Visa Services » Russia » Washington DC Embassy » Tourist Visa Requirements

Important- Please read before completing the Russian Visa Application Form:

• You will need your visa support / letter of invitation to complete the application. *See # 4 below.
• The question "Visa Issuing Office" must be answered by selecting "ILS Washington".

Need help?

• Russian Visa Application Instructions We highly recommend you review the instructions before you complete the Russian visa application online.
• Common Russian Visa Application Problems
• Need assistance completing the Russian visa application form?

Ready to apply?
Complete, print and sign the Russian Visa Application Form.

In order to prevent delay(s) in processing your Russian visa, please include your Russian visa application security question and answer. While not mandatory, having this information will allow us to electronically fix common errors and mistakes often made while completing the visa application saving you time and the possible cost of correcting the problem(s) yourself.

You must send your physical passport- copies cannot be used for visa issuance.

Please note: If you are applying for a multiple entry visa your passport must have two (2) blank visas pages side by side.

Your signed passport must be valid and contain sufficient blank visa pages- visas are stamps affixed to the blank "visa" pages of your passport. Amendment pages (clearly marked as such) in the back of your passport are not acceptable for visa issuance.

Your passport's expiration date must be greater than six months from the date you plan to depart the country you intend to visit. If your passport does not meet this requirement, you must renew your passport or obtain a new one prior to applying for your visa.

You must provide one (1) passport photograph that meets Passport Photo Style Regulations regarding quality.

Please Note:

• Your photograph must be full face, front view with a plain white or off-white background printed on photo quality paper.
• Photo must be the same size as the box on the visa application.
• Please attach the photo with glue. Do not staple the photo. You may also send it loose with your documents and we will attach it for you.

A tourist voucher issued by either a tour company or hotel in Russia who is approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is required. The voucher is commonly called "visa support" or a "letter of invitation".

PassportVisasExpress.com can obtain an official Russian visa support letter for you if you do not have one. If you wish to order visa support you will have the opportunity to add this to your order shortly. Please continue to place your order.

Why Order Visa Support from PassportVisasExpress.com?

*Please note:
If you will order Visa Support from PassportVisasExpress.com you must wait until you receive it (via email) from us before you can complete the visa application. You will need to refer to the visa support document to complete the Russian visa application. You may place your order now and will be instructed to return to the Russian visa application once you receive your visa support from us.

Former citizens of Russia: submit a Certificate of Renunciation of Citizenship obtained from the Russian Embassy.

Former citizens of Soviet Republics: submit a copy of your old passport, even if no longer valid.

Please note: The Embassy may require that the applicant make a personal appearance for an interview at the Embassy in Washington, D.C. Personal interviews are not common however they are requested on a case by case basis and as such there is no way to determine if an interview will be required until your visa application has been submitted to the Embassy. 

Applicants age 17 and under: Print, complete and notarize: Russia- Consent for Minor to Travel Letter

IMPORTANT- (please read):

• If both parents will be applying for a visa at the same time of the minor the letter is not required
• If one parent will be applying for a visa at the same time as the minor the non-accompanying parent will need to complete the letter and have it notarized
• If neither parent is traveling to Russia or applying for a visa at the same time as the minor then both parents will need to complete the letter and have it notarized

On September 9, 2012 The Russian Government announced that it would begin offering a 3 year multiple entry visa. You may now apply for this visa. In addition to the steps outlined above please take note of the following 3 year multiple entry visa requirement particulars:

General notes regarding the 3 year multiple entry visa:

• You will still need to submit a Letter of Invitation (LOI) / Visa Support. As of this moment the LOI is only issued for 30 days and double or single entry. Your statement will serve to extend the validity of the visa from 30 days to 3 years.
• The Russian Embassy reserves the right to request additional supporting documentation.
• 3 year multiple entry visas are issued at the discretion of the Russian Embassy.
• The current processing time is 15 business days. There is no expedited processing of 3 year visas at this time.
• Your passport must be valid for a minimum of four (4) years from your intitial date of entry. For example if you will first enter Russia on May 15, 2013 your passport must be valid until May 15, 2017. If not you must renew your passport before you can apply.
• Your passport must have two (2) blank visa pages side by side.
• You must complete the statement requesting the 3 year multiple entry visa- original your signature must be on the statement.  Russia 3 Year Tourist Visa Request