A completed original copy of the visa application form is required in order for a visa to be issued. The visa application form can be downloaded from the Russian Embassy website as a PDF document. The visa application form requires that the visa applicant fill out information such as contact information, purpose of visit, citizenship information, passport information, current employer and itinerary.
An additional color passport photo must be attached to the visa application. Also, a current national passport will also have to be submitted with the application. The passport must be valid for at least six months after the intended date of departure from Russia. Also, the passport must have at least two blank pages for the appropriate visa stamps and stickers. The visa applicant is also required to submit a photocopy of all the pages within the passport.
A letter is required to be submitted with the application. The letter will be from the visa applicant and state for what purpose he is traveling to Russia and all travel plans while in Russia. This should include flight and hotel information, as well as any information about persons with whom he is traveling.
This standard form of conformation is issued by the travel company that the visa applicant booked the trip through. If the visa applicant did not use a travel company to make the travel arrangements the hotel may be able to issue the standard form of conformation. It is a small letter that has a reference number on it. This number will be needed in order to process the visa application.
The application fee must be paid through money order. The amount for standard processing is $75 USD, as of April 2010; the amount for rush processing is $135 USD.
If the visa applicant chooses to submit the visa application and all additional documents through the mail, then he is required to submit an additional postage paid envelope for the Russian Embassy to return the visa applicant's passport.
