Visiting Russia for tourism or business purpose? Wondering how to get Russian visa for Indian Citizens ? Here is all you need to know about the Russia visa, including the procedure, visa requirements and fees required.
The Russian Federation issues Russian visa to Indian visitors, which are the documents permitting you to stay in Russia for a specific period of time. The issued visa lists entry/exit dates, your passport details, and may have your photo stamped into it. You must note that your Russian visa is an exit permit from the country, as well as an entry permit. If you lose your visa or stay past your designated departure date, leaving the country could become more troublesome than entering it.
Russian visa for Indian citizens
Travellers need an official invitation from a Russian citizen or a company, in order to get a visa for Russia from India, which is then taken to a Russian embassy or consulate, where the actual visa is issued.The Russian visa needs to be registered by the person/organization that issued the invitation, within three business days of arrival in Russia.
Single entry Russian visa for Indians is granted on the condition that they enter and exit the Russian Federation only once, respectively. Russia Travel visas or Russian tourist visa for Indians are granted to people who wish to enter a foreign country for tourism, travel and leisure purposes only. This includes visiting cultural sites, going on excursions, and seeing sights within a set time frame. It is issued on the basis of a tourist confirmation letter from a Russian organisation that is licenced to operate as a tour operator. This company must be listed in the Unified Federal Register of Tour Operators and have a unique reference number.
Double entry Russian visa for Indian citizen allows them to cross the state border of the Russian Federation twice when entering the country and twice when leaving the country. While travelling to Russia, the maximum length you can stay on a single or double entry tourist visa is 30 days.
Multiple entry Russian visa for Indian citizens allows them to enter the Russian Federation multiple times (more than twice). Holders of multiple entry visa are allowed to stay in Russia for a maximum period of 90 days within every 180 days. This period may be continuous or accumulated.
Russian visa requirements for Indian citizens
Following are the Russian visa requirements for Indian citizens
- If Group Travel: The tourist confirmation letter, stating that the tourist will be hosted by a Russian organisation, must be faxed or scanned and submitted (This organisation must be registered under the Unified Federal Register of Tour Operators and must have a unique reference number). It should include all pertinent information about the tourist, such as their full name, date of birth, gender, nationality, passport number, length of stay (including entry and exit dates), number of visa entries, name of the Russian tour operator issuing the invitation, and its unique reference number. It must also include the applicant’s list of paid tourist services (transport, lodging, excursions, and so on), the tour agency’s personal signature, and the organization’s official seal.
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If Individual Travel:
Confirmation of hotel accommodation from authorized Russian travel company, or directly from the Russian hotel. This must show the booking reference number and confirmation number for the visa.
- International passport (with a good quality scanned copy of the page with your photo and address page – both on one side of an A4 sheet) containing at least 2 blank pages, which is valid for a period of 6 months from the date of exit from Russia.
- 2 fully completed Application forms, printed out and personally signed by the applicant must be submitted. When selecting the location for submission of the documents please specify the visa centre you will be applying at.
- One colour photograph of dimensions 3.5 x 4.5 cm, with light-coloured background, clear image of the applicant directly facing the camera. You must not be wearing dark or tinted glasses, any headgear (with the exception of those with ethnic/ religious background.
- Applicants need their flight reservation of return or round ticket. Please note that the tickets do not have to be paid for, only the booking receipt needs to be submitted.
Note:
- The Consular has the right to ask for additional documents or personal appearance of the applicant for an interview in special cases. It may also extend the processing time in certain cases.
- Confirmation of a hotel booking does not serve as the basis for issuance of a tourist visa by the Embassy or Consulate. It is simply a part of the whole application.
- Tourist Visas are granted only if the Russian tour company is properly registered under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia and possesses a unique tour reference number.
- Make sure you are dealing with a reliable travel agency which can register you once you are in Russia and which will also provide other support services when you arrive.
Russian Visa Fees for Indian
Following are the Russia visa fees for India
For a Single Entry Visa to Russia:
- 1300 INR , when processing time is between 2 to 3 working days
- 2600 INR , when the processing time is 1 working day
- 1180 INR is the service fee charged at the Visa Application Centres (inclusive of all taxes)
- INR 520 is the extra urgency surcharge at the Visa Application Centres of Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.
For a Double Entry Visa to Russia:
- 2080 INR , when processing time is between 2 to 3 working days
- 4160INR , when the processing time is 1 working day
- 1180 INR is the service fee charged at the Visa Application Centres (inclusive of all taxes)
- 520 INR is the extra urgency surcharge at the Visa Application Centres of Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.
For a Multiple Entry Visa to Russia:
- 3900 INR , when processing time is between 4 to 10 working days
- 7800 INR , when the processing time is 3 working days
- 1180 INR is the service fee charged at the Visa Application Centres (inclusive of all taxes)
How to get Russian visa for Indian
Following are the steps to get Russian visa for Indian citizen
- Visit the URL http://visa.kdmid.ru/ to access the Visa Application form.
- Select the country from which you are applying for a visa.
- Select the language in which you would like the hints regarding completion of the application form to be displayed.
- After ticking the ‘I have read the instructions’ box, you will be redirected to the main application form.
