Tourist invitation | Introduction | Types of Visa | How to Apply | Registration | Russian Consulates

contents: a legal basis - types of russian visas and invitations - - tourist russian visa - business russian visa - student visa - private visa - short 72-hour visa

The information in this section is completely revised according to the new laws on the status of foreign citizens in Russia, effective as of 1 November 2002.

A Legal Basis.
The Russian Federal Law #114-FZ (issued 15 Aug '96) called "Regulations of departure from the RF and entrance to the RF" regulates the order of departure / entrance of foreigners from / to the Russian Federation and describes the documents needed. Specifically, Chapter 4 of this document lists the documents needed to enter to Russia: a passport and a Russian visa. It regulates that a special invitation from an inviting party in Russia (company, organisation, tourist agency, private person) is needed to obtain a Russian visa. The order of issuing the invitation is regulated by a special Decree of the Russian Government #1143 (issued 1 Oct '98).
The Chapter 5 of this document (FL #114-FZ) lists the cases when a foreigner may be refused entry in Russia. Specifically Article 26 lists the cases when a foreigner may be (not necesserily will be!) refused the entry: 1) if he/she can't confirm that they'll have enough money for their whole trip in Russia; 2) if he/she broke the rules of crossing the Russian border (like carrying dope or guns, for example); 3) if he/she provided wrong information about the purpose of his trip (for example, you're getting a tourist visa to work in Russia - this is not lawful); 5) if he/she commited an administrative infringement in Russia more than twice in the past (for example, if you didn't register your visa, or were fined for not having a ticket in a train); 6) if he/she is a drug addict, or has an infection desease.
The Article 27 lists the cases when a foreigner must be refused the entry: 1) if it's necessary for the state security; 2) if he/she had comitted a crime in the RF (only during the first 5 years after the crime); 3) if he/she was deported out of Russia (only during the first 5 years after that); 4) if he/she didn't present the documents needed to apply for a Russian visa -- until these documents are presented; 5) if he/she couldn't confirm having enough funds to finance the trip, when crossing the Russian border;
The Decree #470 (4 Jul '92) lists the territories of the Russian Federation with restricted entry for foreigners, these territories include parts of Kamchatka, some industrial regions in Urals. To get there, you should get a special permission that can be obtained through a travel agency. You can freely cross these regions by railway or autoroad.


Types of Russian Visas and Invitations:
There are 6 types of Russian visas: a tourist visa, a business visa, a student visa, a personal visa, a short 72-hour visa, a transit visa - each type corresponds to the purpose of your visit. However, many people come for a short business trip with tourist visas, and many people come to visit their friends with business visas. So, when choosing the type visa, the only consideration should be your convenience in terms of price of the visa, its speed of processing, the period of stay this visa allows and the number of entries the visa allows. Especially, as Russian officials seem not to care about which visa you finally take, what matters is how much you pay... However, when filling in an application form in the field "purpose" you should specify the purpose corresponding to the type of your visa. If you apply for a tourist visa, specify "tourism", if you apply for a business visa, specify "business meetings" or "seminars", if you apply for a private visa, specify "visiting friends". (according to Fed. Law #114-FZ, Ch.4, A.26 - see above).
Generally, the most convenient options in terms of price, processing speed and flexibility are tourist and business visas. It's better to get a tourist visa if you plan to stay in Russian no longer than one month, and need single-entry only. It's better to get a business visa if you plan to stay in Russia longer than 1 month and / or need a multiple-entry visa.
The business visa invitations are longer to get and are more expensive, than the tourist ones.

The invitation (also called visa support) is a special document issued by the party that invites you to Russia. The invitation is required by a Russian consulate to be able to process your visa. For every type of visa, there exists a different type of invitation (tourist, business, private, student).
The invitation (visa support) can be issued by a Russian travel agency or by a company or organisation authorized by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
Note: effective from 1 Nov 2002 the companies / organisations issuing Russian visa support will need to be re-authorized by Russian Interior Ministry (RIM).

