Do Moroccan citizens need a visa for Russia?
Yes, they do. Moroccan citizens need a standard visa issued through a consulate to enter Russia.
How can Moroccan citizens apply for a Russian visa?
Step 1. Getting an invitation
To apply for a Russian visa, Moroccan citizens must first obtain an official invitation. The type of invitation depends on the purpose of the trip: a tourist invitation is issued by a Russian tour operator or hotel, while a business invitation is issued by the inviting Russian organization. For a private visit, the invitation is arranged by a Russian citizen; in some cases, notarization is required. For work and student visas, the invitation is prepared by the employer or educational institution.
Step 2. Submitting the documents
After receiving the invitation, the applicant must submit the Russian visa documents to a Russian consulate by prior appointment. The applicant must attend in person.
Step 3. Receiving the passport with the visa
After the application has been reviewed, the passport with the issued visa is returned to the applicant within the timeframe set by the consulate.
Before traveling to Russia, carefully check the details on the visa: passport information, validity period, number of entries and visa category.
We recommend starting the process 4–6 weeks before the trip, but no earlier than 90 days before the planned date of entry. It is also advisable to arrange medical insurance valid for the entire stay in Russia.
Apply for an invitation
Price from $53
Main visa types for Russia for Moroccan citizens
- Tourist visa – for example, tourism and sightseeing;
- Private visa – for example, visiting friends in Russia (although it is usually more practical and cheaper to use a tourist visa);
- Business visa – for example, conferences and business meetings;
- Work visa – for example, employment with a Russian company.
Validity periods of Russian visas for Moroccan citizens
| Visa | Validity period | Purpose of entry |
|---|---|---|
| Tourist | 1–30 days | Tourism, visiting friends or relatives in Russia |
| Business | 30–90 days (up to 5 years) | Business meetings and negotiations, searching for business partners, attending conferences, long-term tourism, long-term visits to relatives in Russia |
| Private | 30–90 days | Officially arranged visits to friends living in Russia (not recommended! Find out why) |
| Work | 1–3 years | Employment in Russia or permanent residence |
Documents for a Russian visa for Moroccan citizens
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Invitation.
– Issued according to the purpose of the trip (for tourism – by an accredited tour operator or a hotel with booking confirmation; for business, work or study trips – by the host organization through the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia). -
International passport (original).
– Valid for at least 6 months after the visa expires (for tourist/business/private visas) and 18 months from the date of application (for work/student visas).
– At least two blank pages.
– Copy of the page with the photo and personal data. -
Visa application form.
– Completed electronically through the official portal of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia [1].
– Printed and signed after completion.
– All details must match the supporting documents. - Passport photo (35×45 mm, color, with the face covering 80% of the photo, against a light background, without glasses or headwear).
-
For a tourist visa:
– Confirmation of paid hotel booking for the entire period of stay in the Russian Federation and a payment receipt.
– Confirmation of booking and payment for round-trip tickets. -
HIV-negative certificate.
Required only for work and student visas valid for more than 3 months, as well as for private visas based on an invitation from close relatives, except for spouses, children and parents. In this case, the original certificate valid for three months with details of the test system must be provided. -
Medical insurance.
Medical insurance is not mandatory for Moroccan citizens applying for a visa, but we recommend that all foreign visitors have a valid policy for the trip. It covers emergency medical expenses, evacuation, loss of documents and trip cancellation, providing additional protection in unforeseen situations. -
For minors:
– Birth certificate (original + copy).
– Copies of parents’ passports.
Processing times for Russian visas for Moroccan citizens
Visa applications are reviewed by the Embassy or Consulate General of the Russian Federation. The standard visa processing time is 4 to 20 business days (most often 7–10 business days). An urgent visa may be issued within 1–3 business days for an additional fee.
How much does a Russian visa cost for Moroccan citizens?
The cost of a Russian visa is based on the consular fee, which depends on the visa type, number of entries and processing time. Additional costs may apply for related services, such as invitations or document translation.