- You will be shown your Application ID, which you need to make a note of, for future reference (In order to access your application later, however, you will need your Application ID, and the password that you will enter on this page). You will have to select a password and re-type it. After confirmation of the Captcha shown on your screen, you must click on ‘Submit’.
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Fill in the following details in your application form:
- Your current Nationality
- State whether you have had a Russian/ USSR nationality previously. If yes, please answer the specifying questions that follow.
- Select your purpose of visit from the drop- down list. Then from the next drop- down list, select the specification of your purpose of visit.
- Select your Visa category and type from the drop down menu
- Mention number of entries you wish to make into Russia.
- Fill up intended date of entry to Russia in the “dd/mm/yyyy” format and also intended date of departure from Russia in “dd/mm/yyyy” format
Correctly mention Personal Details
- Mention surname at present (as in passport)
- State your first name, middle names, or patronymic names (as in passport)
- Note :whether you have ever had other names such as a maiden name, pseudonym etc.
- State your sex as shown in your passport
- Enter your date of birth and your place of Birth, as printed in your passport.
- State whether you were born in Russia. If you were, specify which country you have immigrated to (currently live in) and when you did so.
- State your passport number, its date of issuance and date of expiry
- State which institution you are going to visit. For a Tourist Visa, select “Travel Company” from the drop-down list and state the name and address of the travel company.
- If you have an invitation issued in the Russian Federation, enter the number in the slot given.
- Enter your full itinerary of your trip to Russia. You must enter only one place of visit per slot. Please click on the option “Add” in order to enter more places of visit.
- State whether you have medical insurance policy that is valid in Russia. If yes, enter the policy number.
- State whether you have been in Russia before. If you have been to Russia previously, you will need to state how many times you were in Russia and the date of your last trip.
- State whether you have a permanent residential address. If yes, please enter the address of residence.
- Enter your telephone number, fax number and email address in the given slots.
- State whether you are currently working or studying. If yes, indicate the work address or place of study and the position you hold.
- State your employer’s name, address, telephone number, fax number and email id.
- Indicate whether children less than 16 years of age and other relatives mentioned in your passport are travelling with you. If the answer is yes, you must provide specifying information such as the relationship, name, date of birth and address.
- In the next field, state whether you currently have relatives in Russia. If the answer is yes, you must specify by filling in the required information. You must only enter the information regarding one relative in the field shown on the screen. Click on ‘Add’ to add more relatives.
- Select the Russian Embassy or Consulate closest to you, where you intend to apply for your visa. Your application will be sent to the selected authority, for processing your visa.
Final submission of Russian Visa Application
- You will be shown a summary of all the details you have entered in the next screen. If it is all accurate, select ‘Save and submit’.
- You will then be shown a screen where you can take a print out of the completed application form.
Note:
- Write down the number of the application form which will be shown at the top right-hand corner. This will be required to continue application completion if your session times out. You can save a draft of your application, using the “Save draft” option to complete it later.
- Russian Visa Centre offers a facility of filling out your application form for an extra fee of INR 770.
- All paperwork, once submitted, cannot be changed during the visa processing period or during the applicant’s stay in Russia, and must be consistent with the information indicated in the invitation.
After Submission
- You can make an appointment at the Embassy or Consulate chosen in your application.
- Prepare and submit all the documents, including the visa application form, at the centre.
- After submission, you must pay the consular fees, which is non-refundable.
- Collect the visa and any related documents from the embassy/consulate, when asked to do so.
- Check the Russian visa granted to you. Ensure that all the information is correct before leaving the embassy or consulate, as this is the only authority allowed to make amendments.
- If you think there is anything wrong or any detail is missing in your visa you should contact the visa department at the embassy or consulate immediately. This will inform them and allow them to rectify the mistake, as no mistakes in your visa can be corrected after you have arrived in Russia.
Visa Registration in Russia
Russian law requires visitors to register their Russian visa within seven working days of their arrival in Russia. For every foreign citizen who will spend seven or more days in the Russian Federation, Visa registration is a compulsory procedure. You must possess the documentation issued by a local Federal Migration Service office which proves that you have arrived at your intended location in Russia. The hosting organization is responsible for the entire registration procedure.
Visa Registration may be carried out by the following:
- The hotel or hostel authorities where you are staying.
- If you are staying in a private apartment with friends or a family, the owner of the apartment must do it.
- The company which issued your visa invitation to Russia.
On arrival in Russia, you will be given a migration card which you should fill in carefully. This will include details like your full name, passport data, terms and purpose of visit, duration of stay, and the company which issued your invitation. The passport control officer will stamp it to indicate the date and place of your arrival.
In order to register your visa, you must submit a copy of your passport, visa and migration card, and special registration form to the host. They, in turn, will take them to the local branch of the Federal Migration Service. The authorities will take the form and return a tear-off coupon that the visitor must keep until departure. When leaving Russia, you must give the tear-off coupon to the landlord and the landlord passes it to the Federal Migration Service Authorities. This procedure is simple and will be carried out with minimum of your efforts.
Kunhabdulla
Good procedures in visa processing and immigration, tourists are well secured,