Russia visa requirements · checked 26 September 2026
Visa & Entry Requirements for Russia
Most travellers can visit Russia without going to an embassy: 68 passports enter visa-free, 60 apply online for an eVisa.
Russia's Foreign Ministry says a foreign citizen needs a visa to enter Russia, and that visa-free entry is possible where an agreement provides for it; its per-country table lists visas for all passport types for the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. Only citizens of the countries on a list approved by the Russian Government can get the unified e-visa, a single-entry visa allowing a stay of up to 30 days. The UK government advises against all travel to Russia and Canada says to avoid all travel.
Another passport? Use the checker or find it in the table below.
Visa for Russia — requirements summary
Visa-free: 68 (34%)
eVisa: 60 (30%)
Visa required: 70 (35%)
All travellers must meet the entry rules set by Russia, and they depend on your nationality. Find your passport below — you may be able to enter visa-free, or need an eVisa, a visa on arrival or a visa from an embassy.
Fee and processing time not published — confirm with the embassy or consulate before you apply.
Transit visa
Embassy
Fee and processing time not published — confirm with the embassy or consulate before you apply.
Entry requirements for Russia
Passport validity
6 months
Russia's Foreign Ministry says e-visa applicants need a machine-readable passport issued by their country of nationality, valid for at least 6 months from the date the e-visa application is submitted, with sufficient space for border crossing stamps. For a regular visa it says the passport must have at least two blank pages for visas and, as a rule, must not expire earlier than six months after the visa expires.
Russia's Foreign Ministry says visa applicants provide a medical insurance policy unless Russia's international treaties provide otherwise; holders of diplomatic and service passports and some other categories are exempt. It says e-visa holders must have medical insurance valid in Russia for their entire stay, except citizens of countries exempted on the basis of reciprocity.
No official source we could read states an onward-ticket requirement for visitors in general. Russia's Foreign Ministry asks transit-visa applicants for tickets valid for leaving Russia, and says the unified e-visa is valid for entry and exit only through the border crossing points on the Government's list.
Russia's Foreign Ministry says migration card forms are handed to arriving foreigners by the crew (air, sea or river), the train crew, the bus driver or, for private transport or on foot, border control officials. The exit part (coupon B) is kept for the whole stay and handed to border control officials on departure. The UK government says you must register with the local authorities if you are staying anywhere for more than 7 working days, and that your hotel will do this automatically.
A foreign national staying in Russia must be registered at the place of stay. The host party, or the foreign national directly, submits the notice of arrival to the migration registration authority within seven working days of arrival at the place of stay. When the foreign national stays in a hotel or other accommodation facility, the notice must be submitted within one working day after the day of arrival. A foreign national who breaks the migration registration rules is fined 2,000 to 5,000 roubles, with or without administrative expulsion from Russia.
Under the Code of Administrative Offences, a foreigner who evades leaving Russia after their period of stay ends is fined 2,000 to 5,000 roubles and expelled; in Moscow, St Petersburg and the Moscow and Leningrad regions the fine is 5,000 to 7,000 roubles, with expulsion. Entry is refused for five years after an expulsion. Under the law on entry and exit, a foreigner whose previous stays exceeded 90 days in total in a calendar year is refused entry for three years from departure; one who overstayed continuously more than 180 and up to 270 days, for five years; more than 270 days, for ten years.
The UK government says you may bring cash in any currency and travellers' cheques into or out of Russia without declaring them if their combined value does not exceed the equivalent of 10,000 US dollars, and that you cannot leave Russia with cash or travellers' cheques worth more than that, even if you complete a customs declaration.
We track the entry rules of Russia for 198 passports. The most common situation is visa required, which applies to 70 passports (35%). 34% of passports can enter without a visa. The least common is eVisa (60 passports).
Entry categories for Russia
Visa-free entry: 68 passports can enter without a visa, for stays from 14 to 90 days.
eVisa: 60 passports can apply for an electronic visa online.
Visa required: 70 passports must apply at an embassy or consulate.
What else you need to enter Russia
Passport validity: Russia's Foreign Ministry says e-visa applicants need a machine-readable passport issued by their country of nationality, valid for at least 6 months from the date the e-visa application is submitted, with sufficient space for border crossing stamps.
Travel insurance: Russia's Foreign Ministry says visa applicants provide a medical insurance policy unless Russia's international treaties provide otherwise; holders of diplomatic and service passports and some other categories are exempt.
Return or onward ticket: No official source we could read states an onward-ticket requirement for visitors in general.
Proof of funds: No official source we could read states a proof-of-funds requirement or amount for visitors to Russia.
Open your passport in the table for the exact rules — maximum stay, fees, how to apply and the official source. Entry rules change at short notice: confirm with the embassy of Russia or its official immigration website before you travel.
Frequently asked questions about Russia visas
Do I need a visa for Russia?
Yes, unless an agreement provides visa-free entry: Russia's Foreign Ministry says a foreign citizen needs a visa, applied for at the Russian consular office for their place of permanent residence, and its per-country table shows each country's regime. The table says citizens of, for example, Germany, India and Japan can enter on an e-visa for up to 30 days, and lists visas for all passport types for the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Can US or UK citizens get the Russian eVisa?
Russia's Foreign Ministry table lists visas for all passport types for the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, while for countries such as Germany, India and Japan it adds that their citizens can enter on an e-visa for up to 30 days. A visa is applied for at the Russian consular office for your place of permanent residence. For a tourist visa the consulate asks for confirmation from an organisation on the unified federal register of tour operators or — only for citizens of countries on a list approved by the Russian Government — a booking in a hotel on the unified list of classified hotels.
How does the Russian unified eVisa work?
You apply from your personal account on the Russian Foreign Ministry's specialised website or its mobile app, no earlier than 86 days and no later than 4 days before your expected entry. A fee is charged, paid with a bank card of an international payment system, and it is non-refundable whatever the result. Applications are processed in no more than 4 calendar days. The unified e-visa is single-entry, valid for 120 days from issue, allows a stay of up to 30 days from entry, and is valid for entry and exit only through the border crossing points on the Government's list.
Is it safe to travel to Russia right now?
The UK government advises against all travel to Russia, citing security incidents such as drone attacks and Russian air defence activity, the lack of flights to return to the UK, and limited ability for the UK government to provide support; it says in-person UK government support in Russia is limited, and very limited in parts of Russia. It also says there is an increased risk of British nationals being detained and a high likelihood terrorists will try to carry out attacks, including in major cities. Canada says to avoid all travel to Russia.
Can I pay by card in Russia?
Not with a Mastercard or Visa card issued abroad: the UK government says Mastercard and Visa are not operating in Russia and cards issued outside Russia will not work at Russian shops or ATMs. It says that to buy roubles in Russia you must take US dollars or euros to exchange, and to change money only at banks, hotels and exchange bureaus.
Do I need to register my stay in Russia?
The UK government says you must register with the local authorities if you are staying anywhere for more than 7 working days; your hotel will do this automatically, and if you are staying with someone you should check that they are doing it. It says you must show evidence of your registration at passport control when you leave Russia.
Passport validity: Russia's Foreign Ministry says e-visa applicants need a machine-readable passport issued by their country of nationality, valid for at least 6 months from the date the e-visa application is submitted, with sufficient space for border crossing stamps. Travel insurance: Russia's Foreign Ministry says visa applicants provide a medical insurance policy unless Russia's international treaties provide otherwise; holders of diplomatic and service passports and some other categories are exempt. Return or onward ticket: No official source we could read states an onward-ticket requirement for visitors in general. Proof of funds: No official source we could read states a proof-of-funds requirement or amount for visitors to Russia.
How long can I stay in Russia without a visa?
Usually 90 days (45 passports); visa-free stays range from 14 to 90 days depending on your passport.
How many countries can visit Russia without a visa?
68 of 198 passports can enter Russia visa-free (34%). 60 can apply online (eVisa or eTA), and 70 need a visa from an embassy.
Data: TravelRequirements.info — Entry Requirements Dataset, AXG Sp. z o.o. (CC BY 4.0) — official sources are linked on each passport page. Gaps filled from the Passport Index dataset (MIT).
United States
United Kingdom
Germany
India
China
Canada
Australia
Poland
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Andorra
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
Colombia
Comoros
Costa Rica
Côte d'Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czechia
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
DR Congo
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Fiji
Finland
France
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Ghana
Greece
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
North Korea
North Macedonia
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestine
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Portugal
Qatar
Republic of the Congo
Romania
Rwanda
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Korea
South Sudan
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Türkiye
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe