Russia is the largest state in the world with a population of more than 146 million people and its capital in Moscow. It belongs to Eastern Europe and the countries of Northern Asia, having a border between them in the form of the Ural Mountains.
The Russian Federation has access to the Black, Baltic, Okhotsk, Azov, Chukchi, White, Barents, Kara seas, as well as the Caspian and Laptev seas. The seas of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans are of particular interest to tourists.
Russia is located in the neighborhood of 14 countries: China, Mongolia, North Korea, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Norway, Finland, Estonia.
Russia is a multinational state: about 80.3% of the population are Russians, Tatars are in second place, Ukrainians, Bashkirs, Chuvashs, Chechens, Azerbaijanis, Ossetians, and Armenians are in third place. 75% of the population professes Orthodoxy, so the Russian state is classified as Orthodox.
Millions of tourists visit the country every year. Thus, in 2021, about 29 million foreigners entered Russia. Of particular interest is visiting the cities of the Golden Ring, the Volga, as well as areas of the Trans-Siberian Railway.
Visa to Russia: which countries need it?
Many foreigners are interested in the question of whether a visa to Russia is needed.
For most countries, Russian borders are closed without a visa. Visa-free travel is available only to the following countries: South Africa, Ecuador, Chile, Montenegro, Uruguay, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Serbia, El Salvador, Peru, Paraguay, Panama, Nicaragua, Mongolia, Moldova, Macedonia, Mauritius, Cuba, Colombia, Kyrgyzstan , Kazakhstan, Israel, Dominica, Honduras, Guatemala, Guyana, Venezuela, Brazil, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bolivia, Belarus, Armenia, Argentina, Azerbaijan.
Nature of Russia
Thus, a visa for Brazilians to Russia, as well as a number of the above countries, in accordance with the unity of the customs union, is not required. There are countries into which Russians can enter without any problems. Thus, Russians easily travel to Serbia, despite the fact that Serbs do not need a visa to Russia either.
Important! Unlike Brazilian representatives, there is a visa regime for Croats, Cypriots, citizens of Georgia and Turkey. For countries not included in this list, you must obtain a visa to travel.
Which countries are visa-free for Azerbaijan?
Before considering the list of states, it is necessary to clarify that such countries are divided into two types. The first is if a visa is not needed at all, and the second is if a visa is obtained automatically directly at the border. So, the states of the first type include mainly the CIS countries. The Azerbaijani authorities are concerned about concluding agreements with such states for a long period of stay. Holders of country passports have the right to stay in them for up to 90 days. The list of visa-free countries for Azerbaijan that citizens can visit for 3 months is as follows:
● Belarus; ● Georgia; ● Ukraine; ● Kazakhstan; ● Kyrgyzstan; ● Moldova; ● Russia; ● Ukraine; ● Tajikistan; ● Uzbekistan.
It is also worth noting a number of states that belong to the second group. In fact, visas are needed here, but in reality they are a formality. Boarding and registration are carried out using internal and foreign passports. The visa is issued directly at the airport of arrival. And here the citizens of Azerbaijan really have somewhere to go. Let's look at the list in more detail.
So, if Azerbaijani citizens want to visit Africa, there are plenty of options here. For example, the passport holder can visit Benin or Cape Verde. You can sunbathe on the island of Madagascar or relax on the Comoros Islands. In addition, the list of African states includes Malawi, Rwanda, Togo, Mozambique, Mauritius, Mauritania, Somalia, etc.
The list of Asian countries to which entry is open to Azerbaijani citizens is also quite large. For example, you can visit the Himalayas by visiting Nepal. Azerbaijani Christians can see the sacred Jordan River and legendary shrines located in Jordan. Additionally, the list of countries includes Laos, Lebanon, East Timor, Bangladesh, Qatar, Macau, etc.
Classification of visa types
There are several types of entry permit (visa) into the country:
- tourist;
- business;
- working;
- educational;
- private;
- transit.
The choice of type depends on the purpose of the trip.
The most common visa is a single-entry tourist visa, issued for 30 days.
A business or business-type visa to enter Russia is issued for a period of 30 to 90 days to resolve business issues, participate in negotiations, presentations, conferences, exhibitions and others. Such a permit excludes the possibility of employment on the territory of the Russian Federation, but no restrictions are imposed on business activities. A business visa can be single or multiple. A multiple-entry ticket is issued for unlimited visits to the country and has a validity period of 1 to 5 years.
Visa to Russia for EU citizens
Tourist in Russia
Having a work visa gives the holder the right to officially find employment, but it is necessary to have a corresponding invitation from the employer’s company. The recommended period of entry permit is 3 months.
In order to continue their studies in Russia, students need to apply for a student visa, having previously received an invitation from the educational institution. You can decide on the choice of university or college in advance by arriving in the country on a tourist visa.
Currently, there is a concept of “private visa permission”. It is issued to foreigners who are invited by a citizen of the Russian Federation. The document must include the residential address of the inviting person.
Important! It is recommended not to apply for a private visa, but to apply for a tourist visa. This step is justified by the fact that in the first case it is necessary to collect a larger number of documents, and the deadline for their registration has been increased to 90 days.
Transit is carried out with a permit of the same name, valid for 10 days.
Note! When making a transfer at Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo airports without leaving the transit zone, a foreigner can stay without a Russian visa.
Tourist visa for Serbs to Russia
The issue of a tourist visa to the Russian Federation is quite simply resolved in most countries, but the period of stay on such a visa is limited to 30 days. If you are not covered by the visa-free regime, you will have to apply for a tourist visa and pay the consular fee. To open such a permit, you will need the help of a travel agency.
