Russian Business Visa

Russian business visa is the most popular type of Russian visa for businesspeople and long-term trips.
- visa's validity period and number of permitted entries
- who issues Visa Invitation and how it is submitted to the Consulate
- visa and Visa Invitation's urgency
- your citizenship and the purpose of visit
- prices and quality of your visa assistant's services
- single- or double-entry valid for up to 3 months
- multiple-entry valid for up to 1 year or up to 3 years in some cases.
- Invitation MFA – issued by the Consular Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) upon the request of Russian state organizations
- Official Invitation-Letter – issued directly by the Russian organization and is available only for citizens of the USA, Norway, Switzerland, Japan and EU (except for citizens of the UK and Ireland)
- Invitation-Letter from the CCI is issued by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation for citizens of the European Union (except the Great Britain and Ireland), the USA, Norway, Switzerland, Japan, Liechtenstein, India, China and Iran.
Samples of invitations for the Russian business visa
- original Invitation from MFA on a stamped form (so-called Yellow page) – is required to get a multiple-entry visa; be noted that the delivery of the original Invitation will require time and additional fee
- 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
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.
Prices for Russian business visa invitation
Telex from the Migration police
Number of entries | Visa's validity period | Processing time | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
8 w.days |
12 w.days |
19 w.days |
||
Single-Entry | 30 days | 95 | – | 75 |
90 days | 100 | – | 80 | |
Double-Entry | 30 days | 110 | – | 85 |
90 days | 120 | – | 90 | |
Multiple-Entry | 90 days | – | 125 | 110 |
180 days | – | 140 | 130 | |
365 days | – | 150 | 140 |
- Processing time is indicated without taking into account a day of creation of the order. If the order is placed after 4:00 PM, one more working day is added.
- Notarized translation of the residence permit – 35 EUR. The service is required if a foreigner is going to obtain a visa at the Russian consulate in a country of which he/she is not a national.
Official Invitation-Letter from a Russian organization
Number of entries | Visa's validity period |
Processing time in 15 minutes |
---|---|---|
Is available for citizens of EU (except for citizens of the UK and Ireland), Japan, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein | ||
Single-Entry | 30 days | 40 |
90 days | 50 | |
Double-Entry | 30 days | 45 |
90 days | 60 | |
Multiple-Entry1 | 90 days | 65 |
180 days | 75 | |
365 days | 85 | |
730 days2 | 145 | |
For US citizens | ||
Multiple-Entry | 1095 days | 195 |
- Visa issuance process at the Russian Consulate takes up to 10 days.
- Correction of Invitation-Letter – 15 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.