Russian visa for citizens of Cyprus

Relations between Cyprus and Russia have always been quite friendly due to the proximity of our territories among other factors. Citizens of Cyprus travel to Russia on many reasons – to visit friends and relatives, to see the famous Russian landmarks, with business visits etc. Regardless of the purpose the first thing to do is to make sure you have the legal right to enter and have all necessary documents for it.

Do citizens of Cyprus require a visa to enter Russia?

Yes, they do.

Unless it’s a holder of diplomatic or service passport, or a member of international crew.

You must be having a lot of questions like: Which visa do I need? Which documents when and how should I collect? Where should I apply for a visa and how much it will cost me?

In this article you’ll find answers to these and other questions. We’ve analyzed all visa procedures and created a simple step-by-step guide for you.

Step 1. Choose the dates for your travel and learn the visa type you need

Russian visas can be divided into several main types. See an overview and a more detailed description below.

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 1 year 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

RUSSIAN TOURIST VISA FOR CYPRIOT CITIZENS 

This type is for you:

• If you go on a tour or independently to do sightseeing, spend your vacations, visit the places of historical and cultural legacy

• If you intend to attend a brief business meeting or a medical consultation (Aim tourism)
• If you are planning to stay not over 30 days

• If you are willing to enter Russia once or twice during your trip

• If you buy a package tour, or obtain an invitation by an authorized Russian tour operator 

RUSSIAN PRIVATE VISA FOR CYPRIOT CITIZENS

This type is for you:

• If you want to spend vacations staying with your Russian friends or relatives

• If you are planning to remain in Russia not over 90 days

• If you are willing to enter Russia once or twice during your trip

• If your Russian host can provide you with the official invitation by applying for it at the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA)

RUSSIAN BUSINESS AND HUMANITARIAN VISA FOR CYPRIOT CITIZENS

This type is for you:

• If you need to come to Russia on business trips to attend meetings, look for partners, sign agreements, visit exhibitions, seminars; or attend humanitarian events of political, religious, cultural, sports or other character.

• If you are planning to stay not over 90 days out of 180 days period. A visa itself can be issued for up to 1 year.

• If you are willing to enter Russia once, twice or multiple times during the year

• If your Russian host company obtains an invitation via MIA or MFA of Russia for you

RUSSIAN STUDENT VISA FOR CYPRIOT CITIZENS

This type is for you:

• If you need to study in a Russian state or private school, college or university

• If you are planning to stay 90 days and over. A visa is initially issued for 90 days but can be extended in Russia if your course lasts longer

• If you are willing to enter Russia once, twice or multiple times

• If you are invited by an authorized Russian educational establishment via MIA of Russia

RUSSIAN WORK VISA FOR CYPRIOT CITIZENS

This type is for you:

• If you intend to work for a Russian employer full time under a contract

• If you are planning to stay 90 days and beyond. A visa is issued for 90 days with possible further extension in Russia or for 3 years for highly qualified experts.

• If you are willing to enter Russia once, twice or multiple times

• If you are invited by an authorized Russian legal entity through the MIA of Russia

RUSSIAN TRANSIT VISA FOR CYPRIOT CITIZENS

This type is for you:

• If you will be making a connection in Russia on your way to another country and leave transit zone for this

• If you will be crossing the Russian territory on your way to another country by car or train
• You can ask for a transit visa for up to 3 days for air connections, and for up to 10 days for road trips through the country

• If you are willing to enter Russia once or twice during your trip to another country

• If you have return tickets to show your route

Important: You won’t need any visa if you make an air connection and stay all the time within transit zone, or if you fly over Russia directly to another country

You will need transit visa if you make air connection in Russian airports following to Belarus or Kazakhstan

RUSSIAN ELECTRONIC VISA FOR CYPRIOT CITIZENS

This type is for you:

• If you are planning to make a short  tourist, business or humanitarian trip to Russia

• If you are going to stay there no longer than 8 days. Your e-visa will give you a span of 30 days to enter and leave Russia

• If you don’t need to leave the region which you entered. You are allowed to enter one of the three regions so far: The Far East and Vladivostok, Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Region, Kaliningrad and Kaliningrad Region. You should enter and leave through the same designated border point.