An invitation for a Serbian citizen tourist to Russia is issued by a tour operator registered in Russia. Despite the absence of an established sample of this document, there is a list of mandatory data that must be present in the invitation. The information is standard for any tourist visa to the Russian Federation for a foreigner and includes personal data, tour operator details, departure dates and intended route.
How to apply
There are several ways to apply for a visa:
- when submitting an application to the Russian Consulate;
- when submitting an application to a visa center;
- through a tour operator.
When applying to the Consulate, the only advantage for the applicant will be significant savings in money. For 2021, the cost of obtaining a visa with a standard package of services costs 2,200 rubles (for comparison at the visa center - 3,700 rubles).* Disadvantages include:
- pre-registration indicating a specific day and time;
- passing an interview;
- lack of courier service for document delivery.
Work visa to Russia for foreigners
Visa application
At the visa center you can obtain several permits at the same time. The daily work of the institution does not require prior registration, which is convenient if it is impossible to plan your time. The only drawback is the high prices for services.
The leader in the high cost of obtaining a visa is considered to be a travel agency, but in this case the operator does all the work for the applicant.
Documents for visa application
The list of required documents includes:
- a printed or filled out online application form of the applicant with his signature and photograph;
- original passport;
- printed visa support (invitation) to the Russian Federation;
- a completed certificate of insurance for the person during the trip;
- applicant form, filled out on site or electronically.
The inviting party may be:
- educational institution;
- individual;
- foreigners with a residence permit in the Russian Federation;
- organizations and companies interested in employment;
- highly qualified specialists occupying significant positions (in case of invitation for relatives).
When traveling with children, a separate passport must be issued for each child. There is no exception even for those traveling with infants. If the child is registered in the parents’ international passport, then a separate document is not required.
Important! In order to avoid suspicious situations, it is better to be prepared to present the birth certificates of your children.
According to Article No. 20 of the Federal Law of the Russian Federation, crossing the Russian border by a child without parents is possible at the discretion of the border service. Therefore, this issue should be clarified on site in advance.
Visa to Russia
Visitor visa from Serbia to Russia
If you are going to the Russian Federation to visit relatives, you will definitely need a visa, which is usually called a private or guest visa. To open it, you must receive an invitation from a Russian citizen, duly executed on government forms at the Federal Migration Service.
After drawing up the invitation and sending it to the consulate, all you have to do is bring the necessary documents confirming your identity. With a correctly drawn up invitation, obtaining a visitor visa for a stay of up to 90 days in the country is a simple and formal process.
Transporting animals into Russia
When traveling with pets, it is mandatory to vaccinate them against rabies.
Note! The first rabies vaccination is allowed for individuals when they reach 3 months from the date of birth. After the procedure, 1 month is required to study the reaction. Therefore, theoretically, it will not be possible to bring a newborn animal across the border.
Transportation of animals
The following must be shown at the border as accompanying documents:
- veterinary passport, which indicates the age of the pet and the presence of vaccinations against rabies and distemper;
- certificate from a veterinary clinic in form No. 5a.
Rosselkhoznadzor has established rules that relate to the vaccination of dogs and cats:
- Vaccinations against rabies and panleukopenia are required for cats;
- for dogs - from rabies, plague, hepatitis, enteritis, leptospirosis, adenoviral infections.
According to the latest security requirements, all animals except dogs and cats must have a built-in chip.
If you suspect that animals are being transported for commercial purposes, you must show the inspector a paper stating that the price of live cargo is less than 1000 ye*
Near Abroad
Visa-free entry into the Russian Federation seems to be the easiest for citizens of the Commonwealth of Independent States, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. They are those who can stay on Russian territory without a visa for longer than three months, but this requires a compelling reason - permission to study at a university or work, a trade patent certificate, and others. Such foreigners are considered to have arrived in the Russian Federation in a manner that does not require a visa.
Since 2015, a new law has been in force in the Russian Federation, according to which you can only enter the country if you have a foreign passport. It applies to all states, with the exception of member countries of the Customs Union (Belarus and Kazakhstan), as well as Ukraine. At the moment, bills are being proposed to complicate the procedure for entering the country for Ukrainians.
Reasons for visa refusal
According to Russian law, permission to enter the country can be denied for the following reasons:
- incomplete package of documents;
- incorrectly completed papers;
- the applicant’s passport expires earlier than 6 months;
- lack of accompanying documents for animals;
- information provided that does not correspond to reality.
To appeal the decision, you must bring the documents into proper form and contact the Russian Consulate.
Thus, the rules for processing entry into the Russian Federation are no different from those in other states. Only law-abiding citizens are allowed to enter the territory of the Russian Federation if all rules are followed.
*Prices are current as of August 2021.
Types of visas to the country
By mutual agreement in 2010, visas to Brazil for Russians were abolished. Anyone can travel freely around the country with a valid foreign passport. The only limitation is the number of days. You can stay in the country visa-free for a total of 90 days (multiple entries are allowed) within six months. The countdown starts from the day you first cross the Brazilian border. If a traveler uses 90 days immediately on the first trip, the next one will be allowed only after six months have passed from the date of first entry into the country.
Not all visas fall under the terms of the Agreement. There are a number of cases when a visa is still required. This applies to the need for long-term trips (over 90 days), trips for the purpose of conducting paid activities, and more. The categories of visas for which registration at the Embassy is required are discussed in more detail below. For Belarusians, a visa to Brazil is opened under the same conditions as for Russians. Since 2021, Brazil and the Republic of Belarus have concluded an Agreement on the mutual abolition of short-term visas.
