Business visa to Russia for foreigners

Features of a business visa

A business visa to Russia is a standard sticker in a foreign passport. The sticker states the following:

• expiration date and frequency of entry document;
• number of days of stay;
• basic information about the visitor (first and last name, gender, date of birth);
• details of the visitor's passport;
• purpose of trip (business);
• name of the host organization.

Some people confuse a business visa with a work visa. The key difference is that with a business visa you cannot get a job and receive a salary in the Russian Federation.

To find out more, read the article:
Work visa to Russia.
Business visas to Russia for foreigners are divided into: single-entry, double-entry and multiple-entry.

With a single-entry visa, you can enter Russian territory only once. If you have a double-entry visa, you are allowed to cross the border of our country 2 times. A multiple-entry business visa to Russia allows any number of entries and exits. You can travel throughout the validity period of your visa sticker.

The maximum period of validity of a business visa is:

• 3 months if a single/double document was issued;
• 1 year if a multi-visa is granted (multiple-entry business visa to Russia);
• 3 years if a multiple visa is issued to a US citizen;
• 5 years if a multi-visa is granted to a citizen of the European Union.

At the same time, the permissible length of stay on any business visa is a maximum of 3 months for each six months.

Procedure for obtaining a business visa

Obtaining permission to enter the country for business is practically no different from obtaining tourist or visitor visas. With a few exceptions: to register, you must provide an invitation (telex or original) from business partners or another official document that could confirm the purpose of the visit.

Traditionally, business visas are processed by:

• consulates or consular departments at embassies;
• accredited visa centers;
• travel agencies, specialized agencies.

The procedure for obtaining a business visa largely depends on the country to which the visit is planned. Despite attempts to unify the process of issuing entry permits for business and a number of general points, the consulates of some countries may put forward their own migration requirements for paperwork and the provision of additional documents.

A business trip to China can only be arranged at the consulates of this country and at those visa centers that are accredited with them. The standard visa processing time is 7 calendar days. There is an additional fee for urgent processing (within 3 days) and express processing (per day). Reception schedules and information on the need for pre-registration are available on the official websites of Chinese consulates and embassies.

Russian business visas are issued at the consulates of the Russian Federation in the countries of residence of the applicants within up to 7 calendar days (for telex invitations from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation - from 1 to 2 days) from the date of submission of documents.

Registration of a business visa to the countries of the Schengen zone is the same for all member states of the Agreement. You can get it at the representative office of any of them. When submitting an application, the applicant must be personally present to submit biometric data. If you have already submitted your fingerprints for a Schengen visa after 14.09. 2021, then documents can be submitted by an authorized representative. The waiting time for a visa is from 5 to 10 days.

To obtain a business visa to the United States, you must schedule an interview at the embassy. This can be done by first filling out the online form DS-160 and paying the state fee.

The usual waiting period is about 14 days. When visiting, you must bring the entire package of documents with you. The decision is made directly at the interview. Fingerprints are also taken here (not required for persons under 14 and over 80 years of age). If the answer is positive, the visa will be issued within three working days after the interview.

List of required documents for obtaining a business visa

To obtain a business visa, you will need to provide a standard package of documents:

• invitation (for obtaining a Russian and US business visa, invitations can be of three types: on the letterhead of the migration authority, by letter and by telex). This document is decisive when opening a visa. It must contain information about the route, date of invitation and length of stay, name and address of the inviting organization;

• visa application;
• a foreign passport valid for the entire period of travel or more (for example, in the USA, Russia - for 6 months, in Poland - for 3 months, in Hungary - 105 days);
• color photo 3.5 x 4.5 cm, white background (in China, from 01/01/2021, changes have been made to the photo requirements;

• civil internal passport;
• confirmation of payment of state duty;
• confirmation of the authenticity of the trip (passport details of the inviting individual, registration number, address - for a legal entity);
• insurance policy;
• hotel reservation, etc.

Consulates may require additional documents. Thus, to obtain a US visa, you must provide at the interview, in addition to the listed papers, a printed page of the DS-160 questionnaire, a copy of confirmation of the interview appointment, and an email address.

To obtain a business permit in China, you will need a form V. 2021.

You will also need a certificate from your place of employment indicating your salary for the last six months, on company letterhead with a seal.

When applying for permission to enter the Schengen countries, you will need a questionnaire.

What could be the purpose of the visit?

A business visa to Russia for foreigners is issued for the following purposes

:

• business
  (search for business partners, participation in consultations and negotiations, issues of expanding business relations);
• commercial
  (signing contracts, prolonging existing contracts, participating in business exhibitions and auctions, studying the product market, conducting marketing research);
• for maintenance
  (conducting consultations during installation or maintenance of unique equipment purchased by the Russian side);
• for receivers
  (for the purpose of exercising control during the purchase and sale or acceptance of any materials/equipment);
• for crews
  of airliners, trains, ships;
• for drivers
  of cargo/passenger vehicles.

