Russian Humanitarian Visa
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Requirements:
- Visa Application Form thoroughly completed online or by hand
- One Passport-size photo – 2” x 2”, white background, sharp quality, no glasses or accessories, taken in the last 6 months.
- Original passport - signed, valid for at least 6 months after the intended date of departure from Russia, with two blank visa-designated pages side-by-side.
- A letter of invitation issued by a Russian for-profit legal entity outlining the entity’s scope of activities, relationship with the applicant and purpose of the upcoming visits. Please contact our office for a sample of the invitation letter. If you are unable to obtain such a letter, we can secure one from a third party for an additional fee.
- For minor applicants – photocopies of birth certificate and both parents’ passports
- For non-US citizens – photocopies of both sides of permanent resident card, long-term US visa and/or document(s) showing current legal status in the US. Please note that if you hold dual citizenship (that of the US and another country), you must use your US passport when applying in the US.
- For those born in Russia or former USSR republics – documented proof that the applicant does not currently hold citizenship of the Russian Federation. Documents that serve as such proof vary depending on circumstances of the applicant’s immigration and include but are not limited to photocopies of immigrant visa, Soviet passport with arrival and departure stamps, US naturalization certificate, copies of passports issued in former Soviet republics after dissolution of the USSR. Please contact our office to discuss your particular situation.
Russian Humanitarian visa fees for citizens of the United States
Type of visa | Maximum validity | Processing time | Total fee |
---|---|---|---|
Multiple Entry | 3 years | 20 business days | $ 535.00 |
Multiple Entry | 3 years | 15 business days | $ 635.00 |
Multiple Entry | 3 years | 12 business days | $ 695.00 |
Notes:
- Maximum stay in Russia is up to 180 days per visit
- In order to be granted a visa with the full 3-year validity, your passport must be valid for at least 3.5 years from the date the visa needs to be valid from. If your passport expires sooner, your visa validity will be cut short, and it will expire 6 months prior to your passport’s expiration.
- If your passport is valid for less than one year from the date the visa needs to be valid from, you will be granted a visa valid for one entry within 30 days.
- If you have a still-valid Russian visa in your current passport or a second-valid passport, you can apply for a new visa no earlier than one month prior to current visa expiration, unless you apply for a different visa type or renew your passport.
- Becoming a US citizen does not make one automatically lose Russian citizenship, unless Russian/Soviet citizenship was lost in the process of immigration of formally renounced through a Russian foreign government office. If you hold dual citizenship (US and Russian), you are expected to use a valid Russian passport to visit Russia, and your Russian visa can be denied.
Please note that processing time is calculated from the next business day following receipt of your documents.