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Getting
a VISA to the RFE
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RUSSIAN
VISA REQUIREMENTS
(Effective March 1, 1999)
The following information
applies only to the Russian Consulate in Seattle, Washington, which
covers the states listed below: Alaska, Idaho, Iowa, Montana, Minnesota,
Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin.
Please take note that
persons from other states should apply to other Russian missions
in the USA (see their consular areas)
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| 1. |
A completed
visa application form (one per person). The form can
be obtained from the Consulate General or travel agencies or
visa services. You can download Acrobat
Reader 3.0 PDF document (62K). The form can be Xerox-copied.
Fax-copied forms are not accepted. |
| 2. |
A Xerox-copy
of vital pages of a passport or any other travel document with
personal data of the bearer. ("GREEN CARDS"
i.e. "RESIDENT ALIEN CARDS" are not valid for entry
into Russia). Diplomatic passport holders should submit the
original passport. |
| 3. |
Three (3)
recent professional identical passport size pictures of an applicant.
Diplomatic passport holders should submit only one
picture. Pictures can be black-and-white or color, preferably
on mat paper. Please cut a Xerox-copy of vital passport pages
to its original size and staple them to an upper-left corner
of the application form. Two pictures should be stapled to a
copy of the passport pages and one picture - to a specially
marked place at an upper-right corner of the application form.
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| 4. |
A letter
of invitation for a BUSINESS visa from your counterpart or sponsor
in Russia. The invitation must be from a Russian company
or a Russian joint venture, typed on its letter-head with seal
and signature of the person in charge. It should have the following
information: a registered address of the company in Russia,
the name(s), passport data & itinerary of those who are
invited. The invitation should be faxed directly to an American
counterpart. If you are going to Moscow or the Moscow region,
an invitation must be ussued only by the Consular Service of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Moscow and mailed
to you in origin. If you are invited by a 100% non-Russian company
or by a diplomatic/consular mission in Russia an invitation
must be cleared through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia,
Moscow.
For letter of invitation for
business visa, visa processing and/or travel arrangements
email REDSTAR Intl., visa processing at visa@travel2russia.com.
A copy of the confirmation for a TOURIST visa from a receiving
hotel or a joint venture in Russia. The receiving organization
must be duly registered as a tourist company in the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Moscow and be assigned a special
index. That index and a tour reference number must be indicated
in the confirmation.
For letter of invitation for
tourist visa, visa processing and/or travel arrangements email
REDSTAR Intl., visa processing at visa@travel2russia.com.
An original IZVESHCHENIE for a VISITOR's visa (a separate
one for each place of stay) - a letter of invitation issued
by a Russian local authority called OVIR. An IZVESHCHENIE
must be obtained by your relatives or friends in Russia and
sent to your address in the USA. The IZVESHCHENIE is valid
within one year from the date indicated in there. A period
of stay in Russia is shown in a special paragraph and is not
to exceed 90 days. In case of emergency (unexpected illness,
death of relatives, etc.) visa can be obtained upon submitting
a certified cable from a doctor of the clinic in Russia or
a copy of a death certificate.
For letter of invitation for
visitors visa, visa processing and/or travel arrangements
email REDSTAR Intl., visa processing at visa@travel2russia.com.
In order to get a TRANSIT visa one should first get a visa
of the state of destination and submit it to the Consulate
General along with papers mentioned in paragraphs 1, 2 &
3. A transit visa is normally valid for 72 hours only. Please
note that the Consulate General does not issue visas to any
republics of the former USSR except to Tajikistan. Please
apply to their respective Embassies/Consulates in the USA.
If you are going to Tajikistan an invitation must be cleared
through the Foreign Ministry of Tajikistan.
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| 5. |
HIV Test
(AIDS) Certificate for those who is going to get a
visa which is valid for more than 3 months. |
| 6. |
A cover letter
from a US company or from you, if you are traveling
individually, explaining who is going, where to, when and with
what purpose. |
| 7. |
To apply
for a visa by mail, you must attach a return self-addressed
stamped envelope or a prepaid air-bill of an overnight mail
delivery company you choose to have the visa sent back to you.
A pick-up slip should be got then at the time of application.
The slip should be presented to pick up the visa when it is
ready or referred to if any question arises about the visa status. |
| 8. |
A money order or a check payable
to the Russian Consulate General for visa processing.
Please note that cash is not acceptable. The following fees
will apply:
| Processing
time |
Single
entry visa |
Double
entry visa |
| 10 or more working
days |
$70.00 |
$120.00 |
| 5 to 10 days |
$80.00 |
$130.00 |
| 3 to 5 days |
$110.00 |
$160.00 |
| next day |
$150.00 |
$200.00 |
| same day |
$300.00 |
$350.00 |
| Multy-entry
visa (upon confirmation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
of Russia) |
| 3 to 5 days |
$200.00 |
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| next day |
$350.00 |
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| same day |
$450.00 |
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Exact visa processing time depends
on how busy the Consulate General is. A multi-entry visa is
issued only on the authorization of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Russia or of Tajikistan if you are going there,
which is sent directly to the Consulate General. The same
day processing applies only to the applications which are
delivered to the Consulate General before 11am and picked-up
at 12.30pm. Please note that the same day issued visa will
be valid not earlier than in three working days from the date
of issue. If one applies by mail, one extra day is added to
the visa processing time. Visa processing fees are not refundable.
Documents which are submitted in the manner
different from the above will not be accepted. Please also
note that 10 working days are required to issue visas for
a stateless person. After visa is received please check it
and if you discover any mistake return it to the Consulate
General for correction. If the visa should be extended one
must get a new invitation and submit it with the visa to the
Consulate General. We charge $40.00 for visa extension or
correction of the mistakes which are made not by the Consulate's
General fault. The Consulate General will not be responsible
for the mistakes which are not brought to its attention before
departure from the USA.
Please note that the above-mentioned
requirements are general. If you need more information please
call at (206) 728-1910 Monday through Friday from 9.30am to
12.30pm or send a self-addressed stamped envelope to get a
full set of Russian visa requirements. The instructions can
not be faxed.
The visa section is open for
visitors Monday through Friday from 9.30am to 12.30pm only.
Processing time, requirements and fees are subject to change
without notice.
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