Russian Federation
Visa Russian Federation
Europe · Europe de l’Est
In Russia, the portal selected is that of the consular department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, devoted to the unified electronic visa. The pages consulted on 2026-09-17 describe an application filed from a personal account on the website or the mobile application, a validity of 120 days from issuance, a stay limited to 30 days and a single entry. The other visa categories are not covered by that portal.
The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.
Machine-assisted draft, reviewed by a person on 23 September 2026. Only the authority cited is authoritative.
Published on 23 September 2026 · Reviewed by vg_admin on 23 September 2026 · Sources consulted on 17 September 2026
At a glance
- Authority
- Consular department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (Консульский департамент МИД России)
- Submission channel
- Online, from a personal account created on the consular department's website or from the ministry's mobile application
- Electronic visa
- Yes: the portal consulted is that of the unified electronic visa, issued without any paper file being submitted
- Portal language
- Russian and English (English version consulted)
Do you need a visa?
Choose a nationality to see the recorded entry rule. No answer is shown until reviewed data exists.
Documented visa types
- "Unified electronic visa"
- According to the portal: private or business visit, tourism, participation in scientific, cultural, sociopolitical, economic or sporting events. Single-entry visa, valid 120 days, stay of 30 days at most. Official page (new tab)
Where and how to apply
The consular department portal states that the application for a unified electronic visa is filed online: a personal account must be created on the website, or the ministry's mobile application must be used. Payment is made by bank card.
The portal sets a filing window: the application may be sent neither more than 86 days nor less than 4 days before the planned date of entry into the Russian Federation. The consular page consulted repeats that minimum period of 4 calendar days before entry.
Steps in the procedure
- Check that the purpose of travel is among those covered by the unified electronic visa.
- Create a personal account on the consular department's website, or use the ministry's mobile application.
- Complete the application form and upload the image files requested.
- Pay the fees by bank card.
- Send the application within the window provided: no earlier than 86 days and no later than 4 days before the planned date of entry.
- Await the decision, which the portal announces within a period not exceeding 4 calendar days from filing.
Documents mentioned by the authority
- Machine-readable passport, valid and valid for at least six months.
- Digital photograph of the passport data page, in JPEG format.
- Digital photograph of the face, in JPEG format, complying with the requirements stated by the portal.
- Bank card for payment of the fees.
The exact list depends on the visa type and on the situation; only the official page is authoritative.
Stated fees and processing times
According to the consular page consulted on 2026-09-17, the total amount is "about 52 USD" — about 52 United States dollars. The page specifies that it covers the consular fee, the bank commission, the payment system's transaction costs and the costs of the prior verification of the documents. For children under six, only the payment system's transaction costs are due, that is "about 2 USD".
According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-17, the application is examined within a period not exceeding 4 calendar days from filing. The application must be sent no earlier than 86 days and no later than 4 days before the planned date of entry.
After the decision
The decision rests with the consular department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The unified electronic visa is valid 120 days from its issuance; the stay authorized on that basis may not exceed 30 days from entry, and the visa is valid for one entry only.
The pages consulted detail neither the grounds for refusal, nor the avenues of appeal, nor the conditions for extending the stay.
Published procedures
No reviewed and published procedure for Russian Federation to date. We prefer an empty page to an invented requirement.
Explore proceduresFrequently asked questions
Is a visa required to travel to Russia?
It depends on nationality and on the purpose of travel; the rule reviewed by VisaGuideline is shown with the nationality selector on this page. Always check with the authority.
Where is the application filed?
Online, from a personal account created on the website of the consular department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or from the ministry's mobile application.
How long is the unified electronic visa valid?
According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-17, it is valid 120 days from its issuance, authorizes a stay of 30 days at most from entry and is valid for one entry only.
When should the application be filed?
According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-17, the application must be sent no earlier than 86 days and no later than 4 days before the planned date of entry. Examination takes at most 4 calendar days from filing.
How much does the unified electronic visa cost?
According to the consular page consulted on 2026-09-17, the total amount is about 52 United States dollars, covering the consular fee, the bank commission, the transaction costs and the prior verification of the documents. For children under six, only the transaction costs are due, that is about 2 dollars.
What documents must be provided?
According to the portal, a machine-readable passport valid for at least six months, a digital photograph of the passport data page, a digital photograph of the face and a bank card for payment.
Official sources
Consulted sources
Official pages read to write this guide, with the date they were read. A page may have changed since: check it before taking any step.
- Processing of an e-visa - Consular department of MFA of the Russian Federation (new tab) read on 17 September 2026
- On the issuance of unified electronic visas (new tab) read on 17 September 2026
What this guide does not know yet
Points the official source does not specify and which this guide therefore left blank. Ask the competent authority about them before filing an application.
- The portal selected covers only the unified electronic visa: the other categories of Russian visa, their conditions and their submission channel were not read and are therefore not described here.
- The amount of 52 dollars is presented by the page as an order of magnitude, subject to exchange rate variations; the consular fee itself is not isolated.
- On the pages consulted, the portal does not specify whether the fees are refunded in the event of a refusal.
- The grounds for refusal and the avenues of appeal are described on none of the pages consulted.
- The consular page cited is that of a Russian representation abroad, on the same domain as the portal; a reviewer must check whether the authority publishes those same amounts on a central page.
Prepare my case
This method is the same for every destination. It does not list any document as an official requirement: only the authority’s source is authoritative.
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Describe your situation
Nationality, residence, purpose and dates. The checker tells covered routes apart from situations that are still unknown.
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Check at the source
Open the destination’s official source and compare it with your situation before starting a procedure.
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Track what is left to do
Your space keeps your answers and your declared checklist. A complete checklist does not announce a favorable decision.
The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.