Consular fee rates:
- Single-entry visa, 4–20 business days – $80; urgent processing, 1–3 business days – $160.
- Double-entry visa, 4–20 business days – $128; urgent processing, 1–3 business days – $256.
- Multiple-entry visa, 4–20 business days – $240; urgent processing, 1–3 business days – $480.
These amounts are provided for reference only. The final cost may vary depending on the visa category, processing time and current consular tariffs.
Tourist visa for Russia for Moroccan citizens
Moroccan citizens who plan to visit Russia for leisure and sightseeing need a tourist visa. An ordinary tourist visa may be single-entry or double-entry and is issued for up to 3 months, or multiple-entry for up to 6 months. The total stay of a foreign citizen in the Russian Federation on a multiple-entry tourist visa must not exceed 90 days in each 180-day period.
Step-by-step guide to applying for a visa for Russia
To apply for a tourist visa, Moroccan citizens must have the appropriate visa invitation.
Such an invitation can be obtained through:
- a travel company included in the Unified Register of Tour Operators and holding an individual reference number [1];
- a hotel, lodging facility or other accommodation facility included in the Unified List of Classified Hotels, Ski Slopes and Beaches.
Visa invitation for Russia from a tour operator
A tourist invitation consists of a tourist voucher and confirmation of tourist acceptance. It is issued on the letterhead of an accredited tour operator and certified by the director’s signature and the organization’s stamp. The invitation contains the following information:
- reference number and name of the travel company;
- full name and passport details of the foreign citizen;
- purpose of travel;
- travel dates;
- number of visa entries;
- planned cities of visit;
- place of accommodation.
Important: tourist visas are intended for stays in hotels or officially rented accommodation. A private address cannot be listed.
To issue a tourist invitation for Moroccan citizens, the following documents must be provided:
- a copy of the Moroccan citizen’s passport;
- confirmation of hotel booking for the entire period of stay in the Russian Federation;
- air tickets or travel itinerary confirmation.
The processing time for a tourist invitation for Moroccan citizens is 1–2 business days after payment and submission of the documents.
Apply for a tourist invitation
Price from $ 53
Business visa for Russia for Moroccan citizens
Moroccan citizens traveling to Russia for negotiations, signing contracts or searching for business partners need to apply for a business visa. The basis for this visa is a business invitation from the host party in Russia.
For Moroccan citizens, a business visa is issued on the basis of an electronic invitation from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.
Electronic invitation from the Ministry of Internal Affairs – an invitation issued on an electronic MIA form with a unique barcode. To submit visa documents, this invitation must be printed and presented to the consular office together with the other documents.
A business visa for Moroccan citizens may be issued for up to 90 days with single or double entry, or for up to 1 year with multiple entry.
The maximum stay for a Moroccan citizen in the Russian Federation is 90 days in total within each 180-day period.
Please note: as of January 2026, our company does not provide business invitation services for Moroccan citizens.
Apply for a business invitation
Price from $ 522
Private visa for Russia for Moroccan citizens
If a Moroccan citizen plans to visit Russia to see relatives or friends, they must apply for a private visa for the Russian Federation. The inviting party must arrange a private invitation or submit a statement.
There are two ways to apply for a private visa: by invitation or by statement from a close relative.
Applying for a private visa by invitation
A foreign citizen may be invited to the Russian Federation by either a private individual or a legal entity. A private individual must apply to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia at the place of their registration, while a legal entity must apply to the MIA at the place of its accreditation. Invitations for a private visa to the Russian Federation for Moroccan citizens are issued on an MIA form with an individual number. It indicates the Moroccan citizen’s details and the inviting party’s details, as well as information about the requested visa – its validity period and number of entries. The invitation takes some time to process, and if the Moroccan citizen violated Russian law during previous trips to the Russian Federation, the invitation may be refused.
