Russian e‑visa eligibility is not a country list with a submit button. It is a chain. If citizenship fits but the trip needs two entries, the chain breaks at entries. If all else fits but the train uses an unapproved checkpoint, it breaks at the border.
Requirement 1: eligible citizenship
The citizenship in the passport used must appear on the official unified e‑visa list. The current portal lists 64 citizenships.
Residence, a residence permit or a second country’s visa does not substitute for citizenship. Dual citizens should identify which passport will be used throughout the application and travel.
Requirement 2: permitted purpose
Current instructions include private and business visits, tourism and participation in specified scientific, cultural, socio-political, economic and sporting events and communications.
Employment, long-term study and residence require different routes. Describe the real principal activity.
Requirement 3: one entry
The unified e‑visa is single-entry. You may travel within Russia, but once you leave, that e‑visa cannot be used to return.
Draw side trips before selecting the route.
Requirement 4: no more than 30 days
The current permitted stay is up to 30 days. This is separate from the 120-day validity period.
Confirm the official date calculation and avoid planning to the final hour. Both arrival and departure need to fit.
Requirement 5: application window
Apply from 86 days until 4 days before intended entry under the current official rule. Prepare earlier but submit only once the window opens.
Submitting at the four-day edge satisfies the boundary but creates practical risk. Allow time for images, payment and unexpected questions.
Requirement 6: passport
The passport must be machine-readable and currently must remain valid for at least six months from the application date.
Use the same passport at the border. A damaged, replaced or mismatched document can invalidate the practical route even when the person is unchanged.
Requirement 7: separate child application
Every child travelling with a parent needs a separate e‑visa application, including a child entered in a parent’s passport under circumstances where that travel document is usable.
Current official instructions exempt children under six from the fee, not from the application.
Requirement 8: portrait and passport image
Prepare a recent clear portrait and a complete readable image of the passport identity page. Avoid filters, glare, severe shadows, cropping and low resolution.
Technical requirements can be reflected in the current portal interface. Use the official tool rather than an old blog’s pixel dimensions when they differ.
Requirement 9: medical insurance
Carry medical insurance valid in Russia for the entire stay, unless an official reciprocity exemption applies to your citizenship.
Confirm territory, dates, named traveller, coverage and proof format. An insurance brand’s global slogan is not the policy wording.
Requirement 10: approved checkpoint
Enter and leave only through approved checkpoints. Check exact names, including airport, port, road or rail crossing.
A city can contain several checkpoints. A train route can cross at a place absent from the ticket headline.
Requirement 11: truthful and complete form
Identity, travel, occupation and background answers must be accurate. The absence of an invitation does not remove the authority’s ability to assess the application and border purpose.
Keep credentials private and submit through the official portal.
Requirement 12: official fee
Pay through the official system. The current instructions describe the fee as non-refundable regardless of result. Private review, insurance and card-provider charges are separate.
Printable checklist
- Citizenship on current official list.
- Purpose permitted.
- One entry.
- Stay no more than 30 days.
- Submission 86–4 days before entry.
- Machine-readable passport valid at least six months from application.
- Separate application for each child.
- Portrait and passport image ready.
- Medical insurance or confirmed official exemption.
- Entry and exit checkpoints approved.
- Complete truthful answers.
- Official portal and payment route verified.
If one box remains uncertain, resolve it before payment. A requirement checklist is most useful when it is allowed to say “not yet.”