Who needs a visa to visit Russia? - Overview

Visa policy for citizens of foreign countries

If you are a citizen of EU, a country in Asia or Africa, Japan or USA you are required to obtain a visa to enter Russia. More detailed information on each of the countries is listed in the table below [source - MFA].

Citizenship

Do foreign citizens need a visa to enter Russia?

Migration Risk Level

Comments

Abkhazia

No visa required

Normal up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay of every 180

Australia

Visa required

Normal

Visa-free regime on APEC cards with the designation "RUS".

Austria

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas on diplomatic passports
No visas for aircraft crew members

Azerbaijan

No visa required

Normal

 up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Azores Islands

Visa required

Normal

  

Aland Islands

Visa required

Normal

 

Albania

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports

Algeria

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports

Virgin Islands (US)

Visa required

Normal

 

American Samoa

Visa required

Normal

 

Anguilla

Visa required

Normal

 

Angola

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports

Andorra

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay of every 180

Antigua and Barbuda

No visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay of every 180

Argentina

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Armenia

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay of every 180

Afghanistan

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

 

Bahamas

Visa required

Normal

 

Bangladesh

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 30 days without visas for diplomatic and service passports

Barbados

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

 

Bahrain

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic, service and special passports

Belize

No visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay of every 180

Belarus

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay of every 180

Belgium

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas on diplomatic passports
no visas for aircraft crew members

Benin

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports

Ivory Coast

Visa required

Normal

 

Bermuda

Visa required

Normal

 

Bulgaria

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports
without visas for crew members of ships and aircraft

Bolivia

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Bosnia and Herzegovina

No visa required

Normal

up to 30 days of uninterrupted stay

Botswana

No visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 30 days of uninterrupted stay on a common civil passport
up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports

Brazil

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Virgin Islands (US)

Visa required

Normal

 

Brunei Darussalam

No visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

up to 14 days of uninterrupted stay on civil passports
visa-free regime on APEC cards with the designation "RUS"

Burkina Faso

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports

Burundi

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports

Bhutan

Visa required

Normal

 

Vanuatu

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

United Kingdom of Great Britain

Visa required

Normal

 

Hungary

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports

Venezuela

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

East Timor

Visa required

Normal

 

Vietnam

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports
visa-free regime on APEC cards with the designation "RUS"

Gabon

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports

Haiti

Visa required

Normal

 

Guyana

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Gambia

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports

Ghana

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

 

Guadeloupe, Guyana, Martinique, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Reunion, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna, French Polynesia

Visa required

Normal

 

Guatemala

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Guinea-Bissau

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

 

Germany

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas on diplomatic passports

Gibraltar

Visa required

Normal

 

Honduras

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Grenada

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Greece

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas on diplomatic passports
no visas for aircraft crew members

Georgia

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

 

Guam

Visa required

Normal

 

Denmark

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas on diplomatic passports

The Democratic Republic Of The Congo

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

 

Djibouti

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

 

Dominica

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Dominican Republic

No visa required

Normal

up to 60 days of uninterrupted stay on civil passports.
up to 90 days for diplomatic and service passports

Egypt

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic, service and official passports

Zambia

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 90 days without visas on diplomatic passports

Zimbabwe

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

without visas on diplomatic and service passports (only for employees of official institutions of the country on the territory of the Russian Federation)

Israel

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

India

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports
no visas for aircraft crew members

Indonesia

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 14 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports
visa-free regime on APEC cards with the designation "RUS"

Jordan

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic, service and special passports

Iraq

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

 

Iran

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

up to 30 days without visas for diplomatic and service passports

Ireland

Visa required

Normal

 

Iceland

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas on diplomatic passports

Spain

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas on diplomatic passports
no visas for aircraft crew members

Italy

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas on diplomatic passports
no visas for aircraft crew members

Yemen

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

 

Cape Verde

No visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 60 days without visas on civil passports
up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports

Kazakhstan

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Cayman Islands

Visa required

Normal

 

Cambodia

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

without visas for diplomatic passports and service passports

Cameroon

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

 

Canada

Visa required

Normal

 

Canary Islands

Visa required

Normal

 

The Caribbean: Curacao, Bonaire, Saba, Sint Eustatius, the Dutch part of the island of St. Maarten and Aruba

Visa required

Normal

 

Qatar

No visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Kenya

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

 

Cyprus

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports
without visas for crew members of sea and aircraft
without visas for transit passengers - 24 hours (from the moment of arrival)

Kyrgyzstan

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Kiribati

Visa required

Normal

 

