A Swiss ordinary passport currently opens Russia’s unified e‑visa for a suitable short trip. No invitation is needed when the journey fits one entry, no more than 30 days, an allowed purpose and an approved checkpoint.
Dates and documents
The application window runs from 86 to 4 days before intended entry. The e‑visa is valid for 120 days after issuance, but permits no more than 30 days inside Russia. Use a machine-readable passport valid at least six months from application, compliant images and insurance valid for the stay.
Geneva is a residence city, not a nationality
Many international residents live in Switzerland. A French passport currently qualifies for e‑visa, a Moroccan passport does not, a South African passport may travel under a visa-free agreement and a US passport follows a regular visa route. Calculate the passport, then consider residence.
Borders decide entries
Zurich–Moscow–St Petersburg–Zurich uses one Russian entry. A side trip outside Russia followed by return uses another. The unified e‑visa cannot be stretched into a double-entry document.
Three clocks, kept separate
The 86-to-4-day application window, the document’s 120-day validity and the maximum 30-day stay are different clocks. Filing early does not create a longer stay; entering near the end of validity does not erase the required departure limit. Read the dates on the issued e‑visa and test them against the actual flights before leaving Switzerland.
The Switzerland answer
For a qualifying one-entry trip up to 30 days, use the official e‑visa portal and avoid paying for an invitation. For a longer, repeated, work or study journey, identify the regular category and only then choose its invitation.