 |
|
Getting
a Russian student visa and other travel arrangements for foreigners
who want to study in Russia.
Russia requires
visas for nearly all visitors. Anyone seriously considering
a long
stay in Russia should read the Russian
visa section of WayToRussia.Net
so as to understand the different types of visas, who is eligible
for
them, and
what restrictions may exist.
Getting
a Student Russian Visa
This
type of visa is issued only for students, who come to Russia
for study programs or enrolling on a course to a Russian university
/ school.
This is the best kind of visa in terms of flexibility, but you can only get it
if
you
applied
to
a Russian university, school or an institution and will study there.
Studying in a university: If you are thinking about doing an exchange
with
one
of the Russian universities (also known as "visiting scholars" or "stazhirovka"
in Russian), you
will need to submit your data to the university and the "foreign department" of
the university will take care of all the formalities. They will submit all your
data to the immigration officials and have your student invitation ready in about
2 to 6 weeks (may take longer at MGU - Moscow State University).
After that, the "foreign department" of the university where you
will be studying will either
send
you
the
invitation
by
post,
by
fax, or send the invitation by telex directly to the consulate where you will
apply for your visa and you'll just need to know the telex number when you apply.
Usually, the student visa doesn't have a limited validity, it is extended all
the time, depending on how long you study.
Studying in a language school: If your language school is attached to some Russian
educational body you will get a student visa and the process will be about the
same as the one described for universities above.
However, if it is a private school, they will most likely make a normal tourist
(up to 1 month), or so-called "business" (which is a name for a long-term
visas) invitation, which you will need to submit to a Russian consulate to get
a Russian visa. Read
more about tourist and business visas in our Russian
Visa Types guide.
Seminars, internships: Most likely, if your seminar lasts just a few days, the
best way will be to get a tourist or business visa. Actually, officially business
visas are created for people who visit Russia for seminars, so it is a very appropriate
type of visa for you to get. Your inviting organisation should assist you in
getting this type of visa, or you can apply
for it online.
When you apply to the consulate for a student visa, you'll need to pay a normal
fee, which will be about the same as for a tourist visa ($50-$150, depending
on processing time).
Russian Visa Registration
Once you arrive to Russia, you will need to register your visa within the first
72 hours (excluding weekends and holidays) after your arrival. It is very important
to get the registration done right, so we recommend you to read our Russian
Visa
Registration page as well as the Status
of Foreign Citizens in Russia page for
comprehensive information.
It is always the obligation of your inviting party (university, language school,
business organisation) to arrange your visa registration, because if they don't
do it, you will have to pay fines and may be deported from Russia, and they may
lose their education license. So, check beforehand that the place where you're
going to study can provide your visa registration without a problem.
It is very easy for universitites to get your visa registered: you will just
need to bring them your passport with Russian visa and migration cards (that
you
get
at
the
border) and the university's "foreign department" will submit your documents
to OVIR (immigration officials) to register your visa. It will take about 1 week
and you will have a registration stamp on your visa. Normally, the registration
can be done for the period of your visa, however, if it is not, it will be relatively
easy to prolong it if you're still studying in the university. Just don't forget
to submit your documents again when the time comes.
Other Travel Arrangements
•
If you want to find the cheapest flight: check
out STA travel agencies in your country — they usually
have the best fares for people up to 25 years old. You will need
to purchase ISIC
card, which makes you eligible for their fares as well as gives
access to various discounts throughout the world.
• Arrange
your accommodation beforehand:
it's not very easy to find cheap accommodation in Russia, especially
in big cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg, so read our Student
Accommodation guide and try
to find something reliable before you board your plane.
•
Make sure your visa registration will be fine: before
arranging anything about your studies in Russia ask about your
visa registration and what documents you will need. If your university
requires some letter from the person you will be living with
in Russia (or renting an apartment from), make sure this person
can provide you with this letter, otherwise, search for a different
accommodation option.
• You're
not only going to be studying, are you? Russia is quite
an interesting country in terms of entertainment you can get,
so pack your best clothes (and warm, too,
if going in winter).
Please,
contact us if you didn't find what you were looking for in this
section:
|
|
