What is a Russian Humanitarian Visa Invitation?
Humanitarian invitation to Russia is one of the main documents required to obtain a humanitarian visa to enter the Russian Federation. Such visa type allows you to stay on the Russian territory for 90 out of each 180 days.
Table of contents:
- Key information
- How does it look like? (companies overview)
- Where to get?
- After obtaining
- Additional information
Key information
Invitation for a humanitarian visa to Russia: the rules and prices
| Validity period: | from 30 days to 1 year |
|---|---|
| Visa multiplicity: | Single, double and multiple-entry |
| Processing term: | 20 business days |
| Cost of an invitation: | from 40 to 240$ |
How does Russian Humanitarian Invitation look like?
Appearance of the invitation depends on a invitation type. There are 2 types in the 2020:
| Invitation on the letterhead of the MIA | Hard copy, original is required (being printed on a protected letterhead) |
|---|---|
| Electronic invitation | Invitation is sent directly to a Consulate, you get its number |
Both of invitations contain the following data:
- name and surname (in English and Russian);
- date and place of birth;
- sex;
- citizenship;
- country of residence;
- serial number and date of issue of your passport (or another identity document);
- visit purpose;
- period of stay in Russia and places of visit;
- inviting organization data (name, address);
- inviting person data (name, address of residence);
- date of issue, validity period and number of your invitation.
How does an invitation on the letterhead of the MIA look like?
Special paper protected from the counterfeit is used for invitations on the letterhead of the MIA. Significant disadvantage of such invitation type is a need to send the original to you in order to apply for a visa to Russia.
Advantages:
- available for all countries.
Disadvantage:
- requires delivery;
- increases visa processing term.
How does electronic invitation look like?
Electronic invitation («Telex») consists of 2 printed copies: full and brief.
Full printed copy contains your personal data and some other information and is sent to an inviting party.
Brief printed form contains the same data but without your personal information. This document is sent by post to an inviting party and it is needed to be forwarded to you, a person who apply for the humanitarian visa to Russia.
Advantages:
- doesn’t require delivery;
- available for all countries.
Disadvantages:
- more expensive than on the MIA letterhead;
- waiting up to 21 days.
Where to get a Russian Humanitarian Visa Invitation?
In order to do so, an inviting party need to make a request to a territorial section of the MIA or its structural subdivision (depends on a person who makes a request) or submit an application on the Public Services Portal of the Russian Federation.
Remember that such invitation can be obtained by a Russian company. That’s why it is no different to a business invitation.
What to do after getting your invitation
After you get an invitation, it’s easy. Here is a short list of actions.
- Bear a valid passport
- Get invitation to Russia
- Get medical insurance
- Complete a visa application form on visa.kdmid.ru and print it
- Glue a picture 3,5х4,5 cm of you on a form
- Pay a consular (visa) fee
- Submit or send documents to the Russian diplomatic authority (passport, invitation, insurance, application form, receipt)
- Wait from 1 to 10 calendar days * and get a passport with a visa inside
Step-by-step guide to get a Russian Visa
* — Only for the EU citizens. It is from 1 to 20 business days for others
Additional information
- How to get a humanitarian invitation?
- Cost of a humanitarian invitation
- State processing terms
- Categories of recipients
- Grounds for issue and refuse
- Result of the service
- Legislation
- Q&A
How to get an invitation?
In order to issue a humanitarian invitation, an applicant must submit the following documents:
- application (request) to issue the invitation. This document is made in 2 copies and has an established form;
- copy of a passport (or another identity document recognized in Russia);
- passport (or another identity document) of an inviting party;
- receipt of payment of state fee;
Pay attention, an inviting party has the right not to submit this document. - Guarantee letters in which an inviting party takes the responsibility for material, medical and housing support of the invited foreign citizen for the period of his stay in the Russian Federation. For individuals, also, you need an income statement.
In accordance with the processing terms the inviting party will receive an invitation or refusal to issue it.
