Getting Russian visa

No doubt, it has become much easier to get to Russia. However,all foreign guests, when visiting Russia, should be granted an entry visa. At present, there are three basic categories of entry visas :
Tourist visa valid up to thirty days. One may get it in the Russian Embassy through a travel agency.
BUSINESSvisa valid up to sixty days. One may get it uponshowing an invitation from a Russian firm/partner.
Visitor visa may also be issued, providing the personalinvitation and accommodation guarantee are available.
Any foreigner wishing to visit Russia may get a tourist visa after appealing to a tourist agency and filling-in an official application form.
An invitation issued by the Russian firm/partner plus three photographs and a photocopy of the first six pages of a passport are to be sent to the Russian Embassy for BUSINESSvisa.

Visitor visa is also issued in Russian Embassies. One have to appeal there providing personal invitation is available and accommodation in Novosibirsk is guaranteed.

A place of your staying or living in Russia is also specified during the process of issuing the entry visa. If you want to visit other cities or towns in Russia a special permit of the appropriate authorities is required. In any case, the route should better be discussed and designated preliminary, at time, when the entry visa is issued.

Upon arrival all foreign entry visas should be officially registered in OVIR (visa and registry department) by hotel administration. If staying in private apartments, foreign guests should register themselves in local offices of the OVIR department within thethree days after arrival.

Visa may be extended by the OVIR department, if an application for it is sent in by a Russian firm or a private person who has organized a visit of a foreign guest. Information about lost visas should be immediately furnished to the OVIR department.

There are, also, so-called multiple entry visas (issued for the period of six months), which may interest businessmen visiting Russia on regular or frequent basis. These visas are issued based on the applications submitted by the Russian companies, joint ventures, etc., to OVIR departments. The foreign companies stationed in Russia should appeal to the Consular Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The application should include all explanations regarding the requirement for the repeated entry visas.

The local OVIR head office:
tel.: +7(0383-2) 16-71-39
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Visa Department):
Moscow,Smolenskaya-Sennaya Square 32/34, tel.: +7(095)241-9022,
244-1705