What the Russia visa rules mean for Vatican City travellers
Vatican City passport holders need an eVisa to enter Russia. You apply online, upload a passport scan and a photo, pay the fee and receive the visa by email; it allows stays of up to 30 days. Apply at least one to two weeks before your trip and print the approval — some airlines and border officers ask to see it on paper.
The main option is the Unified e-Visa with a processing time of —.
Documents to prepare
Whatever your visa status, Russia applies the same entry conditions to every traveller:
- 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 sp…
- 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 exemp…
- Return or onward ticket: 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 v…
- Proof of funds: No official source we could read states a proof-of-funds requirement or amount for visitors to Russia.
Russia entry rules compared
Russia lets 68 passports in without a visa, issues eVisas to 60 and requires an embassy visa from 70. Vatican City citizens are treated the same way as Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia and Cyprus. Overall the Vatican City passport ranks #61 in the world with 95 visa-free destinations.
More travel options
Planning a longer trip in Europe? With a Vatican City passport you can also visit 45 countries in the region without a visa, including Andorra, Albania, Armenia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium, Bulgaria and Belarus.
In the other direction, Russia citizens need a visa to visit Vatican City.