Study Visa

A study visa is required for foreigners who wish to enter Russia temporarily for study purposes. Study visa is issued for a period no longer than 90 days and is valid for single entry only.
To obtain a study visa you should submit to the Consular Section of the Embassy the following documents in person:
1. Double sided completed application form http://visa.kdmid.ru, one per person. Application form must be signed and dated. Make sure your application is addressed to the EMBASSY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION IN AUSTRALIA
2. One professional passport sized photo (3,5 x 4.5 cm) The photo should be glued (not stapled or attached using adhesive tape) to the specially marked place of the application form.
3. National passport (original) valid for at least 6 months after the intended date of departure from Russia. At least one page of the passport should be free from notes.
4. Original letter of invitation issued by Main Department on Migration Issues of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation or by Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (this invitation may also be issued in an electronic form). Every invitation must contain name in full, date of birth, citizenship and passport number of the applicant, name of hosting organization, reason and period of visit. Invitation must be signed by authorized person and carry the official seal.
FAX OR SCANNED COPIES ARE NOT ACCEPTED.
5. Copy of itinerary (flight details).
6. Certificate of absence of HIV.
Visa documents are accepted by the Consular Section from 9.30 am till 12.30 pm.
Visa processing time starts only after the consular officer receives all the necessary documents.
After you receive your visa, please check it for possible mistakes (passport number, date of birth, term of validity etc.) and, if necessary, return it to us for corrections. The Consular Section will not be responsible for the mistakes, which were not brought to its attention before your departure from Australia.
ATTENTION! There are additional requirements for non-Australian citizens (permit to study, work in Australia for more than 180 days, residence permit, etc.).
Citizens of the Russian Federation, regardless of any other citizenship they have, must travel to Russia on valid Russian documents only.
Please, carefully fill in the visa information in the application form and follow all other requirements when submitting your papers. When applying be advised that the permission to enter the Russian Federation is a courtesy of the State. Consular officer reserves the right to invite the applicant to be interviewed in person.
Visa can be denied if the consular officer has serious reasons to believe that the applicant's visit to the Russian Federation is not desirable, and the disclosure of the reason for the denial can be withheld.
The validity and type of visa should be strictly connected to the purpose of visit. When in Russia, you cannot change your visa status i.e. from tourist to business or from business to guest and vice versa. To do that, you have to leave the country and re-enter on different visa.

Photo requirements for visa application    (download)

HIV certificate (download)