Starting the 1st of October 2019 foreign citizens will be able to apply for e-visas to enter Russia through immigration posts situated in St.-Petersburg and Leningradskaya region.
Application for e-visas to enter through immigration posts in St-Petersburg and Leningradskaya region will be possible for foreign citizens from 53 countries (list of such countries is approved by the Government Order from 10.09.2019, N 2021-р «List of foreign countries, which citizens can enter and exit Russian Federation through immigration posts, situated in St.-Petersburg and Leningradskaya region on the basis of one entry standard business, tourist and humanitarian visas, issued in the form of electronic documents»):
1. Austria
2. Andorra
3. Bahrain
4. Belgium
5. Bulgaria
6. Vatican
7. Hungary
8. Germany
9. Greece
10. Denmark
11. India
12. Indonesia
13. Iran
14. Ireland
15. Iceland
16. Spain
17. Italy
18. Qatar
19. Cyprus
20. China (including Taiwan)
21. Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
22. Kuwait
23. Latvia
24. Lithuania
25. Liechtenstein
26. Luxembourg
27. Malaysia
28. Malta
29. Mexico
30. Monaco
31. Netherlands
32. Norway
33. Oman
34. Poland
35. Portugal
36. Romania
37. San Marino
38. Saudi Arabia
39. Northern Macedonia
40. Serbia
41. Singapore
42. Slovakia
43. Slovenia
44. Turkey
45. Philippines
46. Finland
47. France
48. Croatia
49. Czech Republic
50. Switzerland
51. Sweden
52. Estonia
53. Japan
Application procedure
Application for the e-visa should be filed on the official web-site of The Ministry of Foreign Affairs consular department:
http://electronic-visa.kdmid.ru
In order to file an application, first applicants should choose the region they would like to visit.
Once application is filed, each applications gets an individual number, with its help foreign citizen can track their application and receive information regarding the issuance of e-visa or rejection.
Publication of the positive response on The Ministry of Foreign Affairs consular department web-site means that the data that the e-visa has been issued has reached immigration posts and starting this date foreign citizen can enter Russia.
E-visas are issued free of charge.
Documents, needed for the e-visa application and entry to Russia:
- Passport – passport validity should be not less than 6 months from the future visa expiration date; passport should have blank pages for border control stamps (our recommendation – not less than 2-3 blank pages);
- Confirmation that e-visa has been issued (print-out from The Ministry of Foreign Affairs consular department web-site);
- Medical Insurance Certificate, valid on the territory of Russian Federation and covering the period of stay in Russia;
- Tickets (according to the plan of the trip).
Will not be required:
- Invitation;
- Confirmation of the place of stay (hotel booking);
- Documents, confirming purpose of visit.
Processing time
It is possible to file application for the e-visa on The Ministry of Foreign Affairs consular department web-site not earlier than 20 days and not later than 4 days before the intended entry date.
Application processing time is 4 calendar days maximum from the application filing date. In case the issuance of the e-visa is denied, information regarding this will be published on the web-site within 2 calendar days.
Types of visas, issued in the form of electronic document:
- Standard business (purpose of visit – business);
- Standard tourist (purpose of visit – tourism);
- Standard humanitarian (purpose of visit – sport connections, cultural connections, science-technical connections).
All e-visas are one-entry.
ATTENTION: In case purpose of visit to Russian Federation does not match one of the listed above foreign citizen has to apply for the invitation letter and subsequently apply to the Russian consulate abroad for the issuance of the standard (not electronic) visa.
E-visa validity: 30 calendar days, starting issuance date (that is from the date of information regarding issuance of the visa published on The Ministry of Foreign Affairs consular department web-site).
Allowed period of stay: up to 8 days, starting entry date, within the validity of the visa. Entry date is counted as the 1st day of stay irrespective of the time of entry.
ATTENTION: E-visa validity period and (or) allowed period of stay cannot be extended.
E-visa is valid for entry to the Russian Federation and exit from the Russian Federation only through the following immigration posts in St.-Petersburg and Leningradskaya region:
Road:
- Brusnichnoye
- Ivangorod
- Svetogorsk
- Torphyanovka
Sea:
- The Big Port of St.-Petersburg (territory Sea port)
- Vysotsk
- Passanger Port St.-Petersburg
Air:
- St.-Petersburg (Pulkovo)
Pedestrian:
- Ivangorod
Foreign citizens, who entered Russian Federation using e-visas, have the right for the freedom of movement within the territory of the region of Russian Federation into which they entered (with exception of visiting territories, organizations and places, for visiting which in accordance with federal laws special permission is required).
Exit from Russian Federation should be made exclusively through immigration posts of that Russia region where the foreign citizen entered.
Government Order from 26.09.2019, №1252 «Regulations on issuance of standard one-entry business, tourist and humanitarian visas in the form of electronic documents for entry to the Russian Federation and exit from the Russian Federation on the basis of visas, issued in electronic form by citizens of foreign countries entering Russian Federation through immigration posts situated in St.-Petersburg and Leningradskaya region»;
Government Order from 26.09.2019, № 2173-р «List of immigration posts situated in St.-Petersburg and Leningradskaya region, through which foreign citizens can enter Russian Federation on the basis of standard one-entry business, tourist and humanitarian visas, issued in the form of electronic documents»;
Government Order from 10.09.2019, N 2021-р «List of foreign countries which citizens can enter Russian Federation and exit from the Russian Federation through immigration posts situated in St.-Petersburg and Leningradskaya region, on the basis of standard one-entry business, tourist and humanitarian visas, issued in the form of electronic documents»;
Presidential Order from 18.07/2019, N 347 “On entering the Russian Federation and exiting from the Russian Federation by foreign citizens through immigration posts situated in St.-Petersburg and Leningradskaya region”.
We will keep you posted on the developments. Meanwhile, should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.
Best Regards,
VFBS
Migration Law Department