Russian Work Visa. Price 2020

Period of validity:	from 1 to 3 years
Average price:	≈1270$ (≈1126€)
Multiplicity:	Multiple-entry
Visa processing term:	from 20 to 50 business days

• Introduction
• Period of validity
  • 1 year
  • 3 years
• Average cost
• How to get a visa?
  • Which documents are required?
  • Where to get an invitation?
  • Where to get an insurance?
  • Certificate of absence of the HIV
  • Where apply documents to?
  • Visa processing term
• Visa multiplicity
• How does a visa look like?
• How to extend a visa?
• I have no higher education
• Summary
• Legislation
• Q&A

Work visa to Russia is a common visa issued by a Russian Consular section under a visa application and a pack of documents, among which must be an invitation to Russia. Every year government of the Russian Federation consider if there is a need to engage foreign employees taking into account social, political and demographic situation in the country. In this regard, quotas are set to issue work invitations and permits depending on a profession, qualification and country of origin. However it doesn’t concern highly qualified and highly paid specialists.

Quick video guide:

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In fact, obtaining a work visa to Russia is so hard that it is simpler to use legal possibilities to stay in Russia permanently.

Read more: How to live in Russia for 1-3 years without getting a work visa?

Besides it makes sense to use a student visa as an alternative.

Foreign highly qualified employees, whose information is on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, can obtain a common work visa under a written request of an employer for 30 days to participate in negotiations between an employer and employee to sign an employment contract.^[2]. If an application of your employer to hire you is granted, at first you obtain a single-entry common business visa, then it is canceled after entering Russia and you get a common work visa. In the article 25.6 of the Federal Law of 15.08.1996 N 114-ФЗ^[1] it is indicated that common work visas are issued for the period of validity of your employment contract, which is 1 or 3 year.

Common work visa can be issued for up to 3 months under an invitation issued by an employer. You can extend it at the place of your migration registration and obtain a multiple-entry visa. That is why can be for 3 months, 1 year or 3 years^[2].

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1-year Russian Work Visa

Work visa for 1 year is issued to foreign employees engaged by russian employers within the allocated quotas. Every year you can extend such a visa for another year, if you bear an extended work permit and employment contract.

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Russian Work Visa for 3 years

Multiple-entry work visa to Russia can be issued by a Russian diplomatic representation, Consular Section, or territorial body of the Ministry of Internal Affairs at the place of your migration registration in a case when you are a highly qualified specialist^[2]. In the future, such a visa can be extended for the duration of your employment contract (also within 3 years).

Price range is from 1270$ to 2070$ (from ≈1126€ to ≈1836€). Work visa cost is individual in each case!

Issuance of the work visa to Russia takes a lot of time and money because it is needed to pay a state fee for an issuance of such documents as permission to engage foreign employees and work permit for a certain foreign citizen. Also in order to obtain a work visa you need to get a health insurance policy valid during the whole period of visa validity. Besides, a consular fee is charged when you apply for a work visa.

Get assistance to obtain a Russian Work Visa

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Consular fee amount for the work visa

Consular fee for the work visa is not the main expense. The biggest expense is the cost of an invitation.

Consular fee amount is fixed and depends only on a multiplicity of a visa.

Consular fee depending on a multiplicity of issuing visa to Russia:

In a case of expedited processing fees double (except the USA, there is a common price):

Due to a reciprocity consular fee amount can increase or decrease. For example, there is the visa facilitation agreement between the European Union and the Russian Federation.

Precise amount of a consular fee you can find out on the COnsular website of by phone.

List of the Russian diplomatic authorities

In order to obtain a work visa you need to do the following steps:

1. Bear a valid passport
2. Collect a pack of documents
3. Obtain a medical insurance
4. Complete a visa application form on visa.kdmid.ru and print it out
5. Glue a photo 3,5х4,5 cm
6. Pay the consular (visa application) fee
7. Submit or send documents to a Consulate of Russia (passport, invitation, insurance, application form, receipt)
8. Wait from 1 to 10 calendar days * and obtain your passport with a visa

Step-by-step guide to get a Russian Visa

* — For the EU nationals. For others – from 1 to 20 business days

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Don’t agree to tempting offers on the Internet and don’t buy work invitation to Russia. Without a conclusion of an employment contract with a Russian employer your short-term work visa won’t be extended and the money paid for such invitation will be wasted.

Assistance in employment and obtaining a work permit

According to the «Visit purposes» list^[4] used to issue invitations, common work visa can be issued to foreign citizens, who have the following visit purposes:

• employment;
• foreign employee;
• teacher;
• media reporter;
• media technician;
• accompanying family member.

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Detailed information about a work visa:

• Which documents are required?
• Where to get an invitation?
• Where to get an insurance?
• Certificate of absence of the HIV
• Where submit documents to?
• Visa processing term

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Which documents are required for a Russian Visa?

