How to apply for a Russian visa in India
How do I apply for a Russian visa in India?
- You can apply through the Russian Consulate, an official visa center or through a travel agency
- If you travel to Vladivostok, Kaliningrad or St Petersburg you can apply for an e-visa
- Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after the proposed visa expiration date and it must have at least 2 blank pages facing one another
First step - selecting your visa type and reviewing the list of requested documents
E-visa or regular visa?
The first step in applying for a Russian visa in India is to select the category of visa that you will apply for and review the list of documents requested by the Consulate. If you travel to Vladivostok, Kaliningrad, or St. Petersburg, you can apply for an electronic visa. You should fill in your electronic visa application at least 4 days prior to your trip, print out the e-visa and show it to the border officers when you enter Russia. E-visas allow you to stay in Russia for up to 8 days and only in the region it is issued for. For example, you cannot travel to Moscow with an e-visa issued for St Petersburg. Please make sure to fill in the e-visa application carefully. If there are any errors in the personal data that you entered, you will not be allowed to travel to Russia.
Applying for regular visa
To obtain a regular visa, you can apply at a Russian Consulate or the official visa center VFS Global. For example, to apply for a tourist visa, the following documents are required:
1. Visa invitation. Visa invitations can be obtained from your hotel, a travel agency or you can order one on our website using the following link.
2. Passport with no less than 2 empty pages for visas facing one another, valid for 6 months from the proposed visa expiration date.
3. Copy of the data page and address page of the passport on one side of an A4 sheet of paper.
4. Electronic Visa Application Form filled out on the official website of the Consular Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry. You can find a more detailed instruction on filling in this application form in our instruction.
5. One passport size (3.5 x 4.5 cm) photo
Second step - deciding where to apply for visa
The next step is to decide where you would like to apply for the visa. Travelers from India can apply for a Russian visa directly through a Russian Consulate or through a visa center.
Applying for Visa at the Consulate
There are 4 Russian Consulates in India:
You should decide in advance where to apply for your visa and choose the correct option when filling in the visa application:
If you prefer to apply through the Russian Consulate directly, you can schedule an appointment online using the links below:
- Schedule an appointment in New Delhi
- Schedule an appointment in Chennai
- Schedule an appointment in Mumbai
- Schedule an appointment in Kolkata
Please note that if you a traveling with family or friends, each person should schedule an appointment individually.
Applying for Visa through VFS Global
Unlike the Consulate, VFS Global does not require scheduling an appointment.
You can check the consular fees and service fees charged by VFS Global service here.
Using Full Visa Service
Alternatively, you can use our company’s Full Visa Service and we will take care of all contact with the Consulate. In this case, you send your passport and documentation to our processing centre and we take care of the rest.