FAQ

 

 

1. HOW DO I REGISTER FOR AN APPOINTMENT?
2. CAN I SUBMIT DOCUMENTS ON BEHALF OF THE PERSON TRAVELLING?
3. CAN I SUBMIT DOCUMENTS FOR A GROUP OF PEOPLE? HOW MANY APPOINTMENT RECORDS DO I NEED TO CREATE IN THE ON-LINE BOOKING SYSTEM AND WHOSE DATA SHOULD I GIVE?
4. DO I NEED TO REGISTER FOR AN APPOINTMENT IN ORDER TO OBTAIN A PASSPORT?
5. CAN I SUBMIT DOCUMENTS FOR TWO VISAS AT THE SAME TIME?
6. WHERE CAN I FIND OUT WHICH TYPE OF VISA I NEED?
7. WHICH TYPE OF INSURANCE DO I NEED?
8. UNDER WHICH CIRCUMSTANCES AM I REQUIRED TO OBTAIN A CERTIFICATE CONFIRMING THAT I AM HIV-NEGATIVE?
9. WHICH DOCUMENTS MUST I PRESENT ONLY ORIGINAL COPIES OF, AND IN WHICH CIRCUMSTANCES?
10. WHICH COUNTRIES' NATIONALS DO NOT REQUIRE VISAS TO TRAVEL TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION?
11. I AM NOT AN EU CITIZEN - UNDER WHICH CIRCUMSTANCES CAN I OBTAIN A VISA?
12. WHICH DOCUMENTS ARE REQUIRED BY CITIZENS OF AUSTRALIA, THE USA, THE UK, CANADA AND GEORGIA?
13. FOR HOW MANY DAYS CAN YOU CONTINUE TRAVELLING ON A TOURIST VISA?
14. I AM GOING TO BE CHANGING FLIGHTS AT A RUSSIAN AIRPORT. WILL I NEED A TRANSIT VISA ?
15. I AM PLANNING TO TRAVEL AROUND RUSSIA BY CAR. WHICH ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS WILL I NEED?
16. CAN I OBTAIN AN URGENT VISA? HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?
17. HOW TO REGISTER UPON ARRIVING IN RUSSIA?


1. HOW DO I REGISTER FOR AN APPOINTMENT?

There are various ways of registering for an appointment at the Visa Centre. You can:

- Make an appointment online at the home page of the Russian Visa Centre;
- Call one of the numbers shown on the site and register with the help of an operator;
- Come to the Visa Centre and register for an appointment in person;


2. CAN I SUBMIT DOCUMENTS ON BEHALF OF A PERSON TRAVELLING TO RUSSIA?

Yes. In this case you must have a letter of attorney from the person, who applies for a visa.


3. CAN I SUBMIT DOCUMENTS FOR A GROUP OF PEOPLE? HOW MANY APPOINTMENTS DO I NEED TO MAKE ON THE ONLINE BOOKING SYSTEM, AND FOR WHICH PEOPLE DO I NEED TO PROVIDE DATA?

ПPlease read the guidelines on how to use the digital system for registering for an appointment:

P.2. Each appointment time includes the provision of services to a single applicant, in relation to a single set of documents for a single person.

P.5. ... When registering to submit documents, information must be provided about the person requiring a visa, although the set of documents may be submitted by a representative of this person, provided that a representative has a letter of attorney of the applicant.

I.e. if you are submitting documents for several people, you must book several consecutive appointments for each person, each time stating the information about the person whose set of documents you are going to submit in order to obtain a visa.


4. DO I NEED TO REGISTER FOR AN APPOINTMENT TO PICK UP MY PASSPORT?

No. Passports with visas are to be picked up at the Russian Visa Centre daily from 09:00 till 17:00. The queue time is to be taken in consideration.

After the submission of documents an employee of the Russian Visa Centre tells you the date when you can come and pick up your passport with visa. Please come on time to pick up you visain order to avoid waiting.