Below we will describe different types of visas and invitations available:

Russian Tourist Visa:
This type of visa is issued for the travelers who come to Russia for tourism purposes. This visa is easiest to get and the least expensive of all visas, so it's ideal for tourists. A tourist Russian visa is single-entry only and can be valid for the period up to one month. It usually takes the Russian consulate from 1 to 10 days to issue this type of visa and will cost from $50 US to $150 US, depending on the time of processing.
To obtain the Russian tourist visa, you need a tourist invitation. The tourist invitation comprises a tourist voucher and a reservation confirmation. These documents can be issued by a Russian travel agency, which is registred as a tourist company in Russia, has a registration in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), and has a reference number in MFA. All these data should be stated on the invitation.
Note: effective from 1 Nov 2002, all travel agencies issuing visa support will need to re-authorize in Russian Interior Ministry (RIM). This doesn't affect you, if you apply for a tourist visa, it's just a formality for travel agencies.
The price of a tourist invitation is usually $25 to $40 US, and it takes 1 hour to 1 day to issue it. It is usually sent to the applicant by fax, by e-mail (scanned copy), or by post (if the Russian consulate requires originals).
Your tourist voucher will look something like this:

And your reservation confirmation will look something like this:
There are many things written on both voucher and confirmation, but most of it are some formal stuff required by the outdated Russian bureaucracy - a legacy of the Soviet times. The voucher is basically a receipt from the travel agency confirming you have paid for something, and the reservation confirmation is a confirmation for the consulate, that Mr. John Smith is indeed invited to Russia for such and such dates and will visit this and that city and the purpose of his trip is tourism. We hope that they (the Russian government) will get rid of all this formal crap soon, but for now, the most important is whether your data are correct (your name, birth date, passport number), and whether the entry / leaving dates are correct, because that's the period for which your visa will be issued. If that is allright, your visa shall be fine.
Also, be sure to fill in the visa application form after you received your invitation, and specify there the same data as in the invitation: the name of the inviting travel agency, the purpose of the trip - tourism (or pleasure), the visa dates, the cities to visit.
Where can one get a tourist invitation? You can get a tourist invitation from expensive hotels (like Mariott, Novotel), but only for the period you have your room booked and paid ($$!) there. Also, you can get an invitation through a youth hostel, but you will also need to book and pay at least one night or a service there. The most flexible option when you don't need to pay for anything extra and can stay where you want and use the services you want is to order an invitation through a Russian travel agency. Usually, travel agencies don't require any additional services to be paid, and for the same fee (about $25 to $40 US) issue the tourist invitation.
After you come to Russia, you need to register your visa in 72 hours (see Registration section). If you stay in a hotel, it must register your tourist visa for the whole period of your stay (according to Decree #212 - 26 Apr '91), the hotel registration costs about $0.5 (16R). If you stay in an apartment or with your friends, the landlord (the owner of the apartment) should write a special letter and submit it to the travel agency that issued your visa support. The travel agency will then register your visa in UVIR (immigration officials) for free or for a small fee ($5 to $20). That's why it's always better if the travel agency that issued your invitation has an office in Russia (at the city where you will come first for longer than 3 days).

You can apply for a tourist invitation online through our website and we'll refer your request to our partner travel agency. This agency has a reference number in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and offices in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Sheremetyevo II airport in Moscow, so you can have your visa registred easily when you arrive. The tourist visa support costs $30 US (taxes included, no additional services required) and is ready in 1 working day. If you're interested, please go to Services / Visa Support.

