For US citizens

Travel to Russia for US citizens requires an entry visa. The US citizens shall as a rule be issued multiple-entry business, private, humanitarian and tourist visas for a stay of no more than 6 months starting from the date of each entry that are valid for three years (36 months) from the date of issue of the visa.

US citizens, foreign nationals and non-nationals ought to apply for the Russian tourist, business, humanitarian, work, student, homestay (private) or transit visas to the above-mentioned company’s Visa Center located at:

1680 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. (intersection Wisconsin Ave. and Reservoir Rd.), tel. (202) 827-0895, fax (202) 827-0896, business hours 9.00 a.m. – 4.00 p.m., technical brake 12.30p.m. - 2 p.m.

For more information visit  www.ils-usa.com.

Visa Center service fee  is $ 30.00 per visa, consular tariffs remain the same.

US applicants for Russian visas can apply directly to the Consular Division of the Embassy of the Russian Federation. Prior to submitting your visa application to Russian consulate you must make an appointment on the following web-site . For applying directly you are required to appear in person for a visa interview at the Consular Division from 9 a.m. till 12.15 p.m. Please, comply with the general visa obtaining procedure and have available all the documents concerning your trip.

All applications for Russian visas submitted in the United States must be prepared using the electronic visa application form at the website  http://visa.kdmid.ru .

General Visa Information

The Consular Division of the Embassy issues different categories of visas to Russia based upon the purpose of the trip and the duration of stay in Russia.
The following documents should be submitted in order to obtain a visa according to its category:

1. Completed visa application signed by the Applicant only. Incomplete visa application forms shall not be processed.
Application available online at  http://visa.kdmid.ru
All questions in the application form should be answered. If a question is not applicable to the applicant, he should put “N/A”.
Each application form must be signed by the visa applicant personally.

2. Valid national passport (original only and it should have at least two clear visa pages). It must be valid no less than six months after the visa expiration date. Holders of travel documents such us: Permit to Re-Enter the United States of America, Travel Document, etc. must submit valid Permanent Resident Card (an original and a copy).

3. One picture of an applicant.

4. Money Order or Certified Bank Check made out to the Russian Consulate for visa processing. Please note that we do not accept cash, credit or debit cards, personal or company checks.

5. Invitation to Russia from a host person or organisation.

The fees are:
• For all types of visa (including multiple entry) for 10 days processing – $50
• For all types of visa (including multiple entry) for urgent (3 days) processing – $100

For more specific information check the official site of Russian Federation embassy in the US: http://www.russianembassy.org

For UK citizens

Visitors from most countries will need a visa. It cannot be obtained at the border; therefore you should apply for a Russian Visa prior to travelling.

Submission of Visa application and collection of passports can be done by the following:

Visa applications can be submitted at the addresses below.

Russia Visa Application Centre in London
15-27 Gee Street
London EC1V 3RD 

Russia Visa Application Centre in Edinburgh
16 Forth Street
Edinburgh EH1 3LH

Postal applications should be sent to
PO box 64391
London EC1P 1NJ

Conditional to the type of the visa you are applying for it can be issued for single, double or multiple entries:

• A single entry visa allows the traveller to enter Russian Federation once during the validity of the visa. When the traveller has left the country the visa is no longer valid and you would be required to re-apply for another visa.
• Double entry visa means that you can leave the Russian Federation and enter it once again during the validity of the visa issued.
• A multiple entry visa allows you to enter/leave the Russian Federation several times during the validity of the visa.

Required documents for all visa categories:

• Please note that the following essentials must be met by all applicants submitting their applications for visa.
• Valid international passport recognized by the Russian Federation with at least two blank pages for visas. The passport should be valid for a minimum of six months after visa expiration date. If you do not have a blank page to which a visa can be affixed, a new passport must be obtained before submitting your application.
• Fully completed application form, photograph and supporting documents appropriate to the type of visa.

For complete list of the requirements please select the type of visa you are applying from the official site of Russian Embassy in the UK list (http://ru.vfsglobal.co.uk/)