Do I need a Visa to Russia?

* IMPORTANT: Entry visa rules and regulations can change anytime, sometimes with very little notice. Although we are trying to stay up to date with the latest requirements, we cannot guarantee that the regulations will remain the same at the time you’re reading this. This also applies to any additional possible requirements, e.g. travel insurance. Always check with the official Russian authorities or the consulate of your country for the most accurate and current information before planning your trip. It is also important to mention that all the entry visa options mentioned here are for visiting purposes. If you are intending to work or study in Russia, you should apply for the respective work or study visas instead.

VISA FREE

Yeah, “visa-free” means exactly that. If you’re a national of one of the countries with which Russia has a visa-free regime, you can enter Russia with just your passport, without any need for prior visa arrangements. Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months after the date you intend to leave the Russian Federation. Make sure your travel insurance up to date and off you go. The nationals of the following countries can enter Russia visa-free for a fixed period of time.

LIST OF VISA FREE COUNTRIES

Country	Maximum Stay
Abkhazia	90 days
Antigua and Barbuda	90 days
Argentina	90 days
Armenia	90 days
Azerbaijan	90 days
Belarus	(freedom of movement)
Belize	90 days
Bolivia	90 days
Bosnia and Herzegovina	30 days
Botswana	30 days
Brazil	90 days
Brunei	14 days
Cabo Verde	60 days
Chile	90 days
Colombia	90 days
Costa Rica	90 days
Cuba	90 days
Dominica	90 days
Dominican Republic	60 days
Ecuador	90 days
El Salvador	90 days
Estonia (holders of an alien passport only)	90 days
Fiji	90 days
Georgia	90 days
Grenada	90 days
Guatemala	90 days
Guyana	90 days
Honduras	90 days
Hong Kong	14 days
Israel	90 days
Jamaica	90 days
Kazakhstan	90 days
Kyrgyzstan	90 days
Laos	30 days
Latvia (holders of a non-citizen passport only)	90 days
Macao	30 days
Maldives	90 days
Mauritius	60 days
Moldova	90 days
Mongolia	30 days
Montenegro	30 days
Namibia	90 days
Nauru	14 days
Nicaragua	90 days
Palau	30 days
Panama	90 days
Paraguay	90 days
Peru	90 days
Qatar	90 days
Saint Kitts and Nevis	90 days
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	90 days
Samoa	60 days
Serbia	30 days
Seychelles	30 days
South Africa	90 days
South Korea	60 days
South Ossetia	(freedom of movement)
Suriname	90 days
Tajikistan	90 days
Thailand	30 days
Ukraine	90 days
United Arab Emirates	90 days
Uruguay	90 days
Uzbekistan	90 days
Vanuatu	90 days
Venezuela	90 days

If your country is not on the list, check if the E-VISA option would work for you.

E-VISA

What is a Russian E-VISA, and how does it differ from visa-free entry? The main difference when entering Russia with an E-VISA is the requirement for electronic authorisation before your travel. To obtain this authorisation, you need to submit an online application on the Official Website of the Russian Federation Consular Department. Fill in the application form and pay a fee of approximately US$50. After submitting the application, the E-VISA will be issued to you via email within 4 calendar days, that is including weekends and bank holidays. Once received, either print the confirmation or have it readily available on your mobile phone when boarding your transport to Russia and at the border checkpoint. While not every border checkpoint accepts E-VISA entries, the most commonly used ones do. You can check the list of entry points on the official E-VISA website. That’s it! Easy, isn’t it?

“What if I’m from a Western country?” you may ask. “Am I not welcome to Russia?” Wrong! The Russian E-VISA is readily available to citizens of almost all European countries. Check if your country is in the list below.

Ready to apply for your E-VISA to Russia? Here is the link to the Official Russian E-VISA application website.

NEED A VISA

If the above options don’t apply to you, you can still get to Russia with obtaining a visa through a normal application process at the Russian Consulate in your country of residence. It doesn’t have to be the country of your citizenship, but the country where you presently live. The application generally should be made at the Consulate in Person or through the visa agency remotely. The best thing would be to check for the latest requirements and application process directly at the Russian Consulate website in the country you live. Check the List of Diplomatic Missions of Russia abroad here.

Staying up to date and verifying your information is important. Here are the links to the official resources: