Summary: This is a web page to provide my personal experiences about Russian Visa. I have received Russian Visa two times and went to Russia two times. I took my russian visa in my own country first time, and 2nd time in Hungary, where I live now. Russian Visa is very strict. Probably that is why you are here. Maybe you are here because you have a problem already. It is also complicated to obtain, especially you feel so if it is your first time. I extended my stay in Russia after entering Russia. But I strongly recommend not doing so. However they are not so strict about your entry date of Visa in Russia if it is within the valid period of time.

• About Dates printed on Russian Visa.

  One naturally thinks how strict they are about the valid period of time printed on Visa, e.g if it is valid from July 14 2015 to July 28 2015, this July 14 2015 is a must? the same for July 28 2015? Can we cross the border July 16, two days later? In short answers, you can cross border on July 16 with no problem, but you can not exit russian border on August 1st; literally they won't let you leave Russian Teritory.

  1. Experience1: Entering July 16.
  I entered Russian in July 16, ie later than the beginning date printed on your Visa. It was no problem at all. I left the country before the visa expired. It was no problem too.
  2. Experience2: Leaving July 31st.
  1. General Rule from my experience
     • In short, It is an overstay and thus ileagal. They actually did not let me go. It broght me a big waste of time and stress. I could not exit Russia within time. It causes a big PROBLEM.
     • I found that they can extend your visa by 3 days rather easily; but it does not necessarily mean it would be fast enough. they don't care about your flight and you may be broght into their office and then wait for a stamp put on your passport and thus you miss your flight. Be careful, it is literally that they may not care about your flight, especially with another violation below.
     • It is another violation if you go to the passport control without an extention. (see below.) They will become even harsh against you.
     • If you miss this 3 days extention period. Passport control has no right to give you an extention. You have to go to Imigration office(so called FMS). You have to go to a court and have a decision by the court.
     • You may have a Penalty too:
       • you may have an forced exit.
       • I heard that it is usually with ban of entry for 5 years.
       • Even sometimes, you are forced to go back your country with no option to exit for other countries...
  2. Advice:
  You probably need your country's help, i.e. help from your country's embassy. That was my case.
  • For example, the officers tried to take my finger prints. I refused. They insisted. I asked for them to call the Embassy. They ignored my request and insisted on my fingerprints. I inssited. They gave up.
  3. This is actually what happened to me. it might happen to you, too
     • You have a flight ticket? Such a good reason for you. BUT NOT FOR THEM. They don't care about your flight. I actually missed my flight. it was Such a bad experience that your flight leaves without you. You can not understand how bad you feel unless you have such an experience.
     • You may have a penalty. See above. I did not need to have any penalty luckily. I think there were two reasons for this.
       1. This 3 day extention was expired by a flight cancel due to a bad weather. (once three day extention was exceeded, this reason is not good enough for you to leave without problem.)
       2. My country's Embassy help. Once Embassy comes, it is not a simple individual problem but literally bi-lateral relations involves. Their attitude changes. BELIEVE ME. IT HELPS.
     • It is another violation to try to run away without a proper "exit" visa. You are supposed to have the extention by going to a proper place and pay a minor penalty. If you try to "run away", their attitude changes against you. I unfortunately did it so desperately. I went to the passport control, the officer found my attempt and put me back. Immigration officers attitude changed further.
     • I passed this precious 3 day extention as well, although it was not my fault at all. My flight for Ulaanbator was cancelled and postphone to next day. I had managed to obtain a flight ticket for Ulaanbator on the last day of 3 day extention, and that flight was cancelled. I had never expected that. After I had managed to get an extention by showing that flight ticket, I was pretty sure I would leave the country. Such a nightmare.
     • Only few officers speak English.
     • With embassy' help and their translation, they finally understand that this overstay after 3 days extention was due to unluck and bad weather. The officers said they needed to ask Moscow for a permission to give me an special exit visa.
     • Airplane AirMongolia changes the ticket for me with minor extra charge because of their flight cancellation.
     • I got a new ticket, which proves my exit from the territory. Finally Moscow give us a green light. Just this one stamp, they let me pass the passport control.

  I was in a train of Transsiberian Railway on July 28th the last date printed on visa. I arrived at Irkutk on 29th. This was the beginning of the nightmare. My plan was leaving Russia for Ulaan Bator by railway.

  Why I passed the deadline? because I was sick in Moscow and that is how I missed my train. I was thinking it would be a good reason. I was naive.

  On 29th and 30th, I went around for the arrangement. I contacted to my country's embassy and they sent me a Russian girl. We went around. Airport immigration. AirMongolia. Once Air ticket was obtained. It went very well. They gave me a 3 day extention, relatively easily. I was relaxed.

  UNTIL the flight was cancelled.... That is how the whole story happened. Such a nightmere. On the cancellation flight there are a couple of people with visa problem. But nobody was like me; who already recieved an extention. Everybody got an extention like I had did. They passed the passport control with no problem.

• Visa Applicatioin

They have a rule. you can apply for a Russian visa only in your own country. One exeption is you can apply in a third country if you have a residence permit in the country. This was my 2nd case; I applied for one in Hungary, where I have a residence permit.

I read it is possible to apply in some country even if you don't have a residence permit there. But I don't know it is true. In case of Hungary, they were strict about it; I was asked to show my residence permit to them.

Documents you need:

1. Invitation/Voucher 599Rouble (Copy is good enough. confirmed by Mr.Alex Sidror).
2. Application Form(http://visa.kdmid.ru/)
3. tickets to russia(Budapest -> Moscow 175.45$)
4. Health Insurance(8,400Ft, 15days) 1 photo
5. copy of residence permit
6. copy of my passport
7. passport itself
8. 2,900Ft(comission fee for consulate) + 8,000Ft(commission fee)
The 2nd fee is a service fee to the service company in Budapest, which is not a part of Consulate. Consulate asks me to go there. It seems that consulate can help us only if you speak Russian.

Basically necessary documents are the same at any Russian Embassy for a nationality; i.e (this is my case) if you are Japanese, you need to submit the same kind of documents at Russian Embassy in Japan and the other one in Hungary. But there are some difference. i.e I did not need a helth insurance at Russian Embassy in Japan but I did at Russian Embassy in Hungary. my experience

if you are looking for a Russian travel agency for an invitation and Voucher. see this page too. my experience

Explanation below is based on this example. valid period of time:
July 14 2015 to July 28 2015.

• Visit Russia without Visa?
I heard people from Thailand don't need a visa to visit Russia. The same for Mogolian people. Many countries need a visa to visit Russia, including Japan, European countries, the US etc. I have never thought visiting Russia without Visa. The Border is very strict, if your nation requires a visa, get one before going there. You would be miserable at the border if not; you are not allowed to cross the border.