Sample of a commercial (business) visa to Russia

How to determine the purpose of the trip to obtain a business visa?

Here are the main ones:

BUSINESS:

Visiting commercial and government structures for meetings, congresses, symposiums on trade and economic topics, as well as for the purpose of improving professional qualifications and training in special institutions and commercial structures that have received accreditation from the relevant department.

• Single or double entry up to 3 months, multiple entry – up to 12 months

A COMMERCIAL:

Purely commercial purposes: meetings with suppliers, conclusion and renewal of contracts, participation in commercial exhibitions and auctions.

• Single or double entry up to 3 months, multiple entry – up to 12 months

MAINTENANCE:

Visiting Russia for installation, repair and other maintenance of equipment that was supplied by foreign (foreign) companies. Specialists of this kind are not hired for permanent work, so there is no need to obtain (register) special permits and work visas.

• Single or double entry up to 3 months, multiple entry – up to 12 months

ACCOMPANYING FAMILY MEMBER:

Visiting the Russian Federation as a close relative (children, spouse, parents) who accompanies (enters together) a foreigner who has a work or business visa to Russia.

• The type and duration of the visa corresponds to the visa of the foreigner being accompanied.

CREW MEMBER:

Entry into Russia as workers (employees) of aircraft and ships, as well as members of train crews. These are Stewardesses, conductors, captains, etc.

• Single or double entry up to 3 months, multiple entry – up to 12 months

DRIVER:

This purpose of entry includes foreign citizens who directly carry out cargo transportation in commercial vehicles.

• Single or double entry up to 3 months, multiple entry – up to 12 months

In addition to the above, the following purposes for a business visa can be noted: adoption, treatment, business trip, media, negotiations, etc. We will help you choose the right purpose for your trip!

How to apply for a business visa?

So, how to get a business visa to Russia for foreigners? To do this, foreign citizens need to submit an application to the consular offices of the Russian Federation at their place of permanent residence. The British apply to consulates on British territory, Canadians - on Canadian territory, etc. Each applicant will need to: prepare a set of documentation and pay a consular fee (its amount depends on the citizenship of the applicant).

The package of documentation required upon request includes:

1. Business invitation to Russia received from the Russian Federation.
2. A fully completed application form. It is filled out online on the website of the Consular Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If it is not possible to enter data into the application form online, you are allowed to fill out a regular paper application form (printed or by hand).
3. Recently taken photo cards (2 identical, color or b/w). The size of the pictures is 35 by 45 mm. Photos wearing dark glasses will not be accepted. Cards on which the applicant is photographed wearing a headdress are also not suitable (unless the headdress is worn for religious/national reasons).
4. Original international passport (ordinary/official/diplomatic) or other identification document that is recognized by the Russian Federation in this capacity. Make sure your passport has at least 2 blank pages. And check the validity period of the document. It must be six months or more as of the expiration date of the business visa.

Hotel apartment reservations or other housing guarantees are not required for the duration of the visit. However, applicants from “problem” states may be asked to present a letter of guarantee from the host country.

Business visa

A business visa to Russia (also called a business visa to Russia) is the most popular type of visa to Russia after a tourist one.

Its advantages are a wide choice of terms (up to 5 years) and purposes of travel, as well as in the absence of the need to book a hotel or hotel as is the case with a tourist visa. A business visa to Russia is intended for visiting the Russian Federation by foreign business partners of Russian organizations who are staying for commercial purposes:

A business visa to Russia is an insert into a foreign citizen’s passport, which is protected from forgery and contains information about the duration and frequency of the visa, the purpose of the trip, the foreigner’s passport details, as well as information about the inviting party. A business visa is issued at a consular office of the Russian Federation upon presentation by a foreign citizen of a business invitation to Russia, paid consular fee and a completed visa application form. If citizens from migration-risk countries apply for a business visa, I may also require a letter of guarantee from the inviting company.

A business visa to Russia varies both in terms of frequency and validity, as well as in the purpose of the foreign citizen’s trip. According to the frequency of entry, a business visa to Russia is: - Single entry - a foreigner is allowed one entry into the Russian Federation during the validity period of the visa. — Double entry - accordingly, a foreign citizen can arrive in Russia, leave and re-enter while the visa is valid. — Multiple entry (also called multivisa) — an unlimited number of entries into the territory of the Russian Federation during the validity of the visa.