Russian Business Visa:
This type of visa is supposed to be issued for the people, who come to Russia for business purposes. But because this type of visa allows long stays, multiple entries etc., it is also used by ordinary travelers, who need more flexibility.
Note: effective from 1 Nov 2002, all travel agencies issuing visa support will need to re-authorize in Russian Interior Ministry (RIM). This doesn't affect you, if you apply for a tourist visa, it's just a formality. However, you may expect a change in processing times and fees (after all, it's another organisation looking after all this now).
A business Russian visa can be valid from 1 month to 12 months, and be either single-, double- or multiple entry. A person who obtained a multiple 1-year business visa can continiously stay in Russia for the period not longer than 6 months. So, after the first 6 months you may leave Russian even for 1 day, then come back, and it'll be ok. Many people in such situation prefer to go to Baltic states, because they are quite close.
It takes approximately the same time for the consulate to issue a business visa as a tourist visa, but a business visa is slightly more expensive. The price depends on the processing speed, usually, it's about $80-$90 US for 5-7 days, and about $150 for 2 days. You can get the exact quotes at the Russian consulate where you apply.
To obtain a business visa, you need a business invitation. Contrary to a tourist invitation, which is issued by a Russian travel agency, a business invitation was issued by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), and, effective as of 1 Nov 2002 - by the Russian Interior Ministry (RIM). The applicant's data can be submitted to the MFA or RIM either by a business registred in the MFA or RIM or a travel agency. Usually, a company that would like to invite a foreign person for business, requests such service from a travel agency (registred in MFA or RIM). The travel agency submits all travel data of the person to the MFA or RIM, pays a certain processing fee to the MFA or RIM, and after a few days (depending on the processing fee) receives the invitation. After that, this invitation can either be sent to the person invited by post (if the consulate requires originals only), by fax (a copy), or by e-mail (a scanned copy). Also, for an additional fee, the MFA or RIM can send a special telex to the Russian consulate, where the person will apply for his visa, and then there's no need for this person to have a copy or an original of the invitation, he or she will just need to specify a "telex number" of his invitation to the Russian consulate, when he applies.
Where can one get a business invitation. Normally, you should get a business invitation if you're coming to Russia for business, for example, to work for a company, to participate in conferences, negotiations etc. In this case, the company with which you're going to make business should take care of all the formalities (either they'll apply themselves to the MFA or RIM, or ask an agency to do it).
As you understand, any foreign person can apply directly to a Russian travel agency for such invitation. So, if you're coming to Russia for travel and want to get a business visa only because you would like to stay longer and to be able to enter or leave multiple times, you can apply for a business invitation through a travel agency.
It's better to fill in the visa application form after you received the business invitation and to specify there the same data as in the application (the same inviting company, the same visa dates, the same cities to visit).
The price of a business invitation depends on the processing speed and the number of entries. For example, a 3-month double entry invitation would cost about $60 US, and a 12-month multiple entry invitation would cost about $250 US.
After you come to Russia, you should have your visa registered in 72 hours. If you stay in a hotel, it must register your visa for the whole period of the visa, but not longer than 3 months (Decree #212, 26 Apr '91). If you stay in an apartment, with friends, or if your visa is longer than 3 months, it should be registred in UVIR (local immigration office). Usually, the travel agencies or companies / organisations that issue your visa support should take care of that, so we strongly advise you to check if the agency that issues your business visa support has an office in the city where you will live.
I should also add that sometimes it may be slightly harder to register a business visa than a tourist visa, because some hotels in Moscow, for example, have a rule that they can register business visas for not longer than 2 days. But again, if the agency that issued your business invitation has an office in the city you're in, you should not have any problems - they should take care of that (it's their responsibility to the Russian law).

You can apply for a business invitation online through our site. Your application form will be automatically referred to our partner agency. This agency is authorized to issue business invitations by the Russian Interior Ministry (RIM) and has offices in Moscow (the centrum and Sheremetyevo II airport) and St. Petersburg (the centrum). You can see the prices and apply for the invitation at Services / Visa Support.

Student Visa:
This type of visa is issued only for students, who come to Russia for exchange or education.
This is the best kind of visa, but you can only get it if you applied to a Russian university, school or an institution and will study there. In that case, you will need to submit your data to the university and the "foreign department" of the university will take care of all the formalities. They will submit all your data to the immigration officials and have your student invitation ready in about 7 to 10 days. After that, they'll either send you the invitation by post, by fax, or send the invitation by telex directly to the consulate where you will apply for your visa and you'll just need to know the telex number when you apply.
Usually, the student visa doesn't have a limited validity, it is extended all the time, depending on how long you study.
When you apply to the consulate for a student visa, you'll need to pay a normal fee, which will be about the same as for a tourist visa ($50-$150, depending on processing time).

Personal (Private) Visa:
This type of visa is given to the foreiners who come to Russia for a personal visit (friends, relatives etc.) It can be valid for up to 3 months and is single entry only. This is the worst kind of visa you can apply for.
To obtain this visa, you need a personal invitation certificate (or visa entitlement certificate - "izveshchenie") from a person living in Russia. Sorry, but it will be a real pain in the ass for your friend to make this invitation certificate for you. This person should go to a local OVIR office (something like immigration officials), stand in a long queue, get an application form, fill it in, pay a processing fee (about $30 US - always changing), and wait for about 45 (!) days until the immigration officials will check him (the person who's inviting you) and you. I don't know what they check, but I guess they're looking for some serious stuff like terrorism or spying -- there's no other reason for it to take 30 days. I even think they'll quiz Interpol and the FBI about you too...
So, after all this is finished (hopefully with success), the UVIR officials will give your friend an invitation (after he stands in a long queue again). This invitation can only be sent to you by post, because consulates accept originals only. It can't be faxed or e-mailed or telexed. So, all in all, it'll take about 14 days for it to arrive by post (or 1 day if it's sent by express post, but then it'll cost $50 or so). Then you can take it along with other documents needed to the consulate, and apply for your private visa. It'll cost you the same as the other ones, but will surely cause much suspicion from the consulate officials. Why would a Russian person invite a foreigner to his country? Only to sell his motherland's secrets...
So, I think you understand, why most of the people prefer getting a tourist or a business visa instead...

