Is it necessary to have visa to Russia for citizens of Africa?
Yes, citizens of Africa have to get visa if they want to visit Russia.
Visa is a document for foreigners which allows to cross the border of Russia legally.
For getting visa to Russia you need to get an invitation for visa and health insurance. These documents must be submitted to the Russian Consulate abroad.
For getting visa an Africa citizen should know:
On the territory of Africa there are 55 states (population – more than 1.1 billion people), many of which have been fighting for many years or have developed economically unstable situation. Countries are in migration risk list, which means that the probability of violation of the visa regime by citizens of African countries arriving in the Russian Federation is increased. Because of it requires for Africa citizens more effort than for citizens of countries that are not consider migration risks. The list of migration risk’s countries is constantly being updated, depending on the situation in the world.
How to get visa to Russia for African?
Short list of steps-to-do for African:
- To have valid passport
- To get an invitation to Russia
- To get a medical insurance
- Fill in the form on visa.kdmid.ru and print it
- Paste your photo 3,5х4,5 cm in form
- Pay consular (visa) fee ≈ 80$ (46600 CFA francs)
- Bring or send documents to the Russian Consulate (passport, invitation, insurance, application form, receipt)
- Wait for 1 to 20 calendar days and get a passport with visa
Where to get Russian visa in Africa?
You can get a visa by contacting the Russian Consulate in Africa. Before visiting the Consulate, you need to get an invitation, medical insurance for a visa and complete the online form on the website of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Types of visas in Russia for Africans
There are the following types of visas and purpose of visiting Russia:
- tourist visa – for sightseeing;
- business visa – for negotiations, procurement control;
- private visa – for visiting relatives living in the territory of the Russian Federation;
- work visa – for official work in Russian Federation.
Comparison of length of stay and price of visa:
| Type of visa | Length of stay | Full processing price |
|---|---|---|
| Tourist | from 1 to 30 days | ≈235$ |
| Business | from 30 days to 1 year * | from 335$ |
| Private | from 30 to 90 days | ≈205$ |
| Work | from 1 to 3 years | from 1220$ |
| Electronic | from 1 to 8 days | ≈17$ |
* – visa can be valid up to 1 year, but it is possible to stay in Russia continuously for no more than 90 of 180 days
Tourist visa to Russia for African citizens
Africans with tourist visa can come to Russia for short time. Visa needs tourist invitation, which can be obtained by contacting tour operator providing services to tourists in Russia.
To receive a tourist invitation to Russia online will take no more than 5 minutes. Moreover, every invitation there must be two parts:
- Tourist voucher indicating that you have bought a tourist ticket to Russia.
- Confirmation of tourist admission — the Consulate is requested to issue a visa to a foreign citizen.
However, you need to know that presence of invitation is not yet success to issuing to African tourist visa to Russia. He may also be required to receive medical insurance, copies of tickets for entering and leaving Russia, detailed program for the stay of a foreign tourist in the Russian Federation and other documents.
Read more: Tourist invitation to Russia for foreigners
If all the documents are in order and the employees of the Russian consulate have no reason to believe that the African can allow a violation of the visa regime, tourist visa will be issued to him for the period indicated in the invitation (up to 30 days). Visa can be single or double.
Read more in the article: Tourist visa to Russia for foreigners
Business visa to Russia for African citizens
Business visa to Russia should be issued to those citizens of African states who want to visit the Russian Federation for meetings with business partners or to sign a contract or to purchase equipment and other business-related goals.
Business visa is attractive for a longer (up to 90 days) continuous stay in Russia. Business visa is free of problems as private visas have and give opportunity to stay 3 times more in Russia than with tourist visa.
To get business visa you will need business invitation to Russia. For Africans, there are different types of business invitations, each have their own pros and cons:
Read more: Business invitation to Russia for foreigners
The form of Ministry of Internal Affairs
For receiving of business invitation on the letterhead of the Ministry of Internal Affairs representative of the inviting organization must apply at the place of his registration and send request for an invitation of foreigner. And you need to submit information about the inviting party and the invited person, copy of his identity card, justify the purpose of his arrival, provide a letter of guarantee to provide the invited person with money, housing and medical assistance during his stay in Russia. Also, you need to pay the state fee for issuing an invitation.
It may take from 7 to 21 business days to consider the application for an invitation on a state form. Check will be carried out and if errors are found in the submitted documents or the reasons why this foreigner’s visit to Russia is undesirable (such as repeated administrative violations committed by him in his previous visits), they can issue refuse of invitation on the letterhead of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Electronic invitation from Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Telex)
Electronic invitation form of a Telex is an order transmitted from the Russian Foreign Ministry via an internal communication channel to a specific Russian consulate on the issue of a business visa to a foreigner. In this case, the invited foreign citizen will need to provide only a series of numbers and information about the organization inviting him by the Telex. Registration takes from 7 to 21 business days.
Read more in the article: Business visa to Russia for foreigners
Private visa to Russia for African citizens
Visit his relatives permanently residing in Russia, African can apply for a private visa. Firstly, he will need to receive an invitation from the Russian Federation, issued by the person whom he is going to visit.
Read more: Why to use a private visa is unprofitable?
To receive an invitation to Russia for your African relative or friend, you must be an adult and have Russian citizenship or a residence permit. Person who wants to issue a private invitation for a foreigner must contact the Main Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs at the place of registration and submit a request, copy of his passport and the passport of the invited foreigner, and also provide a guarantee letter on the provision of housing, medical assistance and money for the invited foreigner, necessary for leaving the territory of the Russian Federation before the expiration of the visa. In addition, inviting person needs to pay a state fee, provide certificate of income, indicating that he can afford it.
It may take several weeks to consider such an application. If the verification of the attached documents doesn’t reveal any facts that preventing the issuance of the invitation, then it will be issued on the form of the established form, which inviting party will have to send to the invited foreigner.
Read more in the article: Private (Guest) visa to Russia for foreigners
Work visa to Russia for African citizens
On the basis of these documents and documents proving his identity and qualifications, consular visa will be issued to the African at the Russian consulate for 90 days. After entering Russia, he will have to be registered at the migration office and renew his visa for the duration of the work permit (1 year).
Then annually without leaving the country, he will be able to extend the validity of his visa. The holder of visa can cross the borders of the Russian Federation as many times as he needs. However, changing of employer need to start process of obtaining work visa again.
Read more in the article: Working visa to Russia for foreigners
E-visa to Russia for African citizens
Electronic visa is a new format of visa that has been introduced as experimental. You don’t need an invitation and can apply for it through the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For nowadays electronic visa is single entry and cannot be extended. With it you can stay in Russia up to eight days, and for receiving you need digital photo and a completed application form.
It is important that obtaining of electronic visa is available only to citizens of some countries. Citizens of some African countries can get an electronic visa to Russia. Complete list of countries with which Russia has an agreement about electronic visas is available on the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Read more in this article: Electronic visa to Russia for foreigners
Q&A
If you have any questions ask them in the comments to this article. I will try to answer them all.
Арина says:
Какие документы и порядок получения студенческой визы для гражданина Танзании?
Amer says:
Sir
I want information
That for citizens of Pakistan possible business visa Russia for 3 month how much it will cost
Please send information thanks