Russian Visa Demystified – Half I – Introduction to the Russian Visa
So, you’ve got determined to outsource or offshor your online business, providers or division, you’ve got chosen your native Russian companion, and also you’re prepared to begin outsourcing. You most likely have to fulfill your companion nose to nose and you must go to Mom Russia. Except you’re one of many fortunate few residents of those former USSR nations: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Ukraine, or Uzbekistan, you will need to acquire a visa to journey to Russia.
Whether or not you are new to Russian journey or it is your tenth journey to Russia, I feel our new Russian Visa Demystification Nook will stroll you thru the Russian visa course of from begin to end. I actually consider that every of you’ll study one thing new about Russian visas by means of the articles. They may turn out to be helpful money-saving reads.
Russian visa sort
If you wish to be exact, there are 11 several types of Russian visas:
* Diplomatic visa,
* Visiting visitor/non-public visa,
* Vacationer visa,
* Work visa,
* Industrial/enterprise go to visa,
* Pupil/Schooling Visa,
* Authorities Enterprise Visa,
* Humanitarian visa,
* Transit visa (legitimate for as much as 72 hours),
* Short-term keep visa,
* Refugee visa.
Every sort of visa corresponds to the said goal of your go to. Throughout my skilled expertise, I’ve observed that about 90% of all Russian visas issued fall into two most important visa classes:
Vacationer Visa:
is your first selection for brief visits of as much as 30 days and a single go to to Russia, even if you’re coming for causes aside from tourism (eg enterprise conferences, conferences, household visits, and many others.). Sadly, you will want a enterprise visa, should you intend to remain past 30 days.
In response to the Russian forms, the TOURIST visa might be obtained with an official a call for participation/sponsorship/assist (extra on this within the subsequent article) from a resort or journey company, registered with the Consular Service Division of the Ministry of International Affairs of Russia (abbreviated). as an MFA).
The identical regulation states that it’s unlawful for a professional journey company or resort to offer you an invite if you’re not staying at a resort. Fortuitously, this phrase of the regulation is damaged extra usually than adopted as a result of nearly each journey company can get you a visa sponsorship doc after which register your Russian visa with out even reserving a resort evening. The identical goes for accommodations, they may register your visa not only for the nights you stick with them, however to your total journey. Simply do not forget to ask! (extra on registration in future articles)
Enterprise visa
it provides you way more flexibility: a number of entries into and out of Russia, legitimate for as much as a full 12 months. The enterprise visa is right for frequent enterprise individuals or these staying in Russia for an prolonged time period. Formally, enterprise visas are supposed for enterprise vacationers, who journey to conduct industrial transactions (eg negotiations, contracts, exhibitions, and many others.). However once more, it is simply an exception relatively than a rule: you do not have to journey on official firm enterprise, it may be a private journey. You additionally needn’t plan resort reservations or your itinerary. Please notice that the enterprise visa doesn’t indicate a piece allow. You need to search a piece visa if you’re about to obtain cash to your providers.
Since different kinds of visas are usually not as widespread, I cannot cowl them.
How and the place to get a visa in Russia?
Usually, you must apply for a visa on the Russian consulate in your nation of residence. If you’re presently touring to a overseas nation, you’ll be able to apply on the Russian consulate in that nation most often. You’ll want to submit a number of paperwork to the Russian consulate, relying on the kind of visa and the processing time you need:
1. A legitimate passport: Your passport should be legitimate for a minimum of 6 months after your date of departure from Russia. For instance, should you plan to go away Russia on February 1st, your passport ought to be legitimate till a minimum of August 1st. Additionally, you must be sure to have a minimum of 2 clean pages for visas in your passport. If any of those are true, you could renew/add pages to your passport; contact your nation’s embassy/consulate.
2. A passport measurement picture: I like to recommend going to a passport photographer as they’re conversant in passport type picture necessities.
3. Questionnaire/Visa utility. The questionnaire should be signed by you. An issue-by-question information might be printed in future articles.
4. Russia visa invitation/sponsorship letter: It’s best to acquire the kind of invitation letter that corresponds to the kind of visa required. For instance, vacationer invitation letter for tourism visa, enterprise invitation letter for enterprise visa, non-public invitation letter for personal go to visa, and many others. Usually, the photocopy of the visa assist might be enough, however you want the unique invitation letter if:
* apply for MULTIPLE entry visas,
* apply in considered one of these nations: Australia, Germany, Japan, Switzerland and Sweden,
* you’re a citizen of sure nations with which the Russian authorities has strained diplomatic relations (eg China, India, Nigeria, to call a couple of).