Short 72-Hour Visas:
This type of visa WAS an experiment started on the 1st February, 2002 to attract more tourists to Russia. However, there are canceled as of now, so it is NOT possible to get a 72 hour visa at the moment, it's better to go for a tourist visa.
However, if you are traveling on a cruise ship, the cruise company should be able to provide you with a short visa, usually valid for up to 72 hours.


Transit Visas:
This type of visa is usually given for 24 hours only when you're crossing the country. The requirement and the prices depend on the country you're in, so the best thing to do is to contact the Russian consulate and they'll explain everything. The most common requirement is 1) a valid travel document; 2) an onward ticket (proving you're crossing Russia and will not stay).


Cruise Passengers
New Information (June 2003) According to the agreement between cruise companies and Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, passengers of cruise ships stopping in St. Petersburg port for not longer than 72 hours do not require a Russian visa. This applies only if St. Petersburg is not the only port you stop at during your cruise. Also, this rule DOESN'T apply for the passengers of Finnish cruise companies, because there's a sort of disagreement at the moment (June, 2003) between them and Russian officials.
In any case, we recommend you to doublecheck it with your cruise company.

Your Comments and Additions
If you have something to add or to ask, you can leave a message to this e-mail. We will post it shortly.
Contact to the e-mail [email protected]

Question (received 15/02/03): "Hi, I want to visit a friend in Krasnodar and stay in an apartment. Krasnodar is the only city I visit. I will enter Russia through SVO airport. Can I get a tourist visa thru your company and have it registered whileI wait for my connecting flight (about 3 hours)? Or should I stay in a hotel in Krasnodar so I can get visa registration?"
Answer: Hi, thanks for the question. First, we do not personally make the visa support, it is done by our partner company, so it is not through us, but through our partners.
In your case, you have three options:
1) Get a visa support through your friend. Pro: It's totally according to the rules, you can freely stay in his apartment. Contras: Long processing time (up to 3 months), long registration process in local OVIR - Immigration office (queues, bureaucracy, may require some papers from your friend.
2) Get a visa support through our website and stay with your friend. Pro: Fast (ready in max 3 days). Contras: You will still have to bring a special letter from our partner company to register your visa in a local OVIR, and formally (on the paper) you will be staying in a hotel
3) Get a visa support through our website, but first find a hotel that will register your visa there. Pro: fast, no registration queues. Contras: Your friend needs to ask a cheap hotel in Krasnodar if they will agree to register your visa for the whole period of its validity if you pay for 1 night only. -- This is the easiest way, a bit tricky, but I would do like that.

Question (received 13/02/03): "I have requested a personal (private) invitation from a friend of mine. The visa-support is being processed, but it will take too long for me to get. I would have to be in St. Petersburg long before I will get the visa. Do you know if there could be any problems if I would apply for a business-visa-invitation now that I already have a private invitation on the way?"
Answer: If you want to be sure, I would recommend that your friend goes to the OVIR office where he applied for your private invitation and cancels the processing. Then you apply for any other visa. In case you don't cancel, or it's not possible, I don't know if it will be ok...

Question (received 11/02/03): "If we are canadian citizens, do we have the right to visit Russia without having or needing any VISA ?"
Answer: No

Question (received 6/02/03): "is it still a problem to get a personal invitation and visa Russia??"
Answer: It still takes long (queues and time), if that's what you mean.