China

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

up to 30 days without visas for diplomatic and service passports without visas for members of train crews, crew members of sea, river and aircraft
up to 15 days without visas for tourist groups from 5 to 50 people. (according to certified lists and confirmations of Russian tourist organizations about admission)
without visas on APEC cards with the designation "RUS"

The DPRK

Visa required

High level risk
 (read more)

 

Colombia

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Comoros

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

 

Costa Rica

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Cuba

No visa required

Normal

up to 30 days of uninterrupted stay

Kuwait

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and special passports

Laos

No visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

up to 30 days of uninterrupted stay

Latvia

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas on diplomatic passports

Lesotho

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

 

Liberia

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

 

Lebanon

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

 

Libya

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

 

Lithuania

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas on diplomatic passports
without visas for crew members of sea, river and aircraft

Liechtenstein

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas on diplomatic passports

Luxembourg

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas on diplomatic passports

Mauritius

No visa required

Normal

up to 60 days of uninterrupted stay

Mauritania

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

 

Madagascar

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

 

Madera

Visa required

Normal

 

Macedonia

No visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

from 30 to 90 days with the original of the tourist invitation
up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports
without visas for crew members of sea, river and aircraft

Malawi

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

 

Malaysia

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

visa-free regime on APEC cards with the designation "RUS"

Mali

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports

Republic Of Maldives

No visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Malta

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 90 days without visas on diplomatic passports

Morocco

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports

Marshall Islands

Visa required

Normal

 

Mexico

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas on diplomatic and official passports
visa-free regime on APEC cards with the designation "RUS"

Mozambique

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

up to 30 days without visas for diplomatic and service passports

Moldova

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Principality of Monaco

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas on diplomatic passports

Mongolia

No visa required

Normal

up to 30 days of uninterrupted stay

Montserrat

Visa required

Normal

 

Myanmar

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports

Namibia

No visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay of every 180

Nauru

No visa required

Normal

up to 14 days of uninterrupted stay

Nepal

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports

Niger

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

 

Nigeria

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

 

Netherlands

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas on diplomatic passports
no visas for aircraft crew members

Nicaragua

No visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Niue

Visa required

Normal

 

New Zealand

Visa required

Normal

visa-free regime on APEC cards with the designation "RUS"

Norway

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas on diplomatic passports

U.A.E

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Oman

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic, service and special passports

Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

Visa required

Normal

 

Cook Islands

Visa required

Normal

 

Pakistan

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports

Palau

No visa required

Normal

up to 30 days of uninterrupted stay

Palestine

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 90 days without visas on diplomatic passports

Panama

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Papua New Guinea

Visa required

Normal

visa-free regime on APEC cards with the designation "RUS"

Paraguay

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Peru

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay
visa-free regime on APEC cards with the designation "RUS"

Pitcairn

Visa required

Normal

 

Poland

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas on diplomatic passports
without visas for crew members of ships and aircraft

Portugal

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas on diplomatic passports
no visas for aircraft crew members

Puerto Rico

Visa required

Normal

 

The Republic Of Guinea

Visa required

Normal

 

Republic Of The Congo

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

 

The Republic Of Korea

No visa required

Normal

up to 60 days of uninterrupted stay

The Republic of Cote d'Ivoire

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

 

Rwanda

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

 

Romania

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports
no visas for aircraft crew members

El Salvador

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Samoa

No visa required

Normal

up to 60 days of uninterrupted stay

San Marino

Visa required

Normal

 

Sao Tome and Principe

Visa required

Normal

 

Saudi Arabia

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

 

Swaziland

Visa required

Normal

 

Northern Mariana Islands

Visa required

Normal

 

Seychelles

No visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 30 days of uninterrupted stay

Senegal

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Saint Kitts and Nevis

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Saint Lucia

Visa required

Normal

 

Serbia

No visa required

Normal

up to 30 days of uninterrupted stay

Singapore

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports
visa-free regime on APEC cards with the designation "RUS"

Syria

Visa required

High level risk
 (read more)

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic, service and special passports

Slovakia

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports

Slovenia

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas on diplomatic passports
no visas for aircraft crew members

Solomon Islands

Visa required

Normal

 

Somalia

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

 

The Special Administrative Region Hong Kong S.A.R.