How to make a request to issue a humanitarian invitation?
It is possible to make a request to issue a humanitarian invitation for a foreign citizen in person or via legal representative.
How to pick up a humanitarian invitation?
If the inviting party issued the invitation on the letterhead, it can be picked up in the territorial authority of the Ministry of internal Affairs.
In the case of the electronic version, the inviting party will receive a brief printed form by e-mail. In the absence of an e-mail, this document is sent by mail or through the Public Services Portal of the Russian Federation.
Cost and payment procedure
In order to issue an invitation the state fee in amount 13$ must be paid.
Pay attention, while applying via Public Services Portal of the Russian Federation state fee is paid with a discount, In that case it costs ≈9$.
Processing terms of humanitarian invitation to Russia
In order to issue a humanitarian invitation, your employer need to make a request to the Ministry of internal Affairs. Invitation is issued in a period which doesn’t exceed 20 business days from the date of submitting all necessary documents.
What to do after obtaining an invitation?
After an inviting party will issue your humanitarian invitation and forward the original or brief printed form (electronic invitation)), you must collect a pack of documents and submit it along with completed application form to a Russian Consulate. This package consists of passport, medical insurance policy and some other documents (the full list you can find on the website of a Russian Consulate).
Categories of recipients
Those who can issue a humanitarian invitation for you:
- legal entities (registered at the migration service);
- branches, representatives of foreign commercial organizations, accredited in the Russian Federation in accordance with the established procedure and in the notification procedure registered in the Main Directorate for migration of the Ministry of internal Affairs of Russia or the migration unit of the territorial authority of the Ministry of internal Affairs of Russia (representatives of the inviting party), if invited by these branches then in the representative offices of foreign citizens for the purpose of employment in the Russian Federation;
- representative offices or branches of foreign commercial organizations registered in the territory of a WTO member state, or legal entities registered in accordance with the established procedure in the territory of the Russian Federation, providing services in accordance with the constituent documents and being subsidiaries (subsidiaries) of foreign commercial organizations registered in the territory of a WTO member state, if they invite foreign citizens sent for the purpose of employment in the Russian Federation in accordance with art. 13.5 Federal law on the legal status of foreign citizens in the Russian Federation;
- citizens of the Russian Federation including sole proprietors;
- foreign citizens permanently residing in the Russian Federation:
- foreign citizens who are highly qualified specialists, carrying out their labor activity in accordance with article 13.2 Federal law on the legal status of foreign citizens in the Russian Federation, in case they invite family members.
Grounds for refusal
Humanitarian invitation is issued under a request from an inviting party and the full pack of documents. There are possible reasons of refusal to issue a humanitarian invitation:
- no special permission to enter or leave the territory for which special permission is required;
- lack of state registration as a legal entity or individual entrepreneur;
- lack of accreditation of a branch of a foreign legal entity;
- if the inviting party is not registered with the tax authority;
- for teachers — no license to carry out educational activities (in the case of an application for the subsequent registration of an ordinary work or study visa);
- lack of information about payment of state fee (if not submitted the receipt of payment);
- if the religious organization acting as the inviting party is registered less than 10 years ago;
- circumstances considered in the article 26 ФЗ-114 and the presence of decisions to ban the entry of a foreigner in Russia;
- change of terms and conditions after application;
- providing false information about the inviting and invited party.
Result of the service
Result of this service is an issue or refusal of a humanitarian invitation to enter Russia for a foreign citizen or stateless person.
Legislation
The following legal acts were used to write this article:
- Federal law N 114-ФЗ от 15.08.1996 – О порядке выезда из Российской Федерации и въезда в Российскую Федерацию
- Administrative regulations of the Ministry of internal Affairs of Russia of the state service on registration and issue of invitations to enter the Russian Federation of foreign citizens and stateless persons
Q&A
If you have any questions ask them in the comments to this article. I will try to answer them all.
Karan Sharma says:
Can you guys provide Humanitarian Invitation letter for Athletes ?