Depending on the validity period of a business visa to Russia, it can be:

• for 30 days (Single or double entry)
• for 90 days (Single, double, multiple)
• for 180 days (Multiple)
• for 365 days (Multiple)
• for up to 3 years (Multiple) - for US citizens
• for a period of up to 5 years (Multiple) - for citizens of European Union countries
• In some cases, a business visa may be for the maximum possible number of days. This happens when there is not enough time before the foreign citizen’s passport expires. In accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation, the validity period of a foreign citizen’s passport must be 6 months longer than the expiration date of the visa. For example, if a foreign citizen’s passport expires after 11 months, he will only be able to obtain a visa for 5 months (150 days).

Business visa to Russia also varies according to the purpose of the trip. The purpose of the trip depends on the intended actions of the invited foreign citizen on the territory of the Russian Federation. Thus, for any of the following actions of a foreign citizen, the type of visa will be ordinary - business, and the purpose of the trip: business, commercial, maintenance, crew member, driver, receptionist or accompanying family member.

An invitation for a business visa can only be issued by a legal entity registered in the prescribed manner on the territory of the Russian Federation and accredited by the Main Directorate for Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the DCS of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Depending on the method of registration, a business invitation can be issued in four different forms:

An invitation is issued only after the information about the invited person is checked to ensure that he has no violations (administrative penalties, forced expulsions, criminal records) during previous stays in Russia. If it turns out that there have been violations, the inviting party will be given an official refusal to issue an invitation with information about the violation and the signature of the official who issued the refusal.

Some consulates allow you to obtain a visa to Russia using a copy (scanned) of the invitation, but most will still require you to provide the original; in such cases, the received invitation on the letterhead of the Main Department of Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs must be sent to the foreign citizen. If necessary, our company will send the received invitation to the address you specified using any express delivery service convenient for you (DHL, EMS, TNT, Pony Express, etc.).

• Letter of invitation - This method of registration is possible only in the case of inviting a foreign citizen from a country with which the Russian Federation has a simplified visa issuance regime (EU countries, USA). It is drawn up directly by a legal entity accredited by the Main Directorate for Migration and Migration on the organization’s letterhead and represents an application for a visa to a foreign business partner at a consular office of the Russian Federation. The disadvantages of this type of invitation include the rather long period for issuing a visa at some embassies or consulates of the Russian Federation (up to 10-12 days). This period is explained by checking the data of a foreign citizen and requesting information about the inviting party

• Telex - Represents an instruction via an internal communication channel to the Russian Embassy abroad sent from the Russian Foreign Ministry. The foreign citizen is informed only of the individual invitation number and the details of the inviting organization (for filling out a form at the embassy). He must provide the number directly when applying for a visa. The advantage of this method is that there is no need to send the original invitation.

To issue a business invitation, our company’s specialists need the following documents: 1. A copy of the foreign citizen’s passport. 2. A completed application form for issuing an invitation 3. A copy of the previous visa to Russia (if any) 4. In case of receiving a visa in a country of which the invited person is not a citizen, a copy of the residence permit in the country in which the visa will be received. 5. When issuing invitations for a foreign citizen with a minor accompanying family member (son or daughter), a copy of the birth certificate is required. You can find out about the terms and prices for issuing business invitations here or by consulting with our managers by phone.

Features of a business invitation

Only a legal entity registered in the Russian Federation and accredited by the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Main Directorate for Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs has the right to issue an invitation for a business visa to Russia. A business invitation can be requested in any of three options (whichever is more convenient for the applicant):

• Telex.
  This is a business invitation in the form of an order, transmitted via internal communication from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the corresponding consular office. It is enough for a foreigner to know information about the host enterprise and the invitation number. This information will be needed to fill out the visa application. Telex invitations are ready – 6–13 business days. days.
• A letter from a company/organization.
  This type of business invitation is provided only to citizens of those world powers with which the Russian Federation has concluded an agreement on a simplified visa regime (for example, EU states). If a visa application is submitted by citizens of developed countries, a copy of the invitation letter is sufficient for the consular service. The production time for a business invitation is only 1 working day. day.
• On the official letterhead of the GUVM
  . Russian consulates do not accept photocopies of invitations in this format. The foreigner is sent the original document by express mail. Reviewing requests for business invitations from applicants from “non-problem” countries takes from 6 to 12 working days. days. For everyone else – 1 month.

To obtain any type of invitation for a business visa to Russia through our company, you will need a minimum of documentation. Read the details: Business invitation to Russia.

Business visa to Russia for foreigners

To obtain a commercial visa , you will need an invitation to Russia, which can only be issued by a legal entity that is registered on the territory of the Russian Federation and has accreditation with the DCS of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation or the Federal Migration Service.

