Foreign citizens and people without Russian citizenship have the right to enter and leave the Russian Federation with valid documents, proving their identity, and with the Russian visa if other is not mentioned in international agreements of the Russian Federation. The Consulate General issues different categories of visas to Russia based upon the purpose of the trip and the duration of stay in Russia. Official invitations are required for all types of visas.
When the foreign citizen or the person without citizenship is applying to the Russian Consulate, then they should submit the following documents:
1. The foreign passport (or the document which substitutes it: child's identity card, travel document for the person without citizenship, travel document for the refugee).
2. Consular Visa application form
3. One photo 3*4 cm (or two, depending on the Consulate).
4. Visa support letter (invitation).
5. Payment.
6. Travel insurance for citizens of Schengen States;
7. In some cases (stays longer than 3 months) it is obligatory to submit the document proving that the person does not have AIDS.
Invitation for Russian tourist visa
In order to get a tourist visa an applicant should submit to the Consulate a standard tourist confirmation (visa support letter) from the authorized hosting Russian travel agency.
Russian visa confirmation should contain full name of the traveler, date of birth, passport number, date of entry/departure, itinerary, the agency's reference number, registration number, official seal and signature of the authorized person; and a voucher issued by an authorized travel agency, indicating full name of the traveler, date of birth, passport number, dates of entry and departure, name of the hosting Russian Tourist Company.
Note: Hotel reservation alone is not valid for obtaining a tourist visa.
Nordic Travel is officially registered as a legal entity able to issue visa support letter recognized by any Russian Embassy/Consulate in the world.
Russian Migration form
The foreign citizen fills in the migration form when entering the Russian Federation.
It consists of two parts - entry and exit. Both parts should be filled in. The form are distributed free of charge at the airports, in the long-distance trains and at border crossing check-points. It should be submitted with all the other documents proving the foreign citizen's identity to the Border Control Officer. The entry part is taken and the second part is kept with the passport during the whole trip. When leaving the Russian Federation, the foreign citizen should also submit the migration form to the Border Control Officer. The Border Control Officer is obliged to make a mark of entering/leaving the Russian Federation in the passport.
Migration registration
According to the Russian legislation, foreign citizens must be registered at the place of their stay within 7 workdays since arrival. If a foreign citizen has moved to another place of staying, he (she) should be registered at the new place within 7 workdays since moving. Migration registration is carried out by the host party, the foreign citizen does not need to take care of it himself or herself.
The administration of the hotel or other organizations providing the hotel services should register the foreign citizens within 1 day after their arrival. Depending on the hotel policy the administration may charge a small fee for registration.
In case of staying at apartment or private house one should be registered by hosts through the post office or at the Russian Migration Service office within 7 workdays.
More information about registration is available at the website of the Federal Migration Service of the Russian Federation.
Visa free travel to Russia
In accordance to the Russian laws, foreign tourists travelling on ferries may arrive to St. Petersburg without Russian visa and stay in Russia not more than 72 hours.
