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78 Nevsky Prospect, Saint Petersburg, 191025 Russia, telephone number +7 (812)3273023
fax +7(812)6010655 |
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Types of Russian Visas and Invitations
There are 6 types of Russian visas: a tourist visa, a business visa, a student visa, a personal visa, a short 72-hour visa, a transit visa - each type corresponds to the purpose of your visit. However, many people come for a short business trip with tourist visas, and many people come to visit their friends with business visas. So, when choosing the type visa, the only consideration should be your convenience in terms of price of the visa, its speed of processing, the period of stay this visa allows and the number of entries the visa allows. Especially, as Russian officials seem not to care about which visa you finally take, what matters is how much you pay... However, when filling in an application form in the field "purpose" you should specify the purpose corresponding to the type of your visa. If you apply for a tourist visa, specify "tourism", if you apply for a business visa, specify "business meetings" or "seminars", if you apply for a private visa, specify "visiting friends". Generally, the most convenient options in terms of price, processing speed and flexibility are tourist and business visas. It's better to get a tourist visa if you plan to stay in Russian no longer than one month, and need single-entry only. It's better to get a business visa if you plan to stay in Russia longer than 1 month and / or need a multiple-entry visa.
The business visa invitations are longer to get and are more expensive, than the tourist ones.
Russian Tourist Visa:
This type of visa is issued for the travelers who come to Russia for tourism purposes. This visa is easiest to get and the least expensive of all visas, so it's ideal for tourists. A tourist Russian visa is single-entry or double-entry only and can be valid for the period up to one month. It usually takes the Russian consulate from 1 to 10 days to issue this type of visa and will cost from $50 US to $150 US, depending on the time of processing.
To obtain the Russian tourist visa, you need a tourist invitation.
Russian Business Visa:
This type of visa is supposed to be issued for the people, who come to Russia for business purposes. But because this type of visa allows long stays, multiple entries etc., it is also used by ordinary travelers, who need more flexibility.
Note: effective from 1 Nov 2002, all travel agencies issuing visa support will need to gradually pass re-authorization in Russian Interior Ministry (RIM). This doesn't affect you, if you apply for a tourist visa, it's just a formality. However, you may expect a change in processing times and fees (after all, it's another organisation looking after all this now).
A business Russian visa can be valid from 1 month to 12 months, and be either single-, double- or multiple entry. A person who obtained a multiple 1-year business visa can continiously stay in Russia for the period not longer than 6 months. So, after the first 6 months you may leave Russian even for 1 day, then come back, and it'll be ok. Many people in such situation prefer to go to Baltic states, because they are quite close.
It takes approximately the same time for the consulate to issue a business visa as a tourist visa, but a business visa is slightly more expensive. The price depends on the processing speed, usually, it's about $80-$90 US for 5-7 days, and about $150 for 2 days. You can get the exact quotes at the Russian consulate where you apply.
To obtain a business visa, you need a business invitation.
Student Visa:
This type of visa is issued only for students, who come to Russia for exchange or education.
This is the best kind of visa, but you can only get it if you applied to a Russian university, school or an institution and will study there. Usually, the student visa doesn't have a limited validity, it is extended all the time, depending on how long you study. When you apply to the consulate for a student visa, you'll need to pay a normal fee, which will be about the same as for a tourist visa ($50-$150, depending on processing time).
Personal (Private) Visa:
This type of visa is given to the foreigners who come to Russia for a personal visit (friends, relatives etc.) It can be valid for up to 3 months and is single entry only. This is the worst kind of visa you can apply for.
To obtain this visa, you need a personal invitation certificate (or visa entitlement certificate - "izveshchenie") from a person living in Russia.
Short 72-Hour Visas:
This type of visa WAS an experiment started on the 1st February, 2002 to attract more tourists to Russia. However, there are canceled as of now, so it is NOT possible to get a 72 hour visa at the moment, it's better to go for a tourist visa.
However, if you are traveling on a cruise ship, the cruise company should be able to provide you with a short visa, usually valid for up to 72 hours.
Transit Visas:
This type of visa is usually given for maximum 72 hours if you're crossing the country or need to change the airports. The requirement and the prices depend on the country you're in, so the best thing to do is to contact the Russian consulate and they'll explain everything.
The price of the transit visa is usually lower than a normal tourist visa, for example, in France it costs 28 Euro. Note, that you don't need to obtain an invitation or visa support to get this type of visa.
Cruise Passengers
According to the agreement between cruise companies and Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, passengers of cruise ships stopping in St. Petersburg port for not longer than 72 hours do not require a Russian visa. This applies only if St. Petersburg is not the only port you stop at during your cruise.
In any case, we recommend you to doublecheck it with your cruise company.
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