6 Tips to Avoid a Visa Refusal to Russia

Our company, as a tour operator has the right to invite foreigners to Russia, and for its part provides documents that meet all the requirements of the Russian consulates, but there are cases when you still can be refused a visa.

Therefore, we have prepared a checklist of what you should remember if you seek a visa to Russia, so that your visa application won't be suddenly turned down.

1. Type of visa. Be sure to determine which invitation you need. Sometimes you can get mistaken when choosing a type of a visa invitation. For example, you've been invited for business negotiations, but to save time, you decided to get a tourist invitation. If you forget about it later while applying for a visa, you can fill in consular forms in a wrong way and compromise yourself during an interview by accidently revealing your true reason of visiting.
2. The inviting company. This problem can be caused by the mistake of the Russian side, which forgot to warn you that the organization name has changed. For example, if you decided to resort to third-party assistance in registration of a business invitation.
3. Be honest with the Consul. This tip is for you if you apply for a tourist invitation instead of a guest one. We are often approached by clients who have got a visa rejection, simply because they decided to lie about their true nature of a relationship with the inviting party (for example, you can say that you met your Russian girlfriend in person, though it's not true). Make sure your Russian friend or girlfriend is aware that the Consul may request some confirmation of what's been told, and ask similar questions to the inviting party. If the Consul suspects something, he will refuse you a visa.
4. How long it takes to issue a visa. Be sure to specify the terms of issuing a visa at the Consulate where you will apply. In some countries, though officially it is around 7 days, in fact it takes about 30.
5. Do not send your invitation directly to the Consulate. Only telex invitation is sent directly to the Consulate. But even then, you are obliged to present the number and the date of the invitation, since the Consulate will not identify it just by your name. All other invitations (tourist, business, working, guest) are sent directly to you. Then, you take the invitation with all other required documents (a passport, a photo, an application form, in some cases bank and work certificates).
6. Sometimes, the Consulate can have doubts, so you may be asked to present a payment confirmation from the hotel, so be prepared for this. If you paid for the hotel yourself, then prepare scans of a receipt.

If you order invitations at our agency, we will give you precise instructions and explain everything so that all possible risks of getting refused are minimized.