Apply for the Russian unified e‑visa on the official MFA portal. Give yourself one quiet hour, the physical passport and a trip plan that has stopped changing. The form is digital; the consequences remain remarkably analogue.
Step 1: prove the route before opening an account
Confirm all of the following:
- citizenship appears on the current official list;
- purpose is permitted;
- one entry is enough;
- stay is no more than 30 days;
- intended entry and exit use approved checkpoints;
- passport is machine-readable and meets the six-month-from-application validity rule;
- required medical insurance can cover the full stay.
If one fails, investigate a regular visa or other lawful route. Do not improve an ineligible trip by selecting a more convenient dropdown answer.
Step 2: choose the submission date
Current official instructions permit submission from 86 days until 4 days before intended entry. Use the early part of that window once the trip is stable.
Four calendar days is the published processing limit and the final application edge. It leaves no useful room for a rejected image, payment issue or changed passport. Earlier is calmer.
Step 3: gather source records
Keep beside you:
- current travel passport;
- final intended dates;
- flight, train, ferry or road checkpoint details;
- accommodation names, addresses and contacts;
- home and contact details;
- occupation information;
- travel and background history requested by the form;
- compliant portrait;
- clear passport identity-page image;
- insurance details for travel.
Make a separate pack for each child. Do not reuse a parent’s application as a family container.
Step 4: create the official account
Type evisa.kdmid.ru yourself or use a trusted official link. Check HTTPS and the exact domain.
Use an email account you control and can access during travel planning. Create a unique password and store the application identifier securely. Do not give password or one-time codes to a private assistant.
Step 5: enter identity and passport data
Copy from the passport page. Then compare visually, character by character.
Pay attention to:
- surname and all given names;
- date and place of birth;
- citizenship;
- sex where requested;
- passport number;
- issue and expiry dates;
- issuing authority and document type.
Do not combine an old visa’s transliteration with a new passport’s number. The current travel passport is the source.
Step 6: add contact and background information
Answer every question truthfully. If a question concerns previous names, nationality, employment, criminal or immigration history, read it in full.
Assistance can explain structure; it should not tell you which true fact to omit. Where an answer has legal significance, seek qualified advice before submission.
Step 7: describe the trip
Use the actual main purpose and intended dates. Confirm the stay is within the current limit.
Enter accommodation and contact information requested by the form even though an invitation and hotel confirmation are not required as proof of purpose. “Not required as a document” does not mean “trip information unnecessary.”
Check the exact border checkpoint separately against the official approved list.
Step 8: upload portrait and passport image
Use recent, unfiltered, well-lit images. The portrait should clearly show the face; the passport page should show all edges and readable text without glare.
After upload, zoom into:
- passport number;
- dates;
- name;
- machine-readable lines;
- face and page edges.
A successful upload message proves file acceptance, not image quality.
Step 9: review the full application
Take a break, then perform independent passes:
- Person.
- Passport.
- Trip and purpose.
- Contact and history.
- Images.
- Checkpoints and insurance plan.
Read the declaration. Save or record what the official portal permits. You should understand the complete application you are about to submit.
Step 10: pay and submit officially
Pay only through the official portal flow. Confirm currency, amount and payment result. The current official instructions say the fee is not refundable regardless of outcome and that children under six are exempt from the fee.
Keep the official confirmation and application identifier. Do not pay a second “release fee” in response to an unsolicited message.
Step 11: monitor status
Use the official account and legitimate notifications. Do not create duplicate applications merely because the status has not changed within a few hours.
The official published process is no more than four calendar days. If the portal instructs you to take action, follow the official instructions or contact official support.
Step 12: inspect the result
When issued, compare:
- full name;
- birth date;
- citizenship;
- passport number;
- validity dates;
- intended trip inside that validity;
- stay within 30 days.
Save an offline and printed copy. Carry the same passport, e‑visa notification and insurance.
Final pre-travel check
- Every traveller and child has a separate issued e‑visa.
- Passport is the one used in the application.
- Arrival is within validity.
- Stay is 30 days or fewer.
- Only one entry is planned.
- Entry and exit checkpoints are approved.
- Insurance covers the full stay.
- Files are available offline.
The invitation was removed from this route. Attention was not.