5. Visa processing payment: All Russian consulates cost a sure visa processing payment. Varies by visa sort and processing velocity. Basically, the longer the visa and the sooner you want it, the extra you’ll pay. The Russian consulate in every nation has totally different charges. For instance, US visa processing charges vary from as little as $100 to as excessive as $450.
6. Self-addressed/pay as you go envelope: If you’re making use of for a Russian visa by mail, you will need to embrace a pay as you go envelope. We advocate utilizing a registered or affirmation supply because the bundle has your passport and visa. Should you determine to use in particular person, you’ll accumulate the visa your self, with out the necessity for a return envelope. In some nations you’ll be able to solely apply in particular person.
7. Further paperwork: For sure kinds of Russian visas for residents of some nations, Russian consulates will ask for added paperwork:
* Obligatory journey/medical insurance coverage is required for residents of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Eire, Italy, Israel, Luxembourg, Norway, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
* A Human Immunodeficiency (HIV) AIDS certificates is required for a number of entry visas and visas of greater than 3 months. You’ll find your native HIV testing heart within the US right here.
* Proof of everlasting residency (photocopy of inexperienced card/residency, if making use of from the US) is required for residents of Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Germany, India , Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palestine, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam. In any other case, residents of those nations ought to apply for the Russian visa of their dwelling nations.
* Proof of enough funds to your keep in Russia.
* Every other doc that the Russian Consulate deems essential.
As you’ll be able to see, it’s potential to rearrange your individual Russian visa. In follow, nevertheless, most vacationers select to rent knowledgeable visa journey company to put the groundwork. For a further $30 to $70, the companies will put together, overview, and ship the paperwork to a consulate in your behalf and ship your passport together with the Russian visa. Some corporations even handle registering your visa once you arrive in Russia (extra on registration in upcoming articles). Since every Russian consulate has totally different tastes and temperaments in relation to decoding visa processing necessities, it normally pays to have somebody who is aware of the ropes of coping with bureaucrats.
The one downside with hiring somebody to deal with your visa is determining who to rent. Amongst tons of of trustworthy companies, there are a lot of scammers who appear to vanish as quickly as you give them your private data. Nonetheless, this could not cease you from in search of knowledgeable visa company, simply use a wholesome dose of warning.
What are Russian visa processing instances and costs?
Visa processing time:
By now you will have realized that you simply can’t apply for a visa except you will have your visa invitation prepared. Due to this fact, you must enable sufficient time to safe a visa assist letter. It will possibly fluctuate from 1 hour for tourism invites to 18 enterprise days for enterprise assist and 60 days for personal invites. I’ll write extra about charges and processing time for invitation letters in my subsequent article.
Upon getting an invite letter, you’ll be able to ship the invitation together with different paperwork to the Russian consulate or an authorized visa company. In response to Russian regulation, the visa ought to be issued in additional than 20 working days (excluding weekends and nationwide holidays). Fortuitously, most consulates situation 1-14 day visas (relying on how a lot you pay). It’s good to keep in mind that should you apply for the visa by submit, you must allocate a minimum of TWO extra working days:
(1) In a single day delivery from your property to the consulate i
(2) Sending the documentation from the consulate.
Please chorus from submitting the documentation to the consulate or visa company greater than 45 days earlier than the scheduled date of departure for BUSINESS TYPE VISAS and 90 days or extra for all different TYPES. Consulates don’t course of these superior orders – they may return your bundle and ask you to ship it at a later date.
Russian visa processing time and costs they fluctuate from nation to nation. Processing charges are the best within the US as a result of the US authorities has the best charges for Russian residents making use of for US visas. In consequence, the Russian authorities imposes the identical charges on US residents making use of for Russian visas. This diplomatic coverage when one nation places the identical journey boundaries, tariffs, and procedures in place for residents of two nations is named reciprocity legal guidelines.
Sadly, Russia follows these insurance policies religiously. Due to this fact, you’ll have to pay roughly to your Russian visa relying in your citizenship and the situation the place you’re making use of to your Russian visa. For instance, if you’re an Australian citizen making use of for a Russian vacationer visa within the UK, you’ll pay a normal consulate payment of £30 (for 7-day processing) and a further surcharge of £18 resulting from legal guidelines of reciprocity between Russia and the Australian governments.
The Russian authorities requires all its consulates and embassies to situation Russian visas inside a most of 20 working days. Due to this fact, every consulate has some leeway on how shortly they situation visas so long as they do not breach the 20-day restrict. Once more, it varies nation by nation.
Should you want extra details about Russian visa processing charges and time necessities, please name us at 888-470-8472.
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