Question (received 23/02/03): "hi!i'm going to have a baby(usa),
i want to send him to russia to my parents for couple years
,can he travel with with sombody(not a parent),what papers need to be obtained? thank you! email:[email protected]
Answer: If your child is a US citizen, then there must be laws in the US, that regulate that. As far as I know, in any case, a baby can travel to Russia only with its parents, and on the parent's passport. Maybe if you make an official paper that another person is looking after your baby (it's called "opekun" in Russian), then this person will be able to travel with your baby

Question (received 27/02/03): "Hello, I will be visiting my daughter in Kyrgyzstan where she is a Peace Corps Volunteer. I will be traveling to Moscow on Delta Airlines and will transfer to Aeroflot (approximately 9 hour layover going to Bishkek and returning from Bishkek)
Dates of travel are March 20-22, 2003 and return March 29, 2003. Do I need a transit or tourist visa for Russia if I simply stay in the airport? Do I need a visa of some kind if I desired to take a short trip to central Moscow for a couple of hours of sightseeing. Please advise the best, easiest and cheapest way for me to handle this matter?"
Answer: Generally, if you stay in the airport for 9 hours and don't cross the Russian border (just staying in arrivals zone), either you don't need visa at all, or you need a transit visa. The best would be to contact any Russian Consulate (see their addresses worldwide here), and your airline (Delta).

Question (received 2/03/03): "Hi, i want to visit Russia as a tourist, but would like to stay about 45 days in russia. Can i still work out a tourist visa for 45 days or 2 months, or do i have to necessarily get a business visa if the stay exceeds 30 days ? thank you for your answer."
Answer: I think you will have to get a business visa. Or you can get two separate tourist visas, but then you'll need to leave Russia for a few days (Estonia is a good choice).

Question (received 4/03/03): " won't be in Russia until June, but would like to apply for a visa now and obtain it in Australia [I have a US passport], since I'll be spending the time between now and June in Central Asia and China - and feel it would be easiest to get it here. Is that possible - or do I have to apply for a visa closer to the date of entry?"
Answer: If it's a tourist visa, you can apply now, if it is a business visa, you can apply not earlier than 3 months before arrival.

Question (received 17/03/03): "Hi, Last year I went to see my girlfriend in Novosibirsk. I was advised by a supposedly reputable company in the UK to travel on a business visa because it gave me the greatest flexibility for where I could stay. It turned out when I got to Novosibirsk that I was threatened with imprisonment if I returned to the OVIR office and that I must eihter leave the country or return to to Moscow to have my visa registered there - I chose the expensive but safer, later option.
I then visited her at xmas time on a private visa - there was no problem getting the invitationa and everything worked perfectly.
I am now trying to go again but this time there appears to be a problem with the private invitation and it does not look like it will be ready in time for me to get a visa and catch the flight that I have already booked. Are there any other visa options for me? Olympia-Reisen in Novosibirsk have said I can come on a tourist visa but only if I stay in a hotel - which for a period of just over 3 weeks works out to be very expensive in comparison to the usual flat rent that I do.
I look forward to hear your advice as i am now very worried that we won't see each other at easter and will have to wait another 3 months before we do.
Yours faithfully
Ben Smith"
Answer: In this situation I can recommend you a very safe option. You can get a visa support through our partner company or any other travel agency that has an office in Moscow and will be able to register your visa. Then you can buy an Aeroflot ticket with a stopover in Moscow, go on the first day to the office of the travel agency you use to register your visa, tell them that you need it to be done as soon as possible, and it will be ready in not more than 3 days. There's a possibility that it will be registered on the spot, but you should inquire the visa agency when you fill in your application. Then you can take a flight from Moscow to Novosibirsk. Maximum, this option will cost you about $150 US more (staying for 3 days in Moscow), but then you can have 3 days in Moscow and enjoy the city.
Alternatively, some visa companies can provide a special letter for you, which you can take to local OVIR in Novosibirsk to register your visa. As it will be a tourist, not a business visa, there shouldn't be any problems with that.

Question (10/03/03): "How old do you have to be to obtain a business visa? And what if you don't really want to go through getting a personal visa, but you want to stay longer than a month [tourist visa] and you aren't a part of any business?"
Answer: from 18 y.o. It's ok if you're not a part of any business, you can be a student. The business visa generally means that you come to Russia for a meeting with a Russian company. It doesn't necessarily mean you should be employed in your home country.

