Russian visa for citizens of UAE

Russia offers a lot of opportunities for travelers from all over the world, including UAE. You can come as a tourist, on business, to work or study, to get medical treatment or to visit your Russian friends and relatives. Whatever your purposes, you should come legally and enjoy your stay without any problems, so you’ll need a visa.

Do UAE CITIZENS require a visa to enter Russia?

Yes, they do

Getting a visa can sound complicated. You’ve probably wound up with a bunch of questions like: Where and how to apply for it? Which documents will you need? What type of visa to choose? How long and how much it’ll take you? 

Follow on and you’ll find out all the necessary info in this article. I’ve prepared for you a simple step-by-step guide to help get your Russian visa.

Step 1. Choose the right visa type

There are several visa types available for trips to Russia. Choose the one, most appropriate according to your travel purpose, duration of your trip and number of entries to Russia you’ll need to make.

Visa types	Validity period	Travel purpose
Tourist visa	30 days	tourism and leisure
Guest 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 UAE CITIZENS

You need it if:

• You are going to enter Russia as a tourist to do sightseeing or go on excursions. (If you enter by road vehicle you’ll need the Auto-tourism visa type)
• You need to make a brief business visit or attend a doctor. (Aim tourism type)
• You are going to stay no longer than 30 days. You are planning to enter Russia once, twice or multiple times during your trip
• You have bought a package tour, or use the services of a registered Russian tour operator to get the required tourist confirmation issued in a certain form, presented in original only, along with your hotel booking and flight tickets. 

RUSSIAN BUSINESS AND HUMANITARIAN VISA FOR  UAE CITIZENS

You need it if:

• You are entering Russia with business purposes to participate in business events, meetings, exhibitions; negotiate or sign agreements with Russian partners; provide technical maintenance;
• You need to attend cultural, sports, political, religious, charity and other events (Humanitarian visa type)
• You are going to stay no longer than 90 days out of 180 days period. A visa itself can be valid for 1 year. 
• You are planning to enter Russia once, twice or multiple times
• You are invited by a registered Russian company through the MIA or MFA of Russia, which issue a special invitation in paper or electronic form.

RUSSIAN GUEST (PRIVATE) VISA FOR UAE CITIZENS

You need it if:

• You intend to visit your friends or relatives in Russia
• You require urgent medical treatment
• You are going to stay no longer than 90 days
• You are planning to enter Russia once or twice during your trip
• Your Russian host has obtained for you the legal invitation through the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (MIA)

RUSSIAN STUDENT VISA FOR UAE CITIZENS

You need it if:

• You are going to study at an authorized Russian school, college or university; or participate in a short-term student exchange program
• You are going to stay 90 days or longer. This visa can be extended further in Russia
• You are planning to enter Russia once, twice or multiple times
• You are officially invited by the Russian educational establishment through the MIA of Russia

RUSSIAN WORK VISA FOR UAE CITIZENS

You need it if:

• You are going to do paid work under an official employment contract for the Russian employer
• You are going to stay 90 days or longer in accordance with the contract terms. A work visa can be issued for 90 days and be extended in Russia, or for 3 years at once for Highly Qualified Specialists
• You are planning to enter Russia once, twice or multiple times
• You have an original invitation issued by the MIA of Russia upon request of your employer

RUSSIAN TRANSIT VISA FOR UAE CITIZENS

You need it if:

• You are going to make a transit trip through Russia on your way to another country; or make a connecting flight at a Russian airport with the need to leave transit zone. In case you stay within transit zone, you don’t require any visa
• You are going to stay no longer 3 days in case of air connection or up to 10 days in case of crossing Russia by road or railroad
• You are planning to enter Russia once during your trip. 
• You have prepaid entry and exit tickets to show your route

Step 2. Prepare documents for visa

When you decide on the right visa type, you should prepare a list of documents to apply for a visa. It includes the following:

• Passport and its copy. Your passport should be valid at least 6 months after the visa expiration date and have minimum 2 blank visa pages.
• Visa support document. See the type of invitation and the issuing authority above in the description of visa types. Contact your Russian host and ask to provide you with such
• Filled in online application form at visa.kdmid.ru Complete it fully and correctly, if any question doesn’t apply, indicate N/A in the field. Don’t make corrections on the printed document. Print it on both side of the paper, sign and date. In the marked area glue your recent color photo 3.5×4.5. See photo requirement here: Russian visa photo specifications
• Bought tickets to and from Russia for tourist and transit visa types
• Medical insurance policy valid in Russia, covering the entire period of your trip
• Original HIV/AIDS blood test certificate stating your result is negative for Student/Work visa applicants

Step 3. Apply for your visa and pay the visa fees

Citizens of UAE can apply for a Russian visa at the Consular department of the Russian Embassy in Abu Dhabi in person upon prior appointment made at http://abu-dhabi.kdmid.ru/

Address: Abu Dhabi, P.O. Box 8211, Khalifa street., East Plots 65/67, building of the Russian Embassy

Tel: (971)-2-672-35-16

Fax: (971)-2-678-87-31

E-mail: [email protected]

When you visit the Consulate with your documents be ready to pay the visa fees. The amount is:

	Normal processing	Urgent processing
Single Entry Visa	AED 295	AED 590
Double Entry Visa	AED 475	AED 945
Multiple Entry Visa	AED 880	AED 1760

Save the receipt as you’ll need to display it when collecting your visa.

Step 4. Get your passport with visa and check it for mistakes

When you collect your passport with visa, remember to check all details carefully. 

If there’s a mistake you might have problems when entering the country, so duly apply for correction.

If everything is fine, you can start getting ready for your trip. Take with you all your bookings, invitation from Russia and your insurance policy. Have a safe trip!

Passing migration control and getting your registration in Russia

Before you leave, there’s something else you need to know – when in Russia you’ll need two more documents:

• Migration card – issued on the border point, you fill it in pen with your personal info. The officer stamps it and returns you one copy. Keep it and when leaving return back at the passport/migration control
• Registration – is needed if you stay over 7 working days. Ask your hotel administrator to provide you with it, or if you stay in a private house, ask the host to get you one at the local police/post office

Remember to take care of these documents to avoid any migration problems. Don’t overstay your visa – it might lead to deportation and refusal of further entry. Travel legally and enjoy your trip!