Applying for a private visa by statement from a close relative
Since September 2021, Moroccan citizens who are close relatives of Russian citizens have been able to obtain a multiple-entry private visa on the basis of a written statement from a Russian citizen requesting entry for their close relative into Russia.
A visa based on such a statement can be issued for parents, spouses, children, children’s spouses, brothers and sisters, adoptive parents and adopted children, grandchildren, grandfathers and grandmothers of citizens of the Russian Federation, i.e. only for close relatives of the Moroccan citizen.
If the Russian citizen is in Russia, they must have the statement certified by a Russian notary and send the original to their close relative in Morocco.
If the Russian citizen is in Morocco, they must submit this statement in person to the consular office of the Russian Federation in Morocco.
In addition to the statement, the applicant must also provide the original or a notarized copy of the document confirming close kinship (marriage certificate, birth certificate). If the marriage was registered outside the Russian Federation or the birth certificate was issued outside the Russian Federation, the document must be apostilled and accompanied by a notarized Russian translation.
Important! The surnames of the Russian citizen in the passports and kinship documents must match.
At present, we recommend applying for a private visa if the document requirements for other visa categories are not suitable. A private invitation is issued through the Main Directorate for Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia at the place of registration of the host party.
Work visa for Russia for Moroccan citizens
Moroccan citizens may work in Russia only after obtaining a work visa. Their family members may also enter the Russian Federation on work visas. To obtain such visas, the Russian employer must arrange a work permit for the foreign employee and send it together with the invitation. The employer may need up to 1.5 months to prepare the paperwork.
Initially, a work visa is issued for 3 months. After arriving in the Russian Federation, the foreign citizen must complete migration registration. After that, the Moroccan citizen’s visa is extended until the end of the work permit validity period. The employer is responsible for ensuring that the employee completes registration and extends the visa on time.
The advantage of a work visa over other visas is that it can be extended without leaving the country. Such a visa can be extended for another year each year an unlimited number of times.
Apply for a work invitation to Russia for Moroccan citizens
Unfortunately, we do not issue work invitations. This type of invitation must be arranged by the organization inviting the foreign citizen to work. Remember: such invitations are not sold! For those who want to look for an employer in Russia, we recommend using a tourist visa.
Recommended reading: How to manage without a work visa while still having the right to stay in Russia continuously for 1 year and even up to 3 years
Where can Moroccan citizens apply for a Russian visa?
Moroccan citizens can apply for a Russian visa by submitting documents directly to the consular offices of the Russian Federation in the Kingdom of Morocco.
Russian consular offices in Morocco
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Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Kingdom of Morocco (Rabat, Souissi district):
- Address: Rabat, Souissi, 4 km Avenue Mohammed VI .
- Phone: (+212) 537-75-35-45.
- Fax: (+212) 537-75-35-90.
- E-mail: ambrusmaroc@inbox.ru, morocco@mid.ru.
- Website: morocco.mid.ru.
- Office hours: Monday–Friday: from 8:00 to 14:00.
Visitors are accepted only by prior appointment.
Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Casablanca:- Address: 31, Rue Soumaya, Palmier district, Casablanca .
- Phone: (+212)-522-25-57-08.
- Fax: (+212)-522-98-93-57.
- E-mail: cgruscasa@mid.ru.
- Website: casablanca.mid.ru.
- Office hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: from 9:00 to 12:30.
Visitors are received on a first-come, first-served basis.
Frequently asked questions
Moroccan citizens must obtain a visa before traveling; visa on arrival is not available.
-
Contact the police.
File a report about the loss or theft of the passport and obtain a certificate. Not having this document may result in fines. -
Contact the Moroccan consulate or embassy.
Find the nearest diplomatic mission and confirm the procedure for obtaining a new passport or a temporary document for returning to Morocco. -
Restore the visa and migration card, or obtain an exit visa.
As a rule, when a visa is restored, its category and number of entries remain the same. If the visa has expired or a temporary document has been issued, an exit transit visa valid for 3 to 10 days is issued.