5. CAN I SUBMIT DOCUMENTS FOR TWO VISAS AT THE SAME TIME?

No. Under russian legislation, no passport may contain two valid visas at the same time.

If youalready have a valid visa in your passport (e.g. an unused single-entry visa, a double-entry visawith which you have only entered the country once or an unused multi-entry visa), we recommend that you submit documents for your new visa at least 10 days before it expires.


6. WHERE CAN I FIND OUT WHICH TYPE OF VISA I NEED?

Information about the various types of visa can be found on the website of the Russian Visa Centre, in the section: “Types of visa”, or on the website of the Embassy or the Consulate General of the Russian Federationin Switzerland.


7. WHAT SORT OF INSURANCE DO I NEED?

Your insurance must cover any costs related to unexpected illness or accidents whilst you are away from home:

- The cost of an ambulance, hospital and medical treatment, and also medicines;
- The cost of returning the patient to their home country;
- Accommodation and living costs for an individual accompanying the insured party;
- In the event of fatal accidents, the cost of an overseas funeral or of returning the remains of the deceased to their homeland.

To apply for a visa to the Russian Federation you must provide the policy of the medical insurance.

The insurance must be valid throughout the entire territory of the Russian Federation, for the duration of the person's stay in the country.

Foreign nationals applying to obtain a multi-entry annual visa need only provide insurance on the date of their first visit to the country.


8. UNDER WHICH CIRCUMSTANCES AM I REQUIRED TO OBTAIN A CERTIFICATE CONFIRMING THAT I AM HIV-NEGATIVE?

A blood test result confirming that you are HIV-negative is essential for all individuals applying for a work visa or study visa (whether single-entry, double-entry or multi-entry) based on an invitation from the Federal Migration Service of the Russian Federation (FMS of Russia),as these visas may be extended in Russia.


9. WHICH DOCUMENTS MUST BE PROVIDED AS ORIGINALS, AND IN WHICH CIRCUMSTANCES?

Only original versions, not copies, must be provided for the following documents:

- The passport valid for at least 6 months after the expiry date of the visa (in case of a work or study visa the passport must be valid for 1.5 year from the begin of the validity of the visa);
- The visa questionnaire printed out and personally signed by the applicant. The signature must be the same as the one in the passport;
- The photo;
- The invitation while applying for a multiple-entry visa. While applying for any private visa, multiple-entry work, study, humanitarian or business visas based on the invitation from the Federal Migration Service, the applicant must provide this original invitation;
- The copy of the FMS invitation can be accepted in case if a person applies for a business and humanitarin visaa with single or double-entry with reserve the the Consulate can ask to provide the original invitation;
- Medical insurance policy.

Please note: The consulate may demand to see the originals of documents for which copies have already been provided.


10. WHICH COUNTRIES' NATIONALS DO NOT REQUIRE VISAS TO TRAVEL TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION?

Entry visas for the Russian Federation are not required for citizens of countries which have entered into a mutual Agreement on the cancellation or easing of their visa system with Russia.

As a general rule, only short-term travel (lasting no more than 90 days in each 180-day period) may be undertaken without a visa.  In the event that a longer visit to Russia is required, the relevant long-term visa must be applied for.


11. I AM NOT AN EU CITIZEN - HOW CAN I OBTAIN A VISA?

Foreign nationals from countries which are not members of the European Union may only apply for a visa to the Russian Federation on a tourist invitation, an invitation from the Federal Migration Serviceof the Russian Federation (FMS of Russia) or an invitation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (if nothing else is foreseen in the international agreement of the Russian Federation).

They are required to provide their valid Swiss residence permits.

Nationals from countries which represent a migration risk may only apply for visas in person and if they have a valid Swiss residence permitand return tickets.


12. WHICH DOCUMENTS ARE REQUIRED FOR CITIZENS OF AUSTRALIA, THE USA, THE UK, CANADA AND GEORGIA?

Citizens from all the countries listed must fill in a two-page visa questionnaire.

Australian nationals applying for a business or humanitarian visa must provide a detailed CV in Russian.

