Your Russian visa starts with one invitation letter.
Which document fits your trip, what it must contain, and how to check it before the appointment.
- Required for
- Consular tourist and business visas
- Not required for
- The unified electronic visa
- Issued by
- Registered operators, companies and migration offices
- Issued per
- One traveller, one passport, one travel window
- Guarantees a visa
- No — consular officers decide
Two routes into Russia. Four answers decide yours.
The unified e-visa needs no invitation. The consular visa cannot be filed without one. Set your trip and watch the route change.
- Passport on the e-visa listYesNo
- One entry is enoughYesNo
- Stay of 30 days or lessYesNo
- Purpose covered by the e-visaYesNo
- Single entry, up to 30 days
- Applied for online
- Listed checkpoints only
- Single, double or multiple entries
- Appointment at a consulate or visa centre
- Any international crossing
Both routes end in a decision by a Russian official. Neither guarantees entry. The e-visa list changes, so check the official portal before you book.
From request to border
The invitation itself is fast. The consular appointment is usually the slow part.
- Send a requestCitizenship and dates. We reply in writing with what applies.
- Invitation issuedTourist: same day. Business: working days to weeks. Private: weeks.
- Consular appointmentIn person at a consulate or visa centre. Usually the slow part.
- Visa decisionMade by a consular officer. No document guarantees it.
- Border crossingA consular visa works at any international crossing.
Which letter would a consul reject?
Free templates look real. Look closely, then pick the one that should never be filed.
Right. Letter B would be rejected.
Look again. Letter A is traceable.
Letter B has no reference number in the Federal Register, so no consulate can trace its issuer. Filing it wastes the appointment and puts a refusal on your record.
How to check a letterTwo payments. Neither refunds the other.
You pay the issuer for the invitation, then the mission for the visa. Price grows with the effort behind the document.
Relative cost, not to scale. We confirm the exact figure in writing.
Which document applies to your trip
Instructions by country
How each country's Russian missions handle the invitation, and what local applicants get wrong.
Common questions
Do I need an invitation letter to visit Russia?
For a consular tourist or business visa, yes. For the unified e-visa, no. Nationals who cannot use the e-visa, including United States, United Kingdom, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand passport holders, have no alternative route.
What is a Russia invitation letter?
An official document from a registered Russian host stating that you are expected on given dates. It carries a registry reference and a unique confirmation number, and the consulate will not process the application without it.
How much does an invitation letter cost?
Tourist invitations are the cheapest category and are priced per traveller; business invitations cost more because a company and often a state authority are involved. The consular fee is separate and paid to the mission.
How long does it take to get one?
A tourist invitation is normally issued the same day once your details are confirmed. Business invitations take working days to weeks, and private invitations take weeks because a migration office is involved.
Can I check that an invitation is genuine?
Verify it with the issuing organisation using the confirmation number on the document, and make sure the operator's registry number is present. A letter that cannot be traced to a registered issuer should not be filed.
Is a hotel booking enough instead?
No. A reservation from an online travel site is not visa support. It may be attached as proof of accommodation, but it does not replace the invitation.