Question (18/03/03): "Hello, I will be visiting Moscow for a weekend only, approximately 49 hours total stay and entering and exiting from SVO. I am a U.S. Citizen and will be in Holland, where I will fly to Moscow just for the weekend arriving afternoon Friday and leaaving, back to Holland, afternoon the following Sunday. Is there any possibility of getting the Short 72-hour visa under this circumstance even though I am not from any of the listed countries but from the U.S.? Thank you. "
Answer: No, there is not. The best is to get a normal tourist visa.

Question (3/04/03): "If I apply for a tourist visa and don't exit the country on the exact day I put down am I in trouble? Is it better to apply for 20 days when you think it will be only 16 days?"
Answer: The period of your visa is a period of its validity. You can enter and leave Russia anytime between these dates. So, you are not in trouble if you exit the country before your visa expires. You are right saying that it's better to get it for 20 days, to allow yourself a bigger time span.
 
Question (19/04/03): "My Russian wife ( a US resident)owns a home in Russia. She spends the summers in Russia & I visit for 2 to 4 weeks. I soon will retire and we would like to live in Russia half the year. How can this be done?"
Answer: Yes, you can either get a 3-month private visa, single entry only (a person in Russia will have to make the private visa invitation for you, it takes 1 month and you need original). Otherwise, a simplier way is to get a business invitation (i.e. through waytorussia.net visa service page) and then get a 6-month multiple-entry business visa.

Question (1/05/03): "I would like to visit both Russia and Ukraine. I will fly from London to Moscow, stay 4 days there, and then fly to Keiv. I will stay 3 days in Keiv and then fly back to Moscow. Two days later and I will leave Moscow on my return flight to London. This raises several questions. Must I have both Russian and Ukrainian visas, and must the Russian visa be a two entry visa? If I need all of these visas for such a short trip--it really seems like a hassel. Is there some sort of visa package deal that allows a tourist to travel to all (or some)of the european fromer Soviet Union countys all on one visa? "
Answer: There's no such visa package. In your case, you need to get either two separata tourist Russian visas and a Ukrainian visa, or one Ukrainian visa and a double- or multiple entry Russian business visa (tourist visas are single entry).
All this can be obtained through our site. See Visa Support section.

Question (5/05/03): "Hi, I've noticed that when you have to fill out your visa support application, it asks which cities you plan to visit. I'm planning to go to St. Petersburg in the summer, but may also be visiting Moscow for a few days. But it's not for certain!! What happens if I don't put Moscow on my invitation application and then decide to go there? Am I breaking the law? Thanks for any help you can give me! "
Answer: My advice is to put as many cities as you can, especially if there are maximum two you will visit anyway.
The main rule is that information provided when applying for visa support, should match the information provided in Russian visa application form, and should match what you will be telling Russian immigration officials when you enter and leave the country.
Practically, if you put only St. Petersburg in your cities list, and then go to Moscow, nothing bad will happen, everybody does it. Just say you had an unplanned trip, that's all.

Question (21/05/03): " I wish to travel to the Ukraine and then to Russia sometime in the Fall. I wish to pursue a business visa so that I may return at some time within the year, but I can't begin to plan the specific dates of my travel at this time or the cities I may visit. Must I submit a precise itinerary for all my multiple visits if I seek a multiple-entry business visa?? If I enter Russia at St. Petersburg and wish to travel later to Kazan or Ykaterinburg, must I have a business invitation from each city I seek to visit? If the Russian visa is business, must the Ukraine visa be business also?"
Answer: It's better to put in the cities you are sure you will be visiting, such as Moscow and St. Petersburg and Kazan. If you travel to any other city, it is not a big problem, but it's better to put in as many as you can.
You don't have to have invitation from every city, the invitation is for Russian visa, so you get one invitation for all Russia, the cities list is needed to be able to make a registration.
Also, if Russian visa is business, Ukrainian visa can be any other, it doesn't matter, and vice versa.

Question (23/05/03): "Our visas are going to expire while we are in Russia (don't ask it's a long story). Can we get out of the country with expired visas or should we try to renew/extend them while we are there?"
Answer: Look, if you leave Russia with expired visa, customs officials may: 1) fine you at the border ($100-$1000), 2) detain you (i don't know for how long), 3) send you out of Russia, 4) you won't be able to get a Russian visa during the next 5 years. If all that is ok with you, feel free to leave with expired visas. Otherwise, I really recommend you to leave before they expire and also try to renew them, although it's much simplier (and significantly cheaper) to leave and get the new visas.