Citizens from all the countries listed while applying for the multiple-entry visa must provide two application forms. The second one can be a copy.


13. HOW LONG CAN I CONTINUE TRAVELLING ON A TOURIST VISA?

You can stay in Russia for up to one month (30 days) on a tourist visa.


14. I AM GOING TO BE CHANGING FLIGHTS AT A RUSSIAN AIRPORT. WILL I NEED A TRANSIT VISA?

If you are going to be changing flights inside the transit area in less than 24 hours or without changing terminal at all, you will not need a transit visa.  In such cases, however, you may not leave the airport to travel into the city.

If you are changing flights at the airport, you will only need a transit visa if you are going to be in the transit area for more than 24 hours or if you need to leave the transit area.

The Russian Visa Centre recommends that when you purchase your tickets, you clarify with the carrier whether or not you are going to need a transit visa for your chosen journey. PLEASE NOTE! In cases of enforced transit, you may only apply for a visa at the consul point inside the airport.


15. I AM PLANNING TO TRAVEL AROUND RUSSIA BY CAR. WHICH ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS WILL I NEED?

You should appreciate that road transit and road travel are two distinct concepts.

Transit means the enforced crossing of Russian territory by the shortest possible route, e.g. when there is no other way of getting to your final port of call, or when all other routes will take too long.

The time required for transit is assessed based on a calculation of 500 km/day along the shortest possible route. (you can check this using a service such as Google maps).

Car trip around Russia, along any other route, is deemed to be the motor tourism. To apply for a visa in such cases, you should present booking confirmation from hotels at points along your journey, or confirmation that you are going to be hosted as a foreign tourist from any tourism organization accredited by the MFA of the RF, which will select the best possible route and site of accommodation (from among the hotels on your route). In such cases the purpose of your visit will be 'road tourism'.

No vehicle documents or vehicle insurance are required in order to apply for your visa. However, you may need such documents at the border and during your trip.


16. CAN I OBTAIN AN URGENT VISA? HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?

You can submit your documents to the Russian Visa Application Centre for a consideration of the possibility by the Consular establishment of issuing you an urgent visa (up to 3 working days).

Please note that the decision to issue a visa on an urgent basis is to be taken by the Consular establishment.


17. HOW TO REGISTER UPON ARRIVING IN RUSSIA?

Foreign nationals must register within seven business days of entering the Russian Federation, and must possess documentation issued by a local Federal Migration Service office proving that they have arrived at their intended location in Russia. The hosting organization is responsible for the entire registration procedure.

Foreigners are obliged to provide the hosting organization their passport and Migration card, which was filled out prior to entering the Russian Federation. In such cases, your passport and Migration card cannot be taken away.

The host may be a Russian citizen, a foreign citizen permanently residing in the Russian Federation, a stateless person which has permanent residence, or legal entities and/or their affiliated partners or representatives with whom the foreigner physically resides or is employed by.

Upon checking into the hotel, the hosting party becomes the hotel administration, which must inform the Federal Migration Service of a foreigner's arrival within 24 hours. Likewise, they are responsible to take all required steps for registering a foreign citizen, and for ensuring that all established rules are followed.

Upon your departure from Russia, the hosting organization is required to inform the local Federal Migration Service office within 24 hours based on the organization's residence by forwarding the removable portion of the migration card in order to be removed from the migrant registry.

 

  1. Methods of registration
    How to register:
    • In person
    • Through a legal representative
    • Via a multifunction center

    How to complete the procedure:
    • In person
    • Through a legal representative
    • Via a multifunction center


  2. Turnaround times
    Processing time:
    1 Business day

    Processing time within which services must be registered:
    1 Business day

  3. Who can be registered:
    • Legal entities
    • Foreign citizens
    • Stateless persons


  4. Basis for registration: 
    In order to begin the procedure, one must obtain notification of arrival from the hosting organization or foreign citizen directly, or likewise via postal notification of arrival from the Federal Migration Service of the Russian Federation after submission of all required documents.

  5. Outcome
    Registration of arrival with the Federal Migration Service.