No visa required

Normal

up to 14 days of uninterrupted stay

The Special Administrative Region Macao

No visa required

Normal

up to 30 days of uninterrupted stay

Sudan

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

 

Suriname

No visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

United States

Visa required

Normal

 

Sierra Leone

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

 

Tajikistan

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Thailand

No visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay
up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports
without visas on APEC cards with the designation "RUS"

Tanzania

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

 

Turks and Caicos Islands

Visa required

Normal

 

Togo

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 90 days out of 180 without visas for diplomatic and official passports

Tokelau

Visa required

Normal

 

Tonga

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

 

Trinidad and Tobago

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

 

Tristan da Cunha

Visa required

Normal

 

Tuvalu

Visa required

Normal

 

Tunisia

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic, special and service passports

Turkmenistan

Visa required

Normal

up to 30 days without visas for diplomatic and service passports
without visas for crew members of sea, river and aircraft, as well as employees of train crews of railways, employees of intergovernmental courier communications, with appropriate certificates, persons entering to provide assistance in case of natural disasters and catastrophes

Turkey

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic passports
up to 30 days without visas for official and special passports
no visas for aircraft crew members
up to 30 days for professional drivers engaged in international road transport

Uganda

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

 

Uzbekistan

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Ukraine

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Uruguay

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Federated States Of Micronesia

Visa required

Normal

 

Fiji

No visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Philippines

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports
visa-free regime on APEC cards with the designation "RUS"

Finland

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic passports

Falkland Islands

Visa required

Normal

 

France

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas on diplomatic passports
no visas for aircraft crew members

Croatia

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports
without visas for crew members of ships and aircraft

The Central African Republic

Visa required

Normal

 

Chad

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
 (read more)

 

Montenegro

No visa required

Normal

up to 30 days of uninterrupted stay
up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports

Czech Republic

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic passports
no visas for aircraft crew members

Chile

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay
visa-free regime on APEC cards with the designation "RUS"

Switzerland

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic passports
no visas for aircraft crew members

Sweden

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic passports

Svalbard

Visa required

Normal

 

Sri Lanka

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 30 days without visas for diplomatic and service passports
no visas for aircraft crew members

Ecuador

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Equatorial Guinea

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

 

Eritrea

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

 

Estonia

Visa required

Normal

up to 90 days without visas on diplomatic passports

Ethiopia

Visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 90 days without visas for diplomatic and official passports

South Africa

No visa required

Normal

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Visa required

Normal

 

South Ossetia

No visa required

Normal

 

Jamaica

No visa required

Migration-dangerous
(read more)

up to 90 days of uninterrupted stay

Japan

Visa required

Normal

without visas for crew members of Aeroflot, Jal, ANA airlines, as well as for visiting the South Kuril Islands for certain purposes (according to lists certified by the Russian Embassy in Japan)
without visas on APEC cards with the designation "RUS"


Special visa policy

In order to enter and stay in the territory of the Russian Federation, a person holding citizenship of another State is required to obtain a visa. However, there are two exceptional cases in which a special visa policy is applied.

  1. Children who have not reached the age of 16.
    • Children under 16 years do not need a visa if they are specified in their parents’ passports and traveling with them.
    • If the child's name is not specified in the passports of his/her parents, or he/she travels alone, they must apply for a visa. Notarized consent from their parents (or guardians) is required.
    • If the child and the parent(s) have different last names, it is necessary that his/her birth certificate should be attached to visa.
  1. Passengers travelling on cruise ships.
    • Passengers of cruise ships do not need a visa during their stays at ports not exceeding 72 hours, if they spend the night aboard the ship.
    • St. Petersburg is the only destination on the route of the ship.
    • Passengers who come ashore as part of an organized tourist group do not need a visa.
    • It is forbidden to leave the ship with an expired passport or without a voucher from the host party. 
    • Citizens of foreign countries, who travel by cruise ship, wishing to go beyond the territory of ports outside organized tourist groups must possess a Russian visa (the visa decision should be made at the Embassy of the Russian Federation. Obtaining a visa in ports is not a possibility).

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Tourist Visa - e.g.: tourism, sightseeing;
  • Business Visa - e.g.: conferences, business negotiations;
  • E-Visa - e.g.: short-term visits;
  • Work Visa - e.g.: employment in a Russian company;
  • Private Visa - e.g.: visiting friends in Russia (though a tourist visa is cheaper and more effecient??).

To obtain a Russian visa you need:

  1. Fill in our online order form and get a Visa invitation to Russia
  2. Refer to our Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Russian Visa Application, use your personal data and information from the Invitation to Russia
Russian visa is required for most countries of the world, except countries of South America and some countries in the Middle East and Asia.
If you are a citizen of EU, a country in Asia or Africa, Japan or USA you are required to obtain a visa to enter Russia. More detailed information on each of the countries is listed in the table of the acricle.
In order to enter and stay in the territory of the Russian Federation, a person holding citizenship of another State is required to obtain a visa. However, there are two exceptional cases in which a special visa policy is applied and visa is not necessary.
  1. For children who have not reached the age of 16.
  2. Passengers travelling on cruise ships.

 
 
 
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