, as well as around Russian national holidays). For that reason, the visa due dates indicated on the order form are only provisional and by no means definitive. In any event, we do not recommend booking your flight or making other travel arrangements until you have got your passport and visa with you.

Please see the following link to our service status page. for any processing issues which may be affecting the Russian business visa service.

How long will you need my passport for?

When processing your visa support documents, we only require a scanned copy of your passport information page. We will need your original passport when preparing your visa application for submission to the Russian Visa Application Centre. The Russian consulate will then keep your passport for the whole duration of the visa processing.

The documents that you need to provide to allow us to lodge your application at the consulate depend on your nationality and residency in the United Kingdom.

Check your visa application requirements by selecting the following options:

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Support Type: Electronic invitation your own visa support documents

Purpose of visit: Business Charity Commercial Cultural Family member Scientific Technical Support Youth Work

Generally, you may stay in Russia only up to the maximum validity period of the visa.

All nationalities are restricted to a maximum of 90 days in a 180-day period when using a multiple entry visa.

Besides, certain nationalities may be restricted on how long their citizens can stay in Russia within specific periods. If this applies to you, it will be written on your visa within the “Additional Information” section.

The purpose of visit requested for your visa should generally correspond with your initial visit intentions. The purpose of visit will be written on the visa support documents and encoded into your visa. However, this does not restrict you to this purpose and you may, for example, use a business visa to also visit family or friends. If you are only considering a single trip of up to 30 days within a twelve month period, you should consider a business visa.

If you use a business visa for private purposes, it is advisable to say at the border and inside Russia that you are travelling for business purposes, otherwise, you can be fined, deported or get a ban to visit the country.

In most cases, a child can get an ‘accompanying family member’ visa based on a parent's business visa. Please review the following information on taking a child to Russia.

If you have an active Russian visa in an expired or cancelled passport and wish to transfer this to a new passport then you will have to visit the Russian Embassy directly. Unfortunately, it cannot be done without your presence.

Yes, of course you can, we have an office in central London, and we will be happy to see you and assist with your application if needed. If you intend to deliver an application in person or collect your passport and visa, we are open for collection and deliveries during the following times.

To order your business visa on-line, simply click on the level of service you want from the options above.

• When you select the service you want from the options above you will be taken to the visa application form. You will need to have your national insurance number and passport to hand. You will find helpful explanations from us throughout the form that will help you to explain how to answer the questions on the form. Once you have completed the form you will be given the option to pay via credit or debit card.
• Our visa team will then check through your application form to make sure everything is correct and get in touch if there are any queries.
• You will need to come down to London to visit the Russian visa application centre to submit your application and give your fingerprints with your valid passport and a single passport sized photo. We can also take a passport photo in office for you for an additional fee. You will sign your completed application form in the office and our team will guide you through the process you must go through at the Visa Application Centre.
• The day your visa is ready we will collect it in person and return this to you using Royal Mail Special Delivery, on the same day if possible, so you will have it the next business day before 1pm or hold it at our office for your collection.

You can follow the progress of your order through our online order tracking system which will detail the steps taken and the steps remaining to obtain your visa.

Remember, when you are in Russia, please ensure that you register your visa.

Please see the following guide for more information: Reading a Russian visa

If you’re in need of assistance whilst travelling, we offer a dedicated 24 hour telephone support service.

For all emergencies you can call us on +44 (0) 207 100 7370 where our operators are available to provide help 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

If you are a Real Russia TravelSim user, then calls to our helpline are free for the first three minutes. Click here for more information on the Real Russia TravelSim.

If you experience problems whilst away, our team can offer guidance and support. If for example you have mislaid your passport, you are experiencing difficulty boarding a train or any number of other travel issues, call our emergency helpline for immediate assistance.

We try to give you as much information as we can to help you choose the service you need, though if you still have more questions please feel free to look at the Real Russia Forum, the Frequently Asked Questions section or contact us directly and we will be happy to help.