Russian Visa Service
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WHAT TYPE OF INVITATION SHOULD YOU CHOOSE

This article will be useful to everybody who wants to visit Russia for a short period without the purpose of work using the services of our company. In this article, we will not touch upon work invitations or permanent residence permits (to do such inquiries you may contact the Federal Migration Service, dealing with cases of foreign nationals).

What invitation types there are?

Here we'll look only into types of invitations with the purpose of short stay ( no more than 90 days during 6 months)

  • Business invitation may be issued to request a single, double or multiple visas. The term of invitations can be up to 5 years. You can obtain it with the help of our company.
  • Guest invitation is issued to apply for a one-time visa. The term of invitation can be up to 5 years. Such invitation can be requested by your friend  or relative, who is a Russian citizen, at the subsidiary of FMS.
  • A tourist invitation can be issued only by an accredited tour operator. You can obtain it with our help as we are an authorized travel agency with the assigned reference number.

Voucher - advantages and disadvantages

+ voucher can be issued for any person, including the unemployed, a student, a pensioner, a child (accompanied by an adult)

+ vouchers are valid at all consulates of the Russian Federation

+ quick processing dates in comparison to business invitations

- 30 days maximum stay with a tourist invitation

- sometimes due to the consulate requirements the voucher should be sent to you directly from Russia so it takes extra time and money on shipping (you can also request to use any express delivery companies to do it, we'll charge you according to their fees).

Points to consider if you choose a business invitation

Some nuances that need to be taken into account when ordering business invitations

  • Visa issued on basis of a business invitation does not allow you to work here officially (get paid).
  • We can issue a business invitation for you only if you work in the country of residence, so the unemployed, students and pensioners cannot apply for business invitations.

There are three types of business invitations: original, electronic and telex.

What is the difference?

Original invitation is a form issued at the FMS, which is sent to you directly. Then you collect the rest of the documents yourself, take your original invitation and submit everything at the Consulate to obtain your Russian visa.

Electronic invitation is an electronic variant of the original invitation. It is a form that is issued also at the FMS and that you just need to print out and take to the consulate with you. All consulates around the world are now beginning to accept these types of invitations because it is much more convenient for everyone.

Telex - an invitation that is sent from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation directly to the Russian consulate in your country. We just give you the number of the invitation, which you report when submitting your application for a visa to Russia.

Advantages and disadvantages of original invitations:

+ Originals are valid at all consulates of the Russian Federation

+ Originals can be issued for citizens from a much larger number of countries.

- Original invitation needs to be sent to you first, so it takes extra time and money on shipping ( you can also request to use any express delivery companies to do it, we'll charge you according to their fees).

- The original is processed much longer then telex.

Advantages and disadvantages of electronic invitations:

+ These invitations can be issued for the same range of countries as the original ones

+ You get this invitation by e-mail and then just print it to submit to the consulate. No time and money is wasted on shipping.

- The processing time is not any faster than the original type.

- Some consulates still do not accept electronic invitations or take more time to process them after submission.

Advantages and disadvantages of Telex:

+ Telex is sent directly to the Consulate, thus, you save time and money on shipping.

+ Telex is issued significantly faster than the original.

- Not all consulates of the Russian Federation accept telex invitations, so it's better to check with the the consulate in your country before ordering telex.

- Telex can be issued only for citizens of EU countries, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States, Switzerland, South Korea and Japan.

Registration upon arrival in Russia

Don't forget that you must be registered within 3 days after your arrival. If you live in a hotel, the hotel workers will do it for you. If you stay at a private address, the owner of the apartment must contact FMS (or send a notice by mail to any branch of FMS) and get you registered himself/herself.

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