A source list is not an ornamental bibliography. It is an exit door: when a rule changes, the traveller can leave our explanation and go straight to the authority that controls the answer.
Unified e‑visa instructions
Official unified e‑visa instructions
Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.
Used for:
- eligible citizenship list;
- permitted purposes;
- 86-to-4-day application window;
- published processing period;
- 120-day validity and 30-day stay;
- single-entry rule;
- passport and child-application rules;
- insurance requirement;
- approved-checkpoint requirement;
- fee and refund statements.
This is the highest-impact page on the site. It should be reopened before submission because both instructions and embedded eligibility data can change.
Official e‑visa portal
Unified e‑visa application portal
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.
Use the official portal to create, submit and track the application. Private assistance should not redirect official payment to an imitation form or ask to control your credentials.
Entry route by passport
Entry and stay conditions by citizenship and passport type
Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.
This is the federal source behind the 196-record foreign ordinary-passport matrix. It establishes whether the current starting route is visa-free, unified e-visa or regular visa. It does not replace the local checklist of the mission that accepts a regular application.
Visa-free advance declaration
New entry rules and ruID and Government Resolution No. 1510 explain the experimental advance declaration for many visa-free entrants. The ordinary timing is 72 hours before entry, but scope, emergency timing and exceptions must be checked on the live official guidance.
Official regular visa form
Russian visa application form
Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.
This is the central form platform commonly used for regular visa applications. The responsible consulate or visa centre gives the application-location instructions and submission checklist.
MFA invitation overview
Invitations to enter the Russian Federation
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.
Used to understand official invitation channels and the distinction between invitation support and the visa decision.
Central tourist-visa evidence rule
Russian visa categories and supporting documents
Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.
The central tourist-visa section names two possible evidence routes: confirmation from a registered tour operator, or—only for citizens included in Government list 372-r—a qualifying reservation confirmation from classified accommodation. A generic booking receipt is not automatically sufficient, and the responsible post’s current checklist still controls submission.
Consular guidance for tourist documents
Applying for a visa
Consular Section, Embassy of Russia in Ireland.
This official page describes category-specific evidence, including tourist confirmation from an authorised Russian travel company and official invitations for other ordinary visa types.
It is a strong source for the general document distinction. It does not mean an applicant in another country should ignore their own responsible mission’s local checklist.
Consular guidance for business visas
Ordinary business visa
Consular Section, Embassy of Russia in Denmark.
Used for the role of business invitation evidence and category-specific supporting documents. Local submission procedure can differ elsewhere.
How we choose the responsible local source
For a regular application, the useful local source is generally the Russian mission or authorised visa centre responsible for the applicant’s location. We look for:
- the correct visa category page;
- current publication or update context;
- required invitation form;
- insurance and photograph rules;
- appointment and fee procedure;
- rules for non-citizen residents applying there;
- any nationality-specific documents.
We do not treat one embassy page as a universal logistics manual.
Source status labels
When a rule deserves context, we use these practical labels:
- Current official rule: directly visible on the responsible official source at the review date.
- Local official procedure: published by a mission or application centre for that location.
- Practical recommendation: our risk-reducing advice, not a formal requirement.
- Needs confirmation: unclear, conflicting or dependent on individual facts.
Link and change checks
Official sites move pages and sometimes retain older language. During review we check:
- that the URL resolves;
- that the page still belongs to the claimed authority;
- whether the English and Russian versions materially differ;
- the surrounding conditions, not only a quoted line;
- embedded lists or linked documents;
- whether a later official notice supersedes it.
An archived official page can explain history. It should not silently power a current “apply now” recommendation.
Send us a better source
If you find a newer or more directly responsible official page, send the URL, affected statement and date accessed through contact. A concise source correction is more useful than a screenshot without an address bar.