Russian visa for Swedish citizens

Published by Mike Lomberg March 27, 2020
Swedish passport holders

Travel to Russia is a unique experience, and if you decided to visit this amazing country, you’ll live a lot of great moments there! First of all, you must be asking yourself:

Do Swedish citizens need a visa to enter Russia?

Yes, they do.

But if visa application seems too complicated and boring to you, we are here to dispel your fears and guide you through the entire process. In the article you’ll find simple step-by-step instructions on how to obtain your Russian visa, as well as lots of useful tips and links. Let’s do it together!

Step 1. Select convenient travel dates, and choose appropriate visa type

Before your forthcoming trip, you should know the approximate travel dates. No need to buy tickets or pay for your hotel prior to getting your visa, but it’s essential to decide on the dates of your travel, and duration of trip. Depending on that, and your main travel purposes, you’ll be able to choose the suitable visa type. See below the main types which exist.
Overview of Russia visas:

Visa typesPeriod of stayTravel purpose
Tourist visa30 daystourism and leisure
Private visa90 daysprivate guest visits. Not recommendable: see why here
Business visa30 -90 days (a visa can be valid for up to 5 years)
conducting business in Russia, looking for partners, negotiating, investing etc.
Transit visa3 -10 dayscrossing Russian territory on your way to another country
Student visa90 days and abovestudying a course in a Russian school or university
Work visa90 days and aboveworking under contract for a Russian employer
Electronic visa8 daysshort tourist, business or humanitarian visits

Russian Tourist visa for Swedish citizens

Duration of visit: max 30 days. 

Number of entries: single, double

Purpose of traveling: 

Inviting party: A registered Russian travel agency. 

Russian Private Visa for Swedish citizens

Duration of visit: up to 90 day

Number of entries: single, double

Purpose of traveling:

Inviting party – Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs Department of Migration upon request of the Russian host

Russian Business and Humanitarian visa for Swedish citizens

Duration of visit: no longer than 90 days out of 180. A visa can be issued from 1 month to 5 years

Number of entries: single, double, multiple

Purpose of traveling:

Inviting party: Either of these

Russian Student Visa for Swedish citizens

Duration of visit:

90 days and beyond, depending on the duration of study course. A visa is issued for 90 days and can be extended by the educational establishment on the territory of Russia.

Number of entries: single, multiple 

Purpose of traveling: 

Inviting party: Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russian upon petition of a Russian educational institution.

Russian Work visa for Swedish citizens

Duration of visit

90 days and beyond, as described in the employment contract. A visa can be issued for 90 days or for 3 years for Highly Qualified Experts. Both can be prolonged on the territory of Russia.

Number of entries: single, multiple

Purpose of traveling: 

Inviting party: Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia upon petition of the Russian employing company

Russian Transit Visa for Swedish citizens

Duration of visit: for air connections up to 3 days, for crossing Russia by road, railroad – up to 10 days

Number of entries: single

Reasons for traveling: 

Inviting party: No invitations necessary. The basis for visa application will be your entry and exit tickets.

Important: Travelers making connections without the need to leave international area and go through passport control do not need visas. Please check with your airlines whether you require transit visa to make your connection.

Important: Passengers following to Belarus or Kazakhstan with connection in Russia require transit visa

Russian E-Visa for Swedish citizens

Duration of visit: 8 days out of 30 days

Number of entries: Single

Purpose of traveling: 

Inviting party: No invitation required for E-visa. 

Step 2. Collect the list of required documents for Russian visa 

The standard documents you’ll need to apply include

We’ll help you to: 

Get your tourist invitation here in 10 min: Get tourist invitation letter

Get your business invitation here in 1 to 20 working days: Get business invitation letter

For regular visas find the form at visa.kdmid.ru, complete it, print it on both sides, sign, and date.

For E-visa, request professional help with filling the form here: http://visando.com/apply-evisa 

E-visa applications must be filled not later than 4 days before your trip

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

Citizens of Sweden can apply for Russian visa not earlier than 3 months before their travel date in either of these places:

POSTAL ADDRESS in Stockholm:POSTAL ADDRESS in Gothenburg:
Russian visa application centerInterlink ServiceKlara Östra kyrkogata 2A,111 52 Stockholm, Sweden Russian visa application centerInterlink ServiceFriggagatan 12B,411 12 Göteborg, Sweden

If you choose to apply directly at the consulate you’ll need to pay the consular fee (at the consulate by credit card only), which amounts to 

Type/ Number of visits Regular processing(4-20 working days)Urgent(3 or less days)
Single entry 760 SEK 1520 SEK
Double entry1216 SEK2432 SEK
Multiple entry 2280 SEK4560 SEK

Important! Urgent processing is available only in exceptional cases, with enough ground to request it. Note, that plane tickets and invitations do not suffice as the reason for expedited processing

If you choose to apply through the visa center, you will also need to pay the service fee depending on the visa type you are applying for. 

In case you apply by post you’ll need to pay for postal services

If you choose to apply through the visa center, the fee will include the service fee and amount to 450 SEK.

To order return of your passport back, you can order delivery:

By registered mail: 200 SEK (for 1 passport);

By courier service: 350 SEK (for 1 passport)

Please note, if you apply by post the processing of your documents will start only after they arrive at the Visa center.

To find contacts of consulates and visa centers, see here: Russian consulates and embassies

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

After you wait the stipulated period of time, you either return to the consulate or visa center to pick up your passport, or wait for delivery if you ordered it at the Visa center.

Attentively check your visa, especially validity period and number of entries. It should look like this:

Russian visa stamp

Everything is okay? Then pack your suitcases and have a nice trip! Don’t forget to carry your passport, invitation, hotel bookings and insurance policy.

Step 5. Documents to obtain while in Russia

Make sure you get these two documents when you arrive:

Migration card is given free of charge by employees of transport companies like flight attendants, or migration officers at the airport. You are required to fill it in English or Russian with details like dates of your trip, inviting company, and place of intended stay. Carry along in your passport during your stay in Russia. You’ll need to return it when leaving the country.

If you lose it, contact the local migration service within 3 working days and you’ll be given a copy.

Russian migration card

The second document is necessary to prove your legal stay in Russia, and should be obtained within 7 business days after your arrival. If you are staying in a hotel, the management will take charge of it.

If you are staying with your friends or relatives, or book an apartment via airbnb, you’ll need to contact the owner of the apartament and ask to get you registered at the local post or police office

Russian registration

I hope my article helped you understand the entire process of getting your visa to Russia. 

If you still have some questions or doubts, write to our email and get a free consultation

Wishing you the great travel experiences in Russia!

travel to the Russian Far East Vladivostok