Russian business visa for foreigners

Getting a business visa to the Russian Federation for foreigners

A business visa to the Russian Federation for foreigners is a popular choice, as it opens up more opportunities compared to tourist or private visas.

We issue business invitations in two ways:

1. Through the Department of issuing invitations to foreign citizens at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation on behalf of our company accredited with the department;
2. By assisting the client’s company in obtaining registration with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, followed by issuing invitations directly on its behalf.
   
   Invitations issued in any of these two ways are guaranteed to be accepted in all Russian consulates abroad as the grounds for a business visa.

The costs and terms of a getting a commercial invitation for foreigners.

Business invitations

Validity periods of Russian business visas

The main advantage of getting a business visa to Russia is its validity period - it can be issued for a period of up to one year, but has a standard restriction: the actual period of stay of a foreigner on the territory of the Russian Federation can be no longer than 90 days within a 180-day period. In addition, an important parameter is the possible number of entries during the period of validity of the visa. The business visa can be:

• Single-entry valid for 1 month or 3 months;
• Double-entry valid for 1 month or 3 months;
• Multiple entry valid for up to 1 year period.

You need a business visa to Russia if:

• The purpose of a trip is a business visit to the Russian Federation – negotiations, contracts signing, participation in exhibitions, conferences or other meetings and events of a business nature;
• Foreign specialists are being invited as consulting experts when installing or maintaining imported equipment installed on the territory of the Russian Federation;
• A foreign citizen who already has a business visa has to take their family members with them;
• You are a foreign citizen who plans to stay on the territory of the Russian Federation for more than one month, or simply wants to be able to enter the territory of the Russian Federation more than once. It is possible to issue a commercial invitation, even if the foreigner does not yet have an invitation from a company in the Russian Federation, since we can also arrange the invitation on our own behalf.

Getting a business visa to the Russian Federation

Overall, the process of obtaining a business visa to Russia is not very different from the procedure for obtaining other types of Russian visas, and consists of the following steps:

Step I. Getting a business invitation

A business invitation to Russia is a mandatory document for obtaining a business visa. A business invitation to the Russian Federation can be issued in electronic form (telex). Unlike the hard copy, a digital invitation or a telex does not require sending any documents by mail, instead, it is sent directly to the consulate in electronic form as soon as all checks are completed and it is ready. Upon sending the electronic invitation, we will send you an e-mail with the information about the telex, which will contain the telex number and the date when the telex arrives at the consulate. This information must be included in the form for obtaining a business visa.

Step II. Applying for a Russian business visa at the Russian Consulate.

You have to consult the consular office of the Russian Federation or their official website for the full information about the necessary documents, the time of processing a visa, and the size of the visa fee. In order for to receive a business visa to the Russian Federation, the following set of documents must be provided:

1. passport;
2. business invitation issued by a company located on the territory of the Russian Federation;
3. completed application form from the official website of the consulate;
4. photograph;

In addition, at the consulate, when issuing a business visa, documents such as a cover letter issued by the inviting company may be requested. It is not uncommon for foreigners to apply for a business visa to Russia in a country that is not the country of their citizenship. Remember, that a foreign citizen has the right to apply for a Russian business visa at any Russian consulate outside the Russian Federation. In this case, however, in a number of countries, they would be required to provide a documented permit for continued residence in the state of application for more than 90 days.

Sample commercial (business) visa to Russia

Photo business visa to Russia

Stage III. Register your business visa upon entering the Russian Federation

After obtaining your business visa, you need to take care of the registration. Under the current law, foreign citizens are required to register at the place of their residence within 7 working days, not counting the entry day. It is important to note that if you have a multiple-entry business visa, you will have to register every time after you cross the border.

A business visa to Russia for foreigners is the most convenient type of visa to obtain, because it has a wide range of features. We make different types of invitations for obtaining a business visa to the Russian Federation for foreign citizens and assist them in the registration.

See also: Business invitations to Russia for foreign citizens