Besides work invitation you require the following documents to obtain a visa:

• international passport valid for at least 1,5 year after the start date of visa validity and with 2 empty pages for visas^[2];
• visa application form with a photo;
• medical insurance policy;
• certificate of absence of the HIV.

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Where to get a Russian Work Visa Invitation?

Your employer must assist you to get a work invitation. Employer is an individual or legal entity, accredited to engage foreign employees. In order to obtain an invitation to Russia your employer must make a request to the territorial body of the Federal executive migration authority. Employer obtains your invitation along with your work permit.

Assistance in employment and obtaining a work invitation

Invitation to enter the Russian Federation to work and work permit are issued due to quotas which are set in each Russian region depending on their need of foreign employees and demographic situation. However such quotas don’t extend to the highly qualified specialists. These are scientists and teachers with a salary of at least 83500₽ per month, employees engaged by residents of special technical and innovative economic areas with a salary of at least 58500₽ per month and employees with a salary of at least 167000₽ in the rest of cases^[3].

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Where to get an insurance for a Russian Visa?

If you work in Russia, you must have a medical insurance policy, which is valid on the Russian territory. You can obtain it at any insurance company working in Russia. The most convenient way to get it is to order it online. The most convenient way to get an insurance policy is to order it online.

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Certificate of absence of the HIV

Certificate of absence of the HIV is a necessary document to obtain a work visa. The following is required to be indicated in your certificate:^[5]:

• your passport data;
• planning period of stay in Russia;
• date of the test;
• type of an antigen used for that test;
• doctor’s sign;
• stamp of a medical institution;
• your sign.

Certificate must be completed in Russian and English. It is valid for 3 months from the date of test.

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Where submit documents for a Russian visa to?

Work visas to Russia are issued by the Russian diplomatic authorities. Also the Ministry of Internal Affairs has a right to issue multiple-entry work visas for up to 3 years.

List of the Russian diplomatic authorities

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How long does it take to issue a Russian Work Visa?

Visa issuance term is about 20 business days from a day of application. However depending on the rules of a certain consular office this period can be shorter.

Common work visa issued by a territorial section of the Ministry of Internal Affairs at a place of your migration registration after you enter Russia is multiple-entry. If you apply to a Consular section usually you get a short-term work visa with a up to 3 months period of validity.

In order to issue a work permit to a highly qualified specialist and extend his work visa, an employer must submit a pack of documents to a Federal executive authority of migration. It includes: request to engage a highly qualified specialist, employment contract, written obligation to compensate deportation expenses if necessary.^[3]. Period of request consideration is 14 days from the date of application.

In order to extend the period of validity of a work permit, your employer must submit the following documents to the executive authority of migration no later than 30 days before the date of expiry of your work permit:

• application to extend a period of work permission validity;
• employment contract;
• copy of your medical insurance policy;
• salary information;
• documents proving migration registration at a place of residence^[3].

Period of consideration of such an application also is 14 days.

If you are a citizen of country which has a visa-free regime with Russia, you can work after obtaining a work permit calling “patent” which is issued for a period from 1 to 12 months. If you are a citizen of a country which doesn’t have a visa-free regime and you don’t have a higher education (which means that you are not a highly qualified specialist), it will be really difficult to obtain a work permit because your employer won’t be able to prove that it is reasonable to engage you.

If you are studying in the Russian Federation on a full-time at the educational institution with a state accreditation, you can work under a work permit. Period of validity of such permission cannot exceed your period of study^[3].

Work visa to Russia is a document allows you to work in Russia and if needed to cross its borders repeatedly. In order to obtain such a visa you need to find an employer in advance which will help you to issue necessary documents and conclude an employment contract with you.

Work visa to Russia is convenient in that it can be extended repeatedly if you have a valid employment contract and haven’t violated migration legislation before. The rule of 90 out of 180 days doesn’t extend to the bearers of work visas.

These are legal acts used to write this article:

1. Federal law of 15.08.1996 N 114-ФЗ (ред. от 11.10.2018) – О порядке выезда из Российской Федерации и въезда в Российскую Федерацию.
2. Russian government decree of 09.06.2003 N 335 (ред. от 20.11.2017) – Об утверждении Положения об установлении формы визы, порядка и условий ее оформления и выдачи, продления срока ее действия, восстановления ее в случае утраты, а также порядка аннулирования визы.
3. Federal law of 25.07.2002 N 115-ФЗ (ред. от 19.07.2018) – О правовом положении иностранных граждан в Российской Федерации.
4. Приложение совместному Приказу МИД России, МВД России и ФСБ России от 27 декабря 2003 г. N 19723А/1048/922.
5. Russian government decree 25.11.1995 N 1158 – Об утверждении требований к сертификату об отсутствии ВИЧ-инфекции, предъявляемому иностранными гражданами и лицами без гражданства при их обращении за визой на въезд в Российскую Федерацию на срок свыше трех месяцев.

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