Is it necessary to have visa to Russia for citizens of Australia?
Yes, citizens of Australia 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 Australia citizen should know:
Australia (the official name is the Australian Union) is a developed state, which is the sixth largest in the world in size and thirteenth largest economy. The population is about 24.8 million people. The Russian diaspora lives in Australia, numbering (according to various sources) from 60 to 90 thousand people. Thousand tourists from Australia visit Russia annually.
How to get visa to Russia for Australian?
Short list of steps-to-do for Australian:
- 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$ (120 australian dollars)
- 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 Australia?
You can get a visa at Russian consulates in Australia or at any Russian consulate abroad. 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 to Russia for Australians
There are the following types of visas and purpose of visiting Russia:
- tourist visa – tourism, sightseeing;
- business visa – conferences, business meetings;
- private visa – meeting with relatives and friends (more practical and cheaper to use a tourist visa);
- work visa – work in a Russian company.
Comparison of length of stay and price of visa:
| Type of visa | Length of stay | Full processing price |
|---|---|---|
| Tourist | from 1 to 30 days | ≈125$ |
| Business | from 30 days to 1 year * | from 200$ |
| 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 Australian citizens
Issuing a tourist visa to Russia is the easiest option, because it will take no more than 5 minutes to get an invitation for this visa with online registration.
The invitation to Russia for Australians is easiest to get in a travel company, which is registered in the Unified Register of Tour Operators and has its own reference number. The appearance of such invitations is not regulated and each travel company prints tourist invitations on its own forms. Each invitation consists of 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.
The invitation issued by the travel company indicates the name and reference number of the company, the passport details of the tourist, the planned dates of entry and exit, the route of the trip provided for the accommodation of the tourist hotels, the number of visas.
Read more: Tourist invitation to Russia for foreigners
Receiving a tourist invitation to Russia is not a guarantee that he will be issued a visa. After submitting documents to the Russian consulate, an inspection is carried out to determine whether an Australian citizen has had deportation from Russia in the past, as well as unpaid fines. In addition, the consulate may ask to present documents confirming the tourist purpose of the visit to Russia, as well as medical insurance. Often Australian citizens easily get tourist visas to Russia. They are issued for up to 30 days. Tourist visas are single and double entry.
Read more in the article: Tourist visa to Russia for foreigners
Business visa to Russia for Australian citizens
If an Australian citizen wants to visit Russian Federation to negotiate with business partners, participate in an auction or for another business purpose, he needs to get a business visa.
In addition to business travel, this visa is attractive for a longer (up to 90 days) continuous stay in Russia. A business visa avoids problems of private visas and make possible to stay 3 times more on the territory of Russia than with a tourist visa.
A business visa to Russia can be issued to a foreign citizen up to 5 years. It can be single, double or multiple. An invitation to get this type visa must also be issued by a person (physical or legal) located in Russia.
Business visa required a business invitation to Russia. For Australians, there are different types of business invitations, each have their own pluses and minuses:
Read more: Business invitation to Russia for foreigners
The form of Ministry of Internal Affairs
For issuing an invitation on the form of the Main Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, inviting party must apply with a corresponding application. At the same time, the employees of the Main Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will check whether the foreign citizen violated the laws of the Russian Federation in his previous visits and whether the fines imposed on him remained unpaid. If such facts are not revealed, then a business invitation on a state form will be issued to the inviting party. Registration takes from 7 to 21 business days.
Electronic invitation from Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Telex)
An electronic invitation is a number that you need to tell to Australian who wants to come to Russia with business visit. Business invitation issued by order from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation to the corresponding embassy of the Russian Federation. When Telex is issuing, there is the same checks as for issuing an invitation from the Main Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Registration takes from 7 to 21 business days. The benefit of this invitations is they don’t need original documents to be mailed.
Read more in the article: Business visa to Russia for foreigners
Private visa to Russia for Australian citizens
Applying for a private visa to Russia will spend much more time for Australian citizen. This type of visa is needed if a foreign citizen wants to visit his Russian relatives or friends. Many people avoid issuing private visas, because tourist visas are easy.
Read more: Why to use a private visa is unprofitable?
To get a private visa required a private invitation. Registration of them in Russia must be done by an individual. For doing this needs to contact the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation at his place of residence with a statement on the issuance of a private invitation with a copy of the passport attached to it and additional information. To issue a private invitation required to obtain a private visa to Russia, you will have to wait up to 20 business days. At the same time, after this period, employees of the Main Department the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation may refuse to issue an invitation, indicating the reason. If there are no reasons for refusal, a private invitation will be issued on a state form, certified by appropriate seals and signatures.
This document will need to be forwarded to the Australian, who is going to come to Russia by express mail. Private visa to Russia can be issued up to 90 days. It can be single or double.
Read more in the article: Private (Guest) visa to Russia for foreigners
Work visa to Russia for Australian citizens
To get a work visa to Russia Australian citizen must first find an employer in the Russian Federation who will be interested in helping to make all the necessary documents (Russian work permit and a work invitation). For doing this, he can use a tourist visa. Work visa has a huge advantage over other visas: it can be extended for a year without leaving the country. Initially, work visa issued for 3 months, and after the arrival of a foreigner to Russia is extended for the duration of the work permit.
Only a company that plans to hire a specific foreigner can apply for work invitation. If he wants to change his employer, after receiving a work visa he has to apply for a work visa to Russia again. Remember that work invitations are not for sale!
Read more in the article: Working visa to Russia for foreigners
E-visa to Russia for Australian citizens
Electronic visa is a new visa format that has been introduced as experimental. You don’t need an invitation and you can apply for it through the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Electronic visa is a single entry and cannot be extended. With it you can stay in Russia up to eight days, and for its making you need a digital photo and a completed application form.
It is important that getting of electronic visa is available only to citizens of some countries. Australian citizens cannot get an electronic visa to Russia. A complete list of countries with which Russia has an agreement on 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
Russian consulates in Australia
Russian consulates in Australia are located in the following cities:
See also: Addresses of the Russian consulates in Australia on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry
From April 8, 2019 acceptance of visa documents at the Embassy is stopped. Documents must be submitted to the visa center.
| Address | 78 Canberra Avenue, Griffith, ACT 2603, Australia |
|---|---|
| Telephone | (8-10-61-2) 6295-94-74 |
| Fax | (8-10-61-2) 6295-10-01 |
| consul.australia@mid.ru | |
| Web | australia.mid.ru |
| Business hours | Monday to Friday from 09.00 to 12.30. |
| Address | 7-9 Fullerton Str., Woollahra, NSW 2025, Australia |
|---|---|
| Telephone | (8-10-61-2) 9326-18-66, 9326-17-02, 8355-54-04, 8355-54-05 |
| Fax | (8-10-61-2) 9327-50-65 |
| sydney@mid.ru, visa.sydney@mid.ru – visa department | |
| Web | sydney.mid.ru |
| Business hours | Monday to Friday from 09.00 to 12.30 and you need to make an appointment |
| Emergency telephone number | +61-2-8813-23-23 (SMS only) |
Q&A
If you have any questions ask them in the comments to this article. I will try to answer them all.
EVAN KNOBLE says:
Just checking… If I wish to apply for a visa to visit Russia, do I need to apply in person at the Consulate General in Sydney