Russia Business Visa

The main advantage of getting a business visa to Russia is its validity period - it can be issued for a period of up to one year, but has a standard restriction: the actual period of stay of a foreigner on the territory of the Russian Federation can be no longer than 90 days within a 180-day period. In addition, an important parameter is the possible number of entries during the period of validity of the visa. The business visa can be:

Single-entry valid for 1 month or 3 months;

Double-entry valid for 1 month or 3 months;

Multiple entry valid for up to 1 year period.

You need a business visa to Russia if:

The purpose of a trip is a business visit to the Russian Federation – negotiations, contracts signing, participation in exhibitions, conferences or other meetings and events of a business nature;

Foreign specialists are being invited as consulting experts when installing or maintaining imported equipment installed on the territory of the Russian Federation;

A foreign citizen who already has a business visa has to take their family members with them;

You are a foreign citizen who plans to stay on the territory of the Russian Federation for more than one month, or simply wants to be able to enter the territory of the Russian Federation more than once. It is possible to issue a commercial invitation, even if the foreigner does not yet have an invitation from a company in the Russian Federation, since we can also arrange the invitation on our own behalf.

Getting a business visa to the Russian Federation

Overall, the process of obtaining a business visa to Russia is not very different from the procedure for obtaining other types of Russian visas, and consists of the following steps:

Step I. Getting a business invitation

A business invitation to Russia is a mandatory document for obtaining a business visa. A business invitation to the Russian Federation can be issued in electronic form (telex). Unlike the hard copy, a digital invitation or a telex does not require sending any documents by mail, instead, it is sent directly to the consulate in electronic form as soon as all checks are completed and it is ready. Upon sending the electronic invitation, we will send you an e-mail with the information about the telex, which will contain the telex number and the date when the telex arrives at the consulate. This information must be included in the form for obtaining a business visa.

Step II. Applying for a Russian business visa at the Russian Consulate.

You have to consult the consular office of the Russian Federation or their official website for the full information about the necessary documents, the time of processing a visa, and the size of the visa fee. In order for to receive a business visa to the Russian Federation, the following set of documents must be provided:

passport;

business invitation issued by a company located on the territory of the Russian Federation;

completed application form from the official website of the consulate;

photograph;

In addition, at the consulate, when issuing a business visa, documents such as a cover letter issued by the inviting company may be requested. It is not uncommon for foreigners to apply for a business visa to Russia in a country that is not the country of their citizenship. Remember, that a foreign citizen has the right to apply for a Russian business visa at any Russian consulate outside the Russian Federation. In this case, however, in a number of countries, they would be required to provide a documented permit for continued residence in the state of application for more than 90 days.

Stage III. Register your business visa upon entering the Russian Federation

After obtaining your business visa, you need to take care of the registration. Under the current law, foreign citizens are required to register at the place of their residence within 7 working days, not counting the entry day. It is important to note that if you have a multiple-entry business visa, you will have to register every time after you cross the border.

A business visa to Russia for foreigners is the most convenient type of visa to obtain, because it has a wide range of features. We make different types of invitations for obtaining a business visa to the Russian Federation for foreign citizens and assist them in the registration.

copy of an Invitation from MFA on a stamped form – is required to get a single- and double-entry visa electronic Invitation – Telex – an Invitation from the Migration police or MFA is sent directly to the Russian Consulate of your choice

original or copy of an Official Invitation-Letter from a Russian organization – depending on citizenship, number of permitted entries and other factors, the Consulate may request the original Invitation and has the right to process visas up to 10 days

Russian visa can be obtained by a foreigner only at the Russian Consulate in the country of which citizen he/she is.

Citizens of the Schengen countries can obtain a visa in any country-member of the Schengen Area.

To receive a Russian visa in a third country, one must submit a residence or work permit in this country.

Business visa can be extended only in exceptional cases (such as a serious illness) and only upon the request of your Visa Sponsor. We strongly recommend you to keep in mind the expiry date of your visa in order to avoid problems upon departure from Russia.

Visa House will issue an Invitation for Business visa.

Need help? Feel free to get online consultation from our experienced visa specialist, please choose the most convenient way to contact us.

The complete term of stay in Russia should not exceed 90 days within each 180 days.

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1 Only if the person already had and used a Russian visa within the previous year.

2 Only if the person already had 2 multiple-entry visas and used them within the last 2 years; the possibility of obtaining must be coordinated first with the Consulate.

Visa issuance process at the Russian Consulate takes up to 10 days.

Correction of Invitation-Letter – 20 EUR.

Frequently asked questions about business visa

Should I indicate the exact dates of my trip while ordering a Visa Invitation or can I put approximate dates?

You should indicate the exact visa start and expiry dates; however, you can travel to Russia at any time within this period. We recommend you to indicate the maximum validity period of the chosen business visa, for example, 90 days. Please keep in mind that visa is valid only for the exact dates, so you can neither enter the country earlier your visa’s starting date, no overstay its validity.

Can I obtain a new visa without leaving Russia?

As a rule, you should leave Russia to get a new visa at the Russian Consulate. We recommend you to apply for a new Visa Invitation well in advance and to choose the most convenient Consulate to obtain a visa.