• You should fill an online form on kdmid website 4 days prior to your trip, print it and present at the Russian border. If you want professional help to avoid any mistakes in filling the form, use this link: E-Visa form filling

Step 2. Get the necessary documents for your visa application

Having chosen the visa type you want, you should now prepare the paperwork. The list of documents to apply for a Russian visa includes:

• Your passport (and its copy) with at least 2 blank visa marked pages, and valid for no less than 6 months beyond the visa expiry date.

• Visa support document (Invitation from Russia). 

If you need a tourist confirmation or a business invitation from MIA of Russia, we can help. Place your request here: Get visa support with VIsando

If you are applying for other visa types, ask your Russian host to supply you with the necessary visa support invitation

• Application filled in electronic form on the website visa.kdmid.ru. Complete the form, print on both sides of paper, sign and date, glue your professional recent color photo into the specified area. Check out photo requirements here: Russian visa photo specifications

• Medical insurance policy for trips to Russia (accepted in copy). It should be at least 30.000 EUR in coverage and be valid during your entire trip

• Applicants of Student or Work visas with stay longer than 90 days are requested to obtain the HIV-certificate with the negative result. You can get it at a local clinic by giving a blood sample for testing. The certificate has to be submitted in original  within 90 days from the testing.

Step 3. Apply for visa at the Russian Consulate in Cyprus

Cypriot citizens can apply for their Russian visa at:

• Russian Consular Section in Nicosia by prior appointment only
• Licensed Russian Visa Center Interlink offices in Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos by prior appointment in person, or by post

Russian visa centers have been opened for the convenience of applicants. If you choose to apply by mail put your documents into an envelope and address to either of these offices:

PAPHOS / RUSKIPRA HOLIDAYS (G.P.) LTD Charalambou Mouskou str. 20, A.B.C. Business Centre, Office 101, CY 8010, Paphos, Republic of Cyprus

NICOSIA / RUSKIPRA HOLIDAYS (G.P.) LTD Ilia Venezi 8, CY1076, Nicosia, Republic of Cyprus

LARNACA / RUSKIPRA HOLIDAYS (G.P.) LTD Agiou Lazarou 40-44, CY6020, Larnaca, Republic of Cyprus

LIMASSOL / RUSKIPRA HOLIDAYS (G.P.) LTD Gladstonos str. 140, CY3032, Limassol, Republic of Cyprus

Also, look for emails, websites and other contacts here: Russian consulates and embassies

Visa fees

When you apply for a visa, you are required to pay the visa fees.

The Consular Section charges 35 EUR for standard processing in 4-20 days, and 70 EUR for expedited processing in 1-3 days

A visa center also adds its service charge of 30 EUR for standard and 55 EUR for expedited processing. If you apply by post you also pay 50 EUR for Postal Application. The fee for return delivery is 50 EUR.

At the Consular Section you can pay the visa fee by credit card. Visa centers accept cash and credit cards. In case of sending documents by post, after they are received you’ll get the invoice to be paid by bank transfer within 3 days.

Important: E-visas are free. The only sum you can pay is for help with completing the e-form.

Step 4. Get your passport back and check your visa stamp

Once the process is finished, come and collect your passport back. Carefully check your visa stamp for any mistakes. If you notice something that needs to be changed, apply for correction immediately.

If the information on your visa is correct, start getting ready for your trip. Don’t forget to carry your invitation from Russia and insurance policy with you.

Finals tips for your stay in Russia

• When you pass the border control, you’ll be given the migration card to fill in. Save this document as you’ll need to return it back when you leave Russia
• If you intend to stay longer than 7 working days – get registered at the place of your stay. Hotel manager will provide you with the required registration. If you stay at an apartment – ask the owner to have you registered there at the local post office
• Download useful apps – e.g. offline navigator 2GIS not to get lost during your trip; metro map of Moscow to know your way around the underground system of Moscow; audio guides of the sights you are planning to visit; Russian dictionary or Google translate app etc.
• Don’t be afraid to approach the locals to ask questions. Target young people – they are more likely to speak some English
• Walk anywhere but keep your eye on your bags and pockets. There are hardly any dangerous areas in Russia and you can walk basically at any hour of day or night in any district of any city. However it’s better to take care of your things as pickpockets exit everywhere. 
• Use credit cards or cash. Credit cards are widely accepted. Check on your bank limits and exchange rates though.

Hope this article will help you arrange your travel to Russia and avoid the common pitfalls. If you want more tips or have questions about visa or stay in Russia, contact us by email.

Have a great trip to Russia!