Read more: Types of invitations to Russia.

Such an invitation can be issued in the following formats:

• FMS form;
• letter from the organization;
• Telex.

A business invitation on the letterhead of the Federal Migration Service is issued by the Office of the Federal Migration Service on the basis of an application and documents submitted by a representative of the inviting organization. After the inviting party receives a business invitation, it must send the original to the invited foreigner by express mail (DHL, EMS, etc.). In some consular offices you can obtain a visa using a copy of the invitation, but consular officers have the right to demand the original.

Read more: Form of the Federal Migration Service

Gives the right to stay in the Russian Federation for a period of 1 month to 1 year. The processing time for such an invitation is from 6 to 12 working days for non-migration-risk countries and 30 calendar days for migration-risk countries. An invitation from the Federal Migration Service must always be submitted in the original to the consulate of the Russian Federation, i.e. it must be sent by mail. You can find prices on our website.

A business invitation issued on the letterhead of the Federal Migration Service contains the following information:

• passport details of the foreigner;
• the purpose of his trip to Russia and specific dates;
• information about the inviting organization;
• indicate the cities that the foreign citizen plans to visit (up to 5 names);
• individual invitation number, date of issue of the invitation;
• form number;
• signature of the official and seal of the FMS branch.

Before issuing an invitation, the foreign citizen’s data is checked for administrative penalties, criminal records or deportations from Russia in his previous visits. If such facts are discovered, the invitation will be refused in writing, indicating the reason for the refusal and signed by an official.

Only a legal entity accredited by the Federal Migration Service can send an invitation letter to a foreign citizen . Such an invitation is issued on the letterhead of the inviting organization and represents a petition to the consular office of the Russian Federation to issue a visa to a foreign citizen. This method of issuing invitations is provided only for citizens of those states with which the Russian Federation has a simplified visa issuance regime (this includes the USA and EU countries).

Read more: Letter of invitation on the letterhead of an accredited company

The production time for such an invitation is only 1 business day. The cost is also low. But in many countries (except developed ones), the original of such an invitation letter is required, which means it must be sent by mail. May give the right to stay in Russia for a period of 1 month to 3 years (only for EU citizens, except the UK and Denmark).

After presenting such an invitation letter at the consular office, at least 10-12 days will pass before the visa is issued. This period is explained by checking whether the foreign citizen has fines, criminal records or deportations, as well as checking information about the inviting organization.

Read more: Why Telex or an invitation from the Federal Migration Service when you can take an invitation for an organization

Telex – an instruction from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to a consular office via an internal communication channel. In this case, the foreigner does not need a paper invitation. He is only informed of the invitation number and information about the inviting organization, which he will have to indicate in the visa application form. Issuance times range from 6 working days to 13 working days. You can see prices and buy a TELEX invitation on our website.

Read more: Telex MFA

If you want to make a business invitation with our help, you need to provide the following documents:

1. a completed application for an invitation;
2. a copy of the foreigner's passport;
3. a copy of his previous visa to the Russian Federation (if he has one);
4. if a foreigner plans to obtain a Russian visa in a country of which he is not a citizen, then he will need to provide a copy of a residence permit in this country;
5. if you need to make an invitation for a foreigner who will be accompanied by a minor child, you will also need to provide a copy of his birth certificate.

Read more: How does Telex differ from an original invitation?

Issue a business invitation to Russia for foreign citizens

Proceed to issue a business invitation from the organization

Go to the registration of a business invitation from the Federal Migration Service

Proceed to issue a business invitation by Telex

Qualified assistance from VITA Travel

Visa specialists are ready to help you obtain a business visa to Russia. Receiving it with our support will be fast, hassle-free and fairly inexpensive. The total cost consists of 3 amounts:

• issuing an invitation;
• consular fee;
• payment for our services.

To use our help, you can order a call or write to an online chat right now. Experienced specialists will tell you in more detail about how to obtain a business visa and business invitation specifically in your case. The result of contacting us will be a visa successfully inserted into your passport, which will open up wide opportunities for you to do business with Russian partners.

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List of required documents

An invitation is a determining document when applying for a business visa . The invitation indicates the route, date of stay and duration, name and address of the organization that invites the foreigner.

In addition, you must provide:

• a foreign passport, the validity of which does not expire during the trip and will continue for some time after it (from 1 to 6 months);
• color photo measuring 3.5 x 4.5 cm with a white background;
• internal passport;
• receipt of payment of state duty;
• insurance;
• hotel reservation confirmation;
• full information about the inviting party.

Some other documents are provided by citizens upon request from the consulate. You may need a certificate from your place of employment indicating your income for the last six months and a completed application form.