Tourist Visa
To enter the Russian Federation for tourist purposes, foreigners must have a valid visa.
A Russian tourist visa can be issued for the period of no longer than 3 months (90 days) for single or double entry and no longer than 6 months for multi entry (in this case the stay in Russia is limited to 90 days out of 180). When entering with a tourist visa, you could be also asked to present your tourist confirmation, voucher and a return ticket with a fixed date of departure from Russia at the border checkpoint. You must also prove that you have sufficient funds for your trip.
To apply for a tourist visa at the Consular Section of the Embassy you should have a prior appointment and submit 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. Copy of high quality or original standard tourist confirmation ("Podtverzdeniye") and a tour voucher from a hosting Russian travel agency or hotel, registered with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and authorized to invite foreign citizens in the Russian Federation. Confirmation carries a REFERENCE-NUMBER of the hosting company (which confirms that this company is allowed to receive foreign tourists), personal data of each tourist, dates of trip, itinerary in Russia, services as paid. Confirmation and voucher must be signed by authorized person and carry the official seal of the Russian travel company.
5. Copy of itinerary (flight details).
Visa documents are accepted by the Consular Section from 9.30 am till 12.30 pm.
Single Entry Visa is valid for one visit to Russia within the specified dates of arrival and departure.
Double Entry Visa is issued for two entries (all arrival and departure dates must be indicated).
Multiple Entry Visa is issued for multiple entries. The validity period (from... until...) shown in a visa indicates only the length of time when multiple-entry visa holders may visit Russia. Please note that maximum duration of stay in Russia within this period can be no longer than 90 days.
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.
Visa can be denied if the Consulate 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.
NOTE:
All cruise passengers visiting Russia on sea cruise ships may enter and stay there without visa up to 72 hours.
Compulsory conditions are:
· They should have accommodations on board.
· The list of all passengers must be submitted to the local authorities 72 hours prior to arriving to the port of destination.
· Every passenger must have valid identity documents.
· They must be included in the above mentioned list.
· They must travel only with the group according to the pre-arranged program of the shipping company.
All cruise passengers visiting Russia and wanting to undertake their own independent shore excursion should apply for a tourist visa.
Photo requirements for visa application (download)
