Russian Tourist Visa Invitation Application

Author: Dmitry Paranyushkin (on 18 Mar 2020)
In order to get a Russian visa, you need to get a Russian visa invitation document (also known as the visa support) first. The tourist visa invtation is comprised of a tourist voucher and a reservation confirmation – usually one letter-sized document. The tourist voucher is a confirmation that there is a local travel agency in Russia that will be responsible for you during your stay. The reservation confirmation shows that you have accommodation during your stay (this is a formal requirement and there is no law that forbids you from staying somewhere else, for example, in a private apartment). 
 
Important Coronavirus update: Starting from midnight, 18th of March 2020 until the 1st of May 2020, Russia has closed its borders for all the foreigners. However, you can get your Russian visa invitation if you are planning to travel from the 1st of May 2020 or later. In case the restrictions are extended (which is very unlikely at this point) you will be able to re-issue your invitation for other dates or get a full refund. Keep in mind that there may be a surge in applications in the beginning of May, so plan accordingly or apply for the Russian visa before May (preferably by post). Also, bookmark our Coronavirus Russia travel updates page to stay informed.
 
Please, fill out the secure form below, make the payment ($30) on the order confirmation page, and the tourist visa invitation will be sent to you by e-mail – usually within a couple of hours. The visa invitation document that you will get through this form along with the visa application form that you can fill out on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Website after you get this visa invitation, are all the documents you need to get the Russian visa. The final step is to submit these documents through one of your local visa centers (you will receive their details with the visa support) and your visa will be ready in about 3-14 days (depending on the service you choose). 
 
 before you fill out the form below...
 
  • You will receive your visa invitation within 24 hours via e-mail. Should the consulate require originals when you apply (which is very rare), they will be sent to you by standard post or using courier delivery (standard postage costs apply).
     
  • You will then need to print it out and submit it to your nearest Russian consulate, along with the completed visa application form (available directly at the consulate or online on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
     
  • The data that you provide in your visa application form should be exactly the same as in the visa support documents that you will obtain (e.g. if you're getting a tourist visa the purpose of your visit should be "tourism", not "visiting friends" for which you'd need to get a private invitation mailed to you by your friends).
     
  • This visa support / invitation, along with your visa application form, valid passport, 2 photos and a valid travel insurance for the duration of the trip (except if you're from UK) are all the documents you need to get a Russian visa.
     
  • This service is for the tourist (up to 30 days) invitations. For longer stays and multiple trips, apply for "business" visa support. US citizens can also use this form to apply for a multiple 3-year long multiple-entry tourist visa. In order to do that, you still need to get an invitation for up to 30 days below, and to then specify a 3-year period in the visa application form that you submit to the consulate visa the Russian visa processing center. In this case this visa support / invitation you get is simply to confirm your first trip, but your tourist visa would enable you to stay 90 days out of every 180 days in Russia if you're traveling as a tourist.
     
  • You need to know where you are staying before getting a visa support and choose that place of stay in the form below and make sure you specify exactly the same hotels in your consulate visa support application (some companies just put random hotels in there, but then you risk getting your application rejected). If you need help in booking a hotel (check our city guides for recommendations).

    If you don't know where you're staying yet, if the hotel is not on the list in the form below, or if you're staying with friends or camping, you can still choose a hotel from the list – just remember what the selection is for the consulate visa application form (it should be the same). There is no law that forbids you from changing your hotel or staying somewhere else after you got your visa. You can also contact the visa support company right after you get the order confirmation to ask them to add your address manually. They will do it for you immediately.  
     
  • You will not be tied to any specific hotels or itinerary. Even though the cities and hotels should be listed both on your visa support documents because you need to have a preliminary itinerary to apply for a Russian visa, there is no law or regulation that says you cannot change your itinerary once you get your visa. The hotels and cities you are going to visit will not be listed on your visa, so you are free to travel and stay where you want within the time span of your visa validity (except for restricted military territories and secret objects, of course).
     
  • This service is provided not by WayToRussia.Net but by our carefully selected third-party providers. You will get their full contact details after you submit the form in case you have any other questions. They are so good that we use them ourselves for our family and friends; they are processing thousands of invitations for our readers every year successfully. The price is the same as if you use them directly, but we get a commission from every order you make, which helps us run this independent information resource about Russia.
    You also get our backup in dealing with the providers when ordering through WayToRussia.Net
     
  • If you have any questions while filling out the form, please, click ? marks in the form below, read our Russian Visa Guide or post a question on our Talk Lounge forum or tweet @waytorussia
     
 
 

Fill Out the Form Below to Apply for Russian Visa Invitation

Some advice before you fill out the form...

  • If you are staying both at a hotel and in an apartment / with your friends, put in the hotel's name in the application form below. If you can't find the hotel or if you don't know where you're staying yet or if you're staying at an apartment you can choose any hotel from the list. There is no law that obliges you to stay at the same place as you specified in the visa application form, so you can change your mind after.
     
  • If you are a US citizen, you can apply for a 3-year multiple-entry tourist visa using the visa support you will get below. Simply choose the dates of your first trip and single entry (preferably less than 1 month), but when you fill out the visa application form at the consulate, specify that you need the 3-year visa and the consulate will issue it based on this invitation.
     
  • You can apply for a tourist Russian visa in the country you are not a citizen of if you have a residency permit valid in that country for longer than 90 days. However, this rule is at the discrepancy of the consulate and most Russian consulates are forgiving in cases when you are, for example, a US citizen applying in China, or an Australian citizen applying in Europe (too far to travel back). Worst-case scenario: get the tourist visa support letter first using the form below (it's cheaper). If it doesn't work, get a refund and then get a business visa support instead (which works in such cases).
     


 

After You Get Your Visa Support...

You might be also interested to get
 
• Travel Insurance (needed for your visa)
• Our Way to Russia Travel Guide Book (PDF download)
• Book a Hotel in Russia (lowest price comparison)
• Book a Train Ticket
• Rent a Car (for journeys between different cities)
• Get a Cheap Flight
• Get a Travel SIM Card with unlimited internet

 

 

Also Read:


 

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