Electronic Visas to Russia
Starting from 01 January 2021 it’s possible for Indian nationals to visit Russia with an electronic visa. Although foreign nationals will still need to apply for a visa to enter Russia as tourists, in fact, the whole procedure is getting much more simplified. The new regulation applies to Indian, most European and some Asian nationals (view the full list of eligible nationalities).
Please read below what the new e-visa procedure is all about and what it means in reality for our customers.
Please note to be able to travel with an e-visa you must enter and depart from Russia only through 29 authorised border crossings that include airport and maritime terminals as well as land checkpoints. The authorised road checkpoints are located in Kaliningrad, Pskov and Leningrad regions. As most of our customers arrive by air we will not specify the full list here.
International airports:
The visa application website of the Russian consulate is currently under construction.
Once your visa is approved you will receive and email confirmation. You will need to print out your electronic visa and present it together with your passport to a border control officer in Russia.
Please read below what the new e-visa procedure is all about and what it means in reality for our customers.
Standard Russian Tourist Visa
USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada are excluded from the regulations, meaning their nationals must apply for a standard visa to enter Russia unless they have a dual nationality and an eligible passport for a Russian e-visa.What is an e-visa
E-visa is an electronic document allowing a single entry for tourism, business or humanitarian activities, participation in scientific, cultural, social and political, economic or sports events. as well as private visits (relatives in Russia) for a maximum period of 16 days. It’s valid for 60 days from the day of issue, which means you can visit Russia only within 60 days period after visa approval date.Please note to be able to travel with an e-visa you must enter and depart from Russia only through 29 authorised border crossings that include airport and maritime terminals as well as land checkpoints. The authorised road checkpoints are located in Kaliningrad, Pskov and Leningrad regions. As most of our customers arrive by air we will not specify the full list here.
International airports:
- Belgorod
- Kazan
- Krasnodar
- Krasnoyarsk
- Moscow (Vnukovo - VKO, Domodedovo - DME and Sheremetievo - SVO airports only)
- Nizhny Novgorod
- Novosibirsk
- Rostov-on-Don
- Samara
- St Petersburg (Pulkovo - LED)
- Volgograd
- Yekaterinburg
- St Petersburg
- Vladivostok
- Zarubino (Primorsky Territory)
Visa validity
To avoid misunderstanding, the e-visa is issued only for the duration of 16 days, which means the maximum number of days you can stay in Russia is 16 days. The e-visa cannot be extended, only in the event of any force majeure circumstances. You can only enter Russia once on your e-visa.Processing time
An e-visa is issued within 4 calendar days, including week-ends and bank holidays.Who can apply
Only nationals of 52 countries can apply for an electronic visa. Those countries include India, China, European Union, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Japan. Unfortunately USA, UK, Australia, Canada are not included. But if you have a dual nationality, and for instance possess a valid Indian passport, you can easily apply for an e-visa and travel to Russia with your eligible passport.When to apply
The e-visa is valid for 60 days from the date of issue. Visa applications are processed within 4 calendar days. So you can start your visa application about 2 months before your trip planned date.Required documents
- Passport - it must be valid for at least 6 months from the date you applied for an e-visa. Your passport must have a blanc page for border crossing stamps.
- Digital photo - the photo must be no more than six months old as of the date of the application. You can take a photo with your camera, smartphone or tablet.
- Medical insurance valid in Russia for the entire period of stay. Arrange your travel insurance online.
How to apply
The e-visa procedure is much easier as compared to a standard tourist visa applcation. Everything is done online. You will need to fill in a form, upload a digital photo and a scanned copy of your passport and pay a $40 processing fee. It’s not necessary to provide an invitation letter, proof of accommodation or ticket bookings.The visa application website of the Russian consulate is currently under construction.
Once your visa is approved you will receive and email confirmation. You will need to print out your electronic visa and present it together with your passport to a border control officer in Russia.
What does it mean for our tours?
If you have an eligible passport, you can travel to Russia on an e-visa on most of our group packages. You can even extend your stay, provided you leave the country within 16 days. Please see below the list of tours compliant with new e-visa regulations.- City Breaks (except CB-18 tour)
- Cruises (except CR-29, CR-11, CR-51)
- Adventure and Discovery (except KK-08)
- Trans-Siberian tours (only Russia). Unfortunately it’s not possible to use it for Trans-Mongolian tours where the train goes from Irkutsk to Mongolia as there are no authorised border crossing checkpoints on the border with Mongolia.