Visa to Russia for the UK citizens
Do the British need a visa to Russia?
Yes, they do!
But don’t get scared just yet. The process of obtaining a Russian visa is not so complicated, as it might seem. And if anyone rushes you to pay some agency to take charge of visa application, you can better read this article, and try to get it on your own.
My mission here is to guide you through the process of getting your Russian visa and clarify some of the most important related issues.
So, here we go: 5 main steps to get your Russian visa, if you are a UK citizen:
Step 1. Set your travel dates and understand the purpose of your trip.
Depending on the duration of your intended trip, and the travel aims you pursue, you can apply for certain visa types. Note, that visas cannot be converted one into another while in Russia. If you’ve entered as a tourist, you’ll need to leave until your visa expires, and re-apply for a new visa suitable for your next visit outside Russia.
| Visa types | Validity period | Travel purpose |
| Tourist visa | 30 days | tourism and leisure |
| Private visa | 90 days | private guest visits. Not recommendable: see why here |
| Business visa | 30 -90 days (up to 5 years max) | conducting business in Russia, looking for partners, negotiating, investing etc. |
| Transit visa | 3 -10 days | crossing Russian territory on your way to another country |
| Student visa | 90 days and above | studying a course in a Russian school or university |
| Work visa | 90 days and above | working under contract for a Russian employer |
| Electronic visa | 8 days | short tourist, business or humanitarian visits. Available for nationals of 53 states, excluding the UK! |
Russian Tourist visa for the UK
Stay in Russia – 30 days. Number of entries – single/double
Travel purposes:
- Exploring tourist attraction sights
- Spending time in various resorts located in Russia
- Taking the railroad tours
- Backpacking, hitch-hiking, cycling around the country
- Road tourism on your own vehicle
- Attending cultural events, concerts, exhibitions
- Coming for short medical examinations, negotiations, auctions (Aim-tourism visa required)
Russian Business visa for the UK
Stay in Russia – 90 days out of 180. A visa itself can be valid for 1 year. Number of entries: single/double/multiple
Travel purposes:
- Attending business meetings
- Negotiating
- Looking for partners
- Searching investment opportunities
- Researching the market for purchases of goods and services or setting up your own business
- Technical maintenance works
- Short-term commercial activities at some Russian company
Russian Private visa for the UK
Stay in Russia – 90 days out of 180. Number of entries: single/double
Travel purposes:
- visit relatives or friends, who reside in Russia
Russian Humanitarian visa for the UK
Stay in Russia – 90 days out of 180. A visa can be issued for 1-3-6-12 months. Number of entries: single/double or multiple in case of 1 year visa.
Travel purposes:
- visit Russian events related to sports, religion, charity, politics, culture
- participate in international exchange or volunteer programs
Russian Student visa for the UK
Stay in Russia – as long as your study course intends you to. A visa can be issued for 90 days with single or double entry, but extended on the territory of Russia in accordance with the duration period of your course.
Travel purposes:
- study at a Russian educational institution
Russian Work visa for the UK
Stay in Russia – as long as your employment requires you to. A visa can be issued for 90 days with single/double entry, or for 3 years with multiple entries for Highly Qualified Specialists.
Travel purposes:
- work for a Russian employer under an official contract
Russian Transit visa for the UK
Stay in Russia – as long as your connection lasts. Transit visas are normally issued for up to 3 days for airline connections, or up to 10 days for crossing Russia by road transport.
Travel purposes:
- Crossing Russian borders en route to your final destination
Important: If you stay in transit zone waiting for your connecting flight, you don’t need a visa. It’s highly recommended to contact your airlines prior to starting the transit visa application process.
Stay in Russia – 8 days out of 30 days duration period of your E-visa. Number of entries: single
Travel purposes:
- Standard tourism, sightseeing, brief business visits
Step 2. Get a complete set of documents required for your visa type
Paperwork can be a pretty boring affair, I know. But there aren’t so many documents to collect, in fact. And here you’ll find tips on where and how to get them. So, don’t lose your enthusiasm! ????
- Valid national passport. Check that the validity of your passport is 6 months beyond the expiration date of the requested visa. Also, your passport must have at least 2 adjacent pages that are blank.
- Invitation from Russia.
- For a tourist visa you’ll need an invitation from a registered Russian tour operator called Confirmation. Order it here: https://visando.com/order/ You can apply with a printed copy of good quality.
- For a private visa ask your Russian host to obtain a private invitation at the Russian Department of Migration Affairs. This will take them some pains and about 22 working days. If you wish to make it simpler, consider coming on a tourist visa instead.
- For a business/humanitarian visa a Russian inviting company will need to provide you with the official invitation issued upon their request by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. The process lasts about 20 working days. If your company can’t provide you with this, or you are looking for some simpler and a bit faster way to get it, you can order it with us. Contact our manager here: [email protected] Copies of electronic documents are accepted, along with the cover letter on the letterhead of a company in a scan
- For student/work visa ask your Russian school/employer to get you an official invitation from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. As these are long-term visa types, the preparation of the invitation takes usually a longer time from 1 to 2 months. For student visas electronic invitations are accepted, while work visa applications require only the paper original.