Question (28/05/03): "Hello, I'd like to visit St. Petersburg, Moscow and some city of the golden ring, (about 20 days).
With a tourist visa I need to planner the entire travel or just I neded to book the first night in hotel at St. Petersburg, and then I can day after day visit the city that I have request in my visa and stop there as I like?
Thank you"
Answer: Yes, if there are no restrictions from the issuer of your visa support. (some hostels restrict your itinerary, so better get your visa support somewhere else)

Question (29/05/03): "I am flying from London to Ulan Bator via Moscow but would like to visit Irkutsk as a tourist both before and after my trip to Mongolia before returning to London. What is the best type of visa to get and what is the easiest way to get it?"
Answer: Tourist visa, you can get the invitation letter at Visa Support page

Question (30/05/03): "Can you please help us. We want to do the Trans-Sib. to Mongolia, spend some time there and then fly back to Moscow and exit the country by train form there. What's our best option ? Since we will be entering the country twice, should we get a business visa or can we do this with two tourist visas ? Is it risky trying to get a business visa if we aren't really going there for business ? Thanks a lot. Great web site by the way."
Answer: It would be more convenient to get a double-entry business visa, but I personally would try to get two tourist visas. I recommend you to ask this question when you apply for your visa support - visa agency will recommend you the best option.

New: Question (2/06/03): "Hi, I'm a US citizen traveling to Russia with two US friends. We're entering Vladivostok from Japan in the beginning of September. It would be nice to stay for more than 30 days, so a business visa seems the way to go. So just to make sure...
1. Is it OK to travel on a business visa if we have no intention of doing "business" in Russia? Will we be asked to explain what our business is?
2. About listing the cities we will visit and providing hotel confirmations, etc....Do we have to provide names of hotels in every city we list? Is it OK to stay at different places....for example, if we arrive in a city and find a cheap hostel or homestay?
3.Is it OK to travel to different cities or villages than those we list on our visa applications? How strict is this, and when and where will this information be checked?
This is all really confusing...please help! "
Answer: Question 1 It's ok to have a business visa. In the visa application form you'll need to specify the name of the company you work (or a university where you study). Your business in Russia is usually "related" to the company you're visiting. The safest thing is to say that you have a meeting in this company (which invited you) and if asked what the nature of this meeting is you can say that it's travel, tourism, links between our countries etc. etc. In fact, you actually will have a "meeting" in the company that invites you on a business visa, because you'll need to register your visa in Russia.
Question 2: You just need to provide the names of the cities you visit, not the hotels. The inviting company will list the hotels on the invitation themselves, you will just need to know them if asked (but that happens rarely).
Question 3: Yes, it's ok, it's not written on the visa what cities you visit, so there's virtually no way for them to check it.

New: Question (6/06/03): " I am traveling to Russia this summer on a curise ship that will stop for two days at St. Pete. I will be spending the night on the ship. I am planning to go sightseeing on my own (not with the ship's tour group) -- Do I still need a visa?"
Answer: According to the agreement between cruise companies and Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, passengers of cruise ships staying in St. Petersburg port not longer than 72 hours do not require Russian visa. This applies only if St. Petersburg is not the only port you stop at during your cruise. Also, this rule DOESN'T apply for the passengers of Finnish cruise companies, because there's a kind of disagreement at the moment (June, 2003) between them and Russain officials.
In any case, I recommend you to doublecheck it with your cruise company.

New: Question (17/06/03): "Hi I am Indian I would like to have an 1year bussiness Visa how can i get it"
Answer: Unfortunately, Russian immigration laws are very strict and it's very hard for the nationals of African and Asian countries (including India, Pakistan, Malaysia, China) to get a Russian visa. The reason is that Russian immigration control organisation are afraid of a sudden increase in migration from these countries. When the situation changes, we will immediately post information about it on our site.
I myself traveled to India and it wasn't hard to get an Indian visa, so it's very sad that Indians have such difficulties in getting a Russian visa.
For now, you can either completely prebook your trip with a local travel agent or try to find an agency in Russia that will process an invitation for you. I could also recommend you to contact some Indian friends in Russia (or maybe just an Indian restaurant?) and ask them how they usually get their visas.

New: Comment (18/06/03): "This is the most lucid and candid discussion of Russian visas and visa support that I have ever seen. This is a significant help to your country and to those who want to visit or do business. Thanks."