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Visas
Travel to Russia requires a visa covering the duration of your stay in the country. Visas are issued by Russian Consulates in your home country, based on an invitation (a visa support letter) from a Russian party. If you are not the citizen of the country where you apply for visa you may be refused, but the practice is different in different countries. Some Russian Consulates accept remote applying so you can apply for a visa from any place.
To obtain a Russian visa, you should submit the following papers to a Consular Section:
Completed visa application form (one per person)
Valid national passport (its validity should exceed the planned date of departure from Russia by 6 months)
Three standard passport-size photographs
Invitation from an authorized Russian organization
The visa fee is paid to the Consular service issuing visas in the respective country. Its cost varies.
A Russian visa lists entry and exit dates, your passport number, any children traveling with you, and visa type. It also lists, but does not limit, the cities you are planning to visit. Your visa is also an exit permit, so if you lose it or stay longer than your visa stipulates, you can be fined when you leave Russia.
You will have to register your visa upon arrival in Russia and every new place within 3 working days. Most hotels can and must register your visa for free. You do not need to have any stamps in you passport or the migration card after the registration.
Visa extension is a very hard procedure. Try to get the adequate visa type in advance.
Important to know: there are two types of visas: tourist and business. Tourist visa can be issued up to 1 month. Business one - up to 1 year and can be single, double and multi-entry.
Visa fees for both the invitation and the visa itself are dependant on how much time you allow for processing. Fast processing time increases the cost considerably, so it is best to plan ahead.
RCTC can provide you with the official invitation for getting any types of visas in Russia.