- For E-visa no invitation is necessary
- Completed visa application form. Start filling it after you’ve got the invitation, as you’ll need to enter some details, like the invitation number, the inviting company etc. Website for the form is visa.kdmid.ru You can select English as your language of tips and instructions. Once you’ve filled in the form, print it, sign, date, and glue your passport style color photo 3.5×4.5 into the marked area. It’s ready now!
- Bank Statement. If you are self-employed, unemployed, or a company director, you also need to present a statement from your bank account, proving your financial capacities. The statement must show your account history for the last 3 months, and the current balance should be no less than 100£ per each day of your trip. You can take it in your bank. It’s valid for 30 days from the issuance date, so don’t take it too in advance.
That’s about all. Coming to the next step now.
Step 3. Applying for a visa. Paying the fees.
As a British citizen you can apply for your Russian visa in one of these places only in person:
- At the Russian consular department of the Russian embassy in the UK in London, or Consulate General in Edinburgh
- At a licensed Russian visa center operating in London, Manchester and Edinburgh
Find the addresses and contacts below:
| Consular Section of the Russian Embassy in London | Address: 5 Kensington Palace Gardens, London W8 4QS phone: +44 (0) 203 668 7474 website: https://www.rusemb.org.uk/contact/ Email: [email protected] |
| Consulate General of RF in Edinburgh | Address: 58 Melville Street, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom EH3 7HF Phone: 0131 225 70 98 Fax: 0131 225 95 87website: https://edinburgh.mid.ru/en_GB/web/edinburgh_en/contact-us E-mail: [email protected] |
| VFS Global Russian visa center in London | 15- 27 Gee Street,Barbican, LondonEC1V 3RD Phone 09058890149 Email: [email protected] |
| VFS Global in Edinburgh | 64 Albion Road (back entrance) EdinburghEH7 5QZ Phone 09058890149 Email: r[email protected] |
| VFS Global in Manchester | 53 Fountain Street (Regus Business Centre) Manchester M2 2AN Phone 09058890149 Email: [email protected] |
You can apply as early as 6 months before your entry date to Russia.
To apply at the Russian consulate you’ll need to book prior appointment. Visa centers don’t have any appointment system. When you come to the Visa center, you’ll be given a token with your number in the queue by the officer. When your number’s announced, you’ll submit your documents and be given a receipt. Keep the receipt to be able to collect your passport afterwards.
After you’ve applied you can track the visa status here: https://ru.vfsglobal.co.uk/track_application.html
You’ll also be notified when your application process is over.
Now, to the money part of this process:
Visa/ Service fee
If you apply at the Russian consulate you pay only the non-refundable visa fee. It amounts to:
| Type of visa | Normal fee (4-20 working days) £ | Urgent fee (1-3 working days) £ |
| Single-entry | 63 | 125 |
| Double-entry | 101 | 200 |
| Multiple-entry | 188 | 376 |
If you chose to apply at VFS Global visa center you’ll also be charged a service fee of £38.40 for normal processing, or £45.60 for urgent one.
In case you ordered any extra services like delivery, photocopies, travel insurance etc., you’ll need to pay extras, detailed fees can be find on the website of the VFS center.
Step 4. Collect your passport. Check your visa details.
If you chose to apply directly at the consulate, you’ll have to collect your passport in person, same way as you applied. Take the receipt given you during application and your ID to demonstrate at the consulate. There is no need to book appointment for this. You can come during the stipulated passport collection hours on weekdays: 8:45 – 11:00, on Thursday: 14:00 – 16:30
If you applied at the visa center, you can come without any appointment during working hours and collect your passport. You can also order passport delivery directly to your home or office at some extra £ 13.80. You’ll need to pay this charge at the moment of application and fill the form with your address for delivery.
Finally got your visa?
Check if this information on your visa is correct:
Step 5. Last things to do upon arrival
You can now breathe freely and start packing your bags.
It’s recommendable to get yourself insured for the dates of your trip. You can get travel insurance in any company, including online companies. Check out this one: https://russia.cherehapa.ru/?partnerId=5592
There are two more papers to get when in Russia:
- Migration card
- Registration
After you’ve landed, you’ll be given out migration cards to fill, by the flight attendants. If you miss this moment, you’ll be able to get it from the migration officer. You’ll need to fill it with info on your intended dates of trip and address of stay. The officer will stamp it and return you one part of it. Save it in your passport and always carry with you. When you leave, you’ll need to return this document.
Registration is required if you stay over 7 working days in Russia. It’s normally done by the hotels where you stay. If you chose private apartment, the owner should contact the local post or police office and register you. This document is also recommended to carry along during your stay in Russia. Although, it’s asked for on very rare occasions.
If you feel something is lacking here, feel free to contact our managers for a free consultation by email.
I wish you the best visa application experience, and a happy trip to Russia!
