Have you set your mind on traveling to Russia? The biggest country of the world has a lot to offer for different kinds of travelers. Whether you are going on a leisure vacation to see the sights, or to visit your Russian family or friends, or on an important business visit, the first question you should have is:
Do Luxembourgish citizens need a visa to Russia?
For those who have no notion of visa procedures, it may seem quite complicated and even make them change their travel plans. But I’ll describe the whole process for you in 5 simple steps, so you could successfully get your Russian visa without the need to pay some agent to do it for you. Follow my step-to-step guide below and pursue your travel plans.
To identify the visa type for which you need to apply, select travel dates, think about the number of entries to Russia you’ll need to make, and about the purpose of your trip. Below you’ll find a list of visa types with descriptions, to help you make your choice.
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 |
Duration of stay in Russia: not exceeding 30 days
Number of entries: single, double
Travel purpose:
Inviting company: approved Russian travel agency
Duration of stay in Russia – not exceeding 90 days
Number of entries – single or double
Purpose of trip – visiting family or friends residing in Russia
Inviting organization – Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia following a request of the host Russian citizen, or permanent resident of Russia
Duration of stay in Russia – not exceeding 90 days out of each 180. A visa can be granted for up to 5 years.
Number of entries – single, double or multiple
Purpose of trip:
– looking for business partners
– attending various meetings, conferences, negotiations
– conducting trainings, maintenance work (sub-purpose Technical Maintenance)
– carrying out paid short-term commercial activities (sub-purpose Commercial)
– driving cargo or passenger vehicle throughout Russia (sub-purpose Driver)
– flying aircraft (sub-purpose Crew Member)
– a child accompanying parents in a business trip (sub-purpose Family Member)
– taking part in events related to sports, culture, politics, religion, charity, volunteer programs, or supplying humanitarian aid (Humanitarian type)
Inviting organization – A Russian organization itself, or Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia upon request of the host Russian company (MVD), or a Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs following a request of the host company
Duration of stay in Russia – for air connections not exceeding 3 days, for travelers crossing Russia by road/ railroad transport – not exceeding 10 day
Number of entries – single, double (for double entry transit visa validity won’t be longer than 1 month
Purpose of trip – crossing Russia following to another state of destination.
Inviting organization – no invitation required. You should have the tickets showing entry/exit from Russia
Duration of stay in Russia – 90 days and over. A visa is issued for 90 days, but can be extended in Russia depending on the duration of contract of studies.
Number of entries – single, double or multiple
Purpose of trip – studying at a Russian university or attending short-term courses
Inviting organization – Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (MVD) upon request of the Russian School or University
Duration of stay in Russia – 90 days and up, a visa can be extended in Russia, depending on the labour contract terms. For Highly Qualified Experts a visa is issued for 3 years at once, and can also be extended in Russia.
Number of entries – single, double or multiple
Purpose of trip – professional employment in Russia
Inviting organization – Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia upon request of the Russian Employing company
Duration of stay in Russia – not exceeding 8 days. Visa validity starts from the issuance date and lasts for 30 days.
Number of entries – single
Purpose of trip – tourism and leisure activities, or brief business or humanitarian visits to Russia
Inviting organization – no invitation required.
To apply for a visa you’ll need to submit a package of documents. See the list below and start preparing them.
– For tourist visa you’ll need a confirmation of acceptance of tourist by a registered Russian travel agency. Get it here in 10 min: Get Tourist Confirmation. Print and use
For Autotourism be ready to submit a copy of the registration certificate of your vehicle.
– For private visa your Russian host should solicit an official invitation at the local Ministry of Internal Affairs migration department and send it to you. It’s made in 20 working days and sent in e-format. If you don’t have time to wait, consider coming on a tourist visa.
For travelers planning to enter Russia accompanied by their close relatives – Russian citizens, it suffices to present a petition addressed to the Russian Ambassador in Luxembourg from your Russian relative, and attach a copy of his residence permit in Luxembourg, a copy of his Russian passport, and a copy of the document proving your family ties.
– For Business visa your Russian partner must provide you either with a written statement of invitation signed and sealed in original, or solicit an invitation at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (takes 20 working days, accepted in both paper and electronic format), or Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia (invitation type – electronic Telex, takes around 12 working days). If your host company can’t provide this, order your Business invitation here: Get Business invitation
– For Student visa your Russian school or university should solicit official invitation from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (takes 1- 1.5 months)
– For Work visa your Russian employer should solicit official invitation from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (takes 1- 2 months)
Once you have all documents ready, you can book an appointment at the Russian Consulate Section in Luxembourg. The appointment is obligatory and is done electronically here: http://luxembourg.kdmid.ru/queue-fr/
Remember, you can apply for your visa not earlier than 3 months before the planned trip to Russia.
When you submit your documents at the Consulate department, you are supposed to pay the non-refundable visa fee, for the processing of your documents. See the fees amount in the table below
Vysa type | Standard processing fee (4-10 business days) | Urgent processing fee (1-3 business days) |
All visa types, except student and work visa | 35 € | 70 € |
The consular fees are paid by any major credit card at the Consulate when submitting the documents.
Find the address and contacts of the Russian embassy and consulate here: Russian Consulates and Embassies
When you submit your documents you are given a receipt. Keep it, and when the time of your visa processing finishes, you should bring it with you to the Consulate to receive your passport with visa back.
Attentively examine your visa. All details should be correct and true. See a sample of the Russian visa stamp below.
If you spot any mistakes, you should contact the consulate and ask to apply the necessary change. If everything is all right, you can start packing your luggage.
Before you leave I’d like to add, that you are required to get two more documents when you arrive to Russia. Nothing too hard, but you should know about it.
You will be given Migration Card on board the plane by flight attendants, or at border points by the immigration officer. You’ll be requested to fill both parts of this document with identical information in block letters in pen, in Russian or English. Give your passport details, dates of trip and inviting company. Immigration officer will stamp the document and give you one part of it. Carry the migration card always with you and return when you leave Russia.
Registration is necessary if your stay in Russia exceeds 7 working days. It’s provided by the hotel where you stay, or by the owner of the apartment. Please, contact the owner and make sure he’ll be able to obtain this document for you at the local post or police office. Airbnb owners normally charge you extras for this document. Carry your registration along during your visit. Remember that it should be done during the first 7 business days of your stay.
That’s all the information I wanted to share with you, and I hope my guide will help you get your Russian visa. If you still have any questions, feel free to contact me by email.
Enjoy your journey to Russia!