First, you need an invitation (aka visa support letter) to apply for a Russian visa. You can get it online on Way to Russia through one of our carefully selected advertisers – they all cater to independent travelers, provide 24h support, and guarantee that your visa will be issued by the consulate.
It's the same price and process as when you use them directly, but doing it through our site you support our free guide to Russia and get the backup of our quality monitoring managers in dealing with providers.
• There are also private and studentinvitations available. In order to get them, you have to contact your friends / education instituation (e.g. language schools) in Russia. Be aware that these invitations usually take about a month to process, require lots of paperwork, and the originals should be presented to the consulate. But with student visas you get visas with unlimited stay, so it may be an advantage.
Step 2: Prepare the Documents
Once you have your invitation (Russian visa support), you need to prepare the following documents to apply for your Russian visa:
• Your Passport
(Should be valid at least 3 months after your Russian visa will expire and contain at least one clear page - for the visa)
• Passport-size Photograph
(Should be recent and good quality)
• Consulate Application Form
(Available either at the Russian consulate where you will apply or through a travel agency if you choose full visa processing services)
• Consulate-Specific Documents
(Almost all consulates will require an HIV certificate if you are traveling to Russia for 3 months or longer or require a multiple-entry visa.
In case you apply for a business visa, some consulates may require a letter from your employer)
Step 3: Apply for a Russian Visa
Finally, you need to submit all your documents, including your visa support, to the Russian consulate. You can either do it by yourself, or through a local travel agency.
Travel agencies usually charge for their services but allow you to save your time and usually know the consulate's requirements very well, so you won't have to research that.
