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HOW TO APPLY
What is a Russian Visa?
A visa to the Russian Federation is a document, permitting a stay in Russia for a specific
period of time. Visa lists entry/exit dates, your name, passport details, and a purpose of travel.
Please note, that your Russian visa is an exit permit just like it's an entry permit: if you lose it
or stay over your designated departure date, leaving the country could be more troublesome
than entering it.
Visitors from most countries will need a visa, it cannot be obtained at the border; therefore
you should apply for a Russian Visa prior to travelling.
All Russia Visa Application forms excluding the application forms for USA and Georgian
Applicants must be completed electronically and be signed by the applicants. The granting of
a visa is at the discretion of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in London and its
Consulates. All payments made towards visa fees and service charges are non refundable
and do not guarantee the issuance of a visa should your application be declined.
From February 26, 2009 online application forms only are accepted. Kindly complete
the application form(s) online and submit to the Russia Visa Centre either by post or in
person.
To meet the increasing demand for Russia Visas, while maintaining high standards of service,
the Embassy of the Russian Federation has outsourced its Visa Application Processing to M/s
VF Services (UK) Ltd. Visit http://ru.vfsglobal.co.uk/index.html for more information on
the service and all applicable charges.
TOURIST VISA
To get a Tourist Visa to Russia you should submit the following paperwork at the Russia Visa
Application Centre.
A visa can be issued only if an applicant submits all the required documents. Submission of
an incomplete set of documents may result in refusal of the visa and documents returned to
the applicant.
A visa cannot be exchanged or extended. If an applicant's travel plans change after the visa
has been issued they will need to re-apply for a new visa.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you have a valid visa for entry into Russia.
Please note that visa price and documents required varies with nationality. Please
refer to the above website if you are unsure of the requirements.
In order to obtain a Russian visa the following documents should be submitted (brought in
person or by visa service company, sent by Royal Mail or courier) to the Russian Visa
Application Centre:
EDINBURGH OFFICE: LONDON OFFICE:
Russian Visa Application Centre Russian Visa Application Centre
16 Forth Street 15 - 27 Gee Street
Edinburgh EH1 3LH London EC1V 3RD
Hours of Operations: Hours of Operations:
Application Submission Application Submission
08:30 - 15:00 Hrs Monday - Friday, 08:30 - 15:00 Hrs Monday – Friday
except on declared holidays. except on declared holidays.
Collection of Passports Collection of Passports
16:30 - 17:30 Hrs - Monday - Friday, 15:30 - 17:30 Hrs - Monday - Friday,
except on declared holidays except on declared holidays
Postal applications should be sent to
PO box 64391
London EC1P 1NJ
Documents required for your visa
1. Current passport valid for a minimum of six months after the visa's expiration date
and has at least 2 blank pages these do not need to be consecutive. Photocopies will
NOT be accepted
2. For the online application form please follow this link Click Here fill in and print out from the
website.
3. One recent passport size photo glued to the indicated space on the application form.
4. A 'Tourist voucher letter, this can be obtained from THOMAS COOK SPORT.
5. Payment for the visa, if you use a visa service company, additional cost may apply.
6. Tourist who are self-employed, company directors, working from home or
unemployed need to provide bank statements for the last three months which have a
current balance of a minimum of £100 per day for the duration of the visit. Those with
online banking must also show proof of address for the last three months.
Notice: Tourist Visa is issued according to the dates specified in the voucher and
confirmation and can be for a maximum period of one month. Kindly ensure that the
dates of your entry and exit, as entered in the application form, match with or fall
within the period specified in the supporting documents.
When you receive your visa make sure that all information is correct. The Consulate is not
responsible for any misprints or errors in the visa not brought to its attention before your
departure from the UK.
Photo Specifications
The photograph needs to be glued to the indicated space on the application form and meet
the following requirements:
1. Recent colour photograph (not more than 6 months old).
2. Taken against a light background (white or off-white) so that features are
distinguishable and contrast against the background.
3. Clear quality and with the face in focus.
4. Printed on normal photographic paper (camera print)
5. 30mm x 40mm in size.
Note: Please follow these instructions carefully. If photographs presented do not meet
these requirements your application will be considered incomplete.
PERSONAL APPLICATIONS
Before making an application in person you should first consider the following points:
1. Application form must be filled in and printed out from the website only. Handwritten
forms will not be accepted except for USA and Georgian Nationals.
2. Applicants must include their passports, required supporting documents, correct fee
(accepted £ British pounds only) in cash, Credit / Debit Card or Postal Orders.
3. For non-British nationals additional requirements may apply.
4. All Visa fees and Service Charges are non-refundable.
5. Fees for non-British nationals may differ. Please refer to visa fees page.
6. Do not bring the original copy of your insurance policy, just a photocopy.
Notice: Applicants are advised to verify dates and check whether names are spelt
correctly on issued visas immediately after collecting their passports. Embassy will
accept resubmission of passports for correction on the passport collection day only.
Visa Fees
Service Charge
VFS service charge is applicable per passport
Normal Applications (7 Calendar days Service)
£26.40(Inclusive of VAT)
Urgent Applications (Next working day Service)
£33.60(Inclusive of VAT)
PLEASE ADD THE SERVICE CHARGE TO THE CONSULAR VISA FEE FOR THE VISA
CATEGORY YOU ARE APPLYING (CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO VIEW THE VISA FEES )
WHILE CALCULATING THE TOTAL FEE APPLICABLE. KINDLY NOTE, THE FEES ARE
NON- REFUNDABLE.
http://ru.vfsglobal.co.uk/Tourist_visafees.html
Payment can be made by the below mentioned payment options
• Debit/credit cards (except American Express)
• Cash also accepted at the Russia Visa Application Centre. OR
• While applying by post, payment can be made only through postal order or bank draft
made out to "RNT Limited"
Postal Return of Passports:
You have the option of having your passport returned, once processed by the Embassy of
Russian Federation, via Royal Mail at a nominal charge of £ 7.40 (in addition to the visa fees
& service charges) to be paid at the time of submitting your application. The passport will be
sent directly to your home/office address as specified by you in a Special Delivery Envelope
(SDE).
Please ensure to include the charges for the postal return £ 7.40 along with the Visa fee &
service charges in the Pay order that you send.
In case you are submitting your application via post; you may choose to include a self
addressed SDE for the passport return as well.
ALL VISA FEES & CHARGES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE PLEASE CHECK THE
WEBSITE FOR THE MOST UP TO DATE VISA FEES.