Russian Visa Invitation
DO YOU NEED An INVITATION for russia?
Need a Russian Visa invitation for your trip? Here you can get one fast and easy from the comfort of your home.
If you want to visit Russia you will need an official invitation (Russian visa invitation), which consists of tourist confirmation and tourist voucher. It is a document by means of which a natural or legal person resident in Russia invites you to visit them, whether for tourism, business, or study purposes or for a private visit. If you don't have such a document, your visa application will be rejected.
However, since not a long time ago the Russian government has issued a new decree that gives citizens of certain countries the ability to travel to Russia Visa-Free or to apply for the new electronic visa, also known as the Russian e-Visa.
Yes, you heard well!
Now visa exceptions exist for citizens from countries with which the Russian Federation has established a visa-free entry agreement or a bilateral no-visa entry agreement. So before applying for a traditional Russian Visa check out first if you are eligible to travel to Russia Visa-Free or if you can apply for the new e-Visa. Both options are good if you plan to stay in Russia for a short period of time only.
Please don't make the mistake of thinking that with just an invitation letter you'll enter Russia because it's not like that. The visa support document or invitation letter is a mandatory document to apply for a Russian visa. Also, do not confuse the invitation letter with the hotel reservation. They have nothing to do with it. The hotel reservation is not necessary to obtain a Russian visa.
what invitation do you need?
If you need an invitation letter for your visa application, then simply scroll down the page and apply for your Russian visa invitation today. However, before you submit your request be aware that there are four types of visa invitations:
- Tourist Visa Invitation (if the purpose of your trip to Russia is for tourism or leisure, and you stay no longer than 30 days). This invitation is issued by a Russian tour company that is properly registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and possesses a valid ‘tour reference’ number.
- Business Visa Invitation (if the purpose of your trip to Russia is for official or private business, and you stay for a maximum of 30, 90, or 365 days). This invitation is issued by the local department of the Passport and Visa Service (PVU) of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (for paper invitations), or the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (for telexes). Please note that your sponsor must be registered or deal with them to get this invitation!
- Private Visa Invitation (if you travel to Russia for visiting friends or family, and your stay lasts no longer than 3 months). This invitation is issued by the local department of the Passport and Visa Service (PVU) of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs or OVIR. You should wait 4–6 weeks for approval and obtain the original invitation to apply for a visa at the Russian embassy/consulate.
- Student Visa Invitation (if you come to Russia for study purposes, and you want to stay from 3 to 6 months, or a maximum of one year). This type of invitation is issued by the ‘foreign department’ of the university/school to which you've applied.
- Work Visa Invitation (If you want to work in Russia then you need to find an employer who will hire you and provide you all the documents, including the invitation, to let you work and live in the country).
So the question is what kind of invitation do you need?
If you only need an invitation letter to support your tourist or business visa application, then go ahead and fill out the form below. We can provide you with a single or double entry Russian visa invitation within the next 24 hours and send it to you by email in PDF and ready to print (Preferably in color).
Please note that you will receive your invitation after making the payment with a bank card or through PayPal. And, keep in mind that each visitor, including children, needs their own invitation. The visa support document may be a copy.
GET YOUR RUSSIAN VISA INVITATION TODAY
Ready to apply? If so, stretch your fingers and fill out the online form below in all its form, and wait for your invitation letter to Russia in PDF format and ready to print in a very short time.
faq russian visa invitation
HOW TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION?
To order a tourist invitation, just complete the online form above and wait.
HOW DOES IT WORKS?
We partner with a trustworthy and registered local tourist agency that has been in business for more than twenty years ensuring efficient and reliable service to their customers. Once you've submitted your request, we will review all the information you sent and submit them to the agency, which will start the process of the invitation. Then, when your visa invitation document is ready, you'll receive an email from us.
I NEED MORE THAN ONE INVITATION. HOW DO I DO THAT?
If you're a group of travelers, let's say, four people, then each traveler needs to submit their own application. The application form above is for one applicant, so each applicant needs to complete the form or have it completed on their behalf.
WHAT IS THE PROCESSING TIME?
The processing time is how long it will take us to prepare your support documents and send them to you. Usually 24 hrs, or maximum 48 hrs.
DO I NEED TO INDICATE THE EXACT DATES OF MY VISIT TO RUSSIA?
If your exact travel dates are not yet settled, it is always a good idea to obtain a tourist invitation for a longer period than you actually plan to stay in Russia. Then you can get a visa for the same period and travel between the dates with no problem. You cannot enter earlier or overstay your visa but you always can enter the country later and/or leave it earlier than originally planned.
DO I NEED TO INDICATE MY EXACT ITINERARY?
Please indicate the main cities you plan to visit. Small towns and places that you plan to visit for a day or two do not need to be specified.
WHEN CAN I EXPECT MY RUSSIAN VISA INVITATION AND HOW WILL IT BE SENT?
If the application is submitted correctly can be processed immediately by email, so your invitation will be issued within the requested time frame.
CAN YOU SEND THE INVITATION TO THE CONSULATE OR EMBASSY?
The regular practice is that all the paperwork required for the visa processing is submitted to the consulate by an applicant. An invitation issuer is not supposed to send the invitation to the consulate and the documents sent to the consulate may be disregarded unless the consulate has specifically required that the invitation is sent to them directly.
HOW TO READ MY RUSSIAN VISA INVITATION?
A tourist invitation comprises two documents: a confirmation and a voucher. We place the documents on the same sheet of paper for convenience. Hence two signatures and seals. The confirmation is on the top of the document, the voucher is below. The full name and reference number of the invitation issuer are indicated in Latin characters on the top of your voucher.
I HAVE RECEIVED MY RUSSIAN VISA INVITATION. WHAT NEXT?
Once you have obtained an official invitation, all you have to do is to take them to your nearest Russian Embassy or Consulate or Visa Center. When you go remember to take with you the following documents:
- Valid passport;
- Two passport size photographs;
- Completed visa application form;
- Proof of travel insurance;
- Statement of consular fee payment;
- Letters of an employer.
These are all the documents you need to apply for a Russian visa.
I AM IN RUSSIA. HOW DO I REGISTER MY RUSSIAN VISA?
A foreign citizen must register with the local migration authorities within 7 business days upon the arrival. Then a visa has to be re-registered in each city where you stay more than 7 business days.
The registration must be completed by the receiving entity. Please note that the receiving entity is not necessarily the same as the inviting organization or hotel entered in the person's invitation and visa but a company, hotel, or person a foreigner is actually visiting in Russia. If you do stay at a hotel, the registration is fully taken care of by the hotel reception. If you stay at a private apartment, your visa is to be registered by your landlord.
However, it may sometimes happen that your hotel cannot provide you with visa support or maybe unwilling to register you. In that case, you need to ask someone else, for example, us, but this must be done before you leave Russia.
DO I NEED A RUSSIAN VISA INVITATION FOR TRANSIT VISA?
No invitation required for a transit visa. Just show your travel tickets and visa for your country of destination.
GOOD TO KNOW
We would like to let you know that among all of the types of visa invitations, the easiest and quickest to get is the tourist one, while for the others it will take you about a month to get through the process, plus it will require lots of paperwork. Also, in some cases, it might be necessary for you to bring original documents to the consulate.
DO YOU STILL NEED HELP WITH THE INVITATION?
Don't worry! We’ll help you solve any problem you may have or answer any more questions. Send us a message through this contact form and we’ll reply as soon as possible.
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