Consular visa types and required documents

This page is for Turkish citizens traveling to Russia when an e-visa is not sufficient: those staying longer than 30 days, working or studying, making multiple entries, or transiting through Russia. Below you will find the visa types and durations under Russian law, the documents required for each visa, the 2026 fees applicable to Turkish citizens, and processing times.

• If you will stay in Russia for more than 30 days.
• If you are going to work or study.
• If you want to enter and leave more than once with the same visa.
• If you will transit through Russia.
• If you will visit a close relative who is a Russian citizen for an extended period.
• If none of these situations applies and you will stay for no more than 30 days, an e-visa is faster and easier (see R1.2).

• Private visa (частная виза): for visiting guests.
  • general rule: up to 3 months (up to 1 year on the basis of reciprocity)
  • for a foreign national who is a relative of a Russian citizen: up to 1 year, multiple-entry; the holder may stay for the entire validity period of the visa (see R1.4)
  • due to urgent medical treatment or the serious illness or death of a close relative: up to 3 months
• Business visa (деловая виза): for business trips such as interviews, meetings, seminars, and conferences.
  • up to 1 year under the law (up to 5 years on the basis of reciprocity)
  • according to the visa center, single- or double-entry visas are valid for 90 days, and multiple-entry visas for up to 1 year
• Tourist visa (туристическая виза):
  • up to 6 months under the law; group visas for organized tourist groups of at least 5 people are valid for up to 1 month
  • according to the visa center, single- or double-entry visas are valid for up to 3 months, and multiple-entry visas for up to 6 months
• Student visa (учебная виза): up to 1 year under the law. The visa center issues the first visa as single- or double-entry for a maximum of 90 days; it is extended in Russia (see R5.2).
• Work visa (рабочая виза): for the duration of the employment contract, up to 1 year. Highly qualified specialists (ВКС) are issued multiple-entry visas valid for up to 3 years (see R3.1 and R3.2).
• Humanitarian visa (гуманитарная виза): for scientific, cultural, social-political, sporting, and religious relations, pilgrimage, charity work, and humanitarian aid. Up to 1 year under the law (up to 5 years on the basis of reciprocity). Professional religious activity and missionary work based on a contract with a religious organization are not covered by this visa.
• Transit visa (транзитная виза): up to 10 days under the law. According to the visa center, it is issued for up to 10 days for travel by road and rail, and up to 3 days for travel by air.
• For multiple-entry business and tourist visas, the total stay may not exceed 90 days in any 180-day period.

• Passport: valid for at least 6 months after the visa expires and containing at least 2 blank pages. For work and student visas, it must be valid for at least 1.5 years from the start date of the visa (Russian Embassy).
• Electronic application form: completed on the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, visa.kdmid.ru. Select the visa center in the city where you will apply. Print it and sign it yourself. The form may be completed in Russian or English.
• Photograph: 3.5 × 4.5 cm, taken within the last 6 months, with a white or off-white background, face directly forward, printed on standard photographic paper. No sunglasses, hats, or other head coverings; coverings worn for religious or ethnic reasons are accepted. The photograph is attached to the application form.
• Fee payment: paid at the visa center (see "Fees" below).
• If you are not a Turkish citizen: the original and a photocopy of your residence permit in Türkiye.
• Health insurance: the visa center requires an insurance policy at the time of application only from citizens of Iran, the United States, and the EU. Details are provided in R1.7.

• Private visa:
  • an invitation issued by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (МВД)
  • or a written application from your Russian-citizen relative and documents proving the relationship (see R1.4)
• Business visa: an invitation issued by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the migration unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
• Tourist visa:
  • a tourist acceptance document (voucher) with a valid reference number issued by a company operating as a tour operator in Russia and registered in the Unified Federal Register of Tour Operators; the document is issued on the company’s letterhead
  • hotel and flight reservations
  • Turkish citizens may also obtain a tourist visa with a reservation at a hotel listed in the federal hotel register and a document showing that the entire stay has been paid for. In this case, the visa is issued for the duration of the hotel stay.
• Student visa:
  • an invitation issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs
  • the original HIV test certificate obtained from a recognized hospital in Türkiye no more than 3 months before the application
• Work visa:
  • an invitation issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (see R3.1)
  • an HIV test certificate obtained no more than 3 months before the application; it is not required from family members under 16
  • for accompanying family members, a photocopy of the passport, the highly qualified specialist’s (ВКС) visa, and the contract with the inviting company
• Humanitarian visa: an invitation issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
• Transit visa:
  • copies of tickets or flight confirmation showing the entire route
  • the visa of the destination country if that country requires one
• If you apply at the visa center in Istanbul, the telex invitation obtained by the inviting party must have reached the Consulate General at least 1 day before you submit your documents.

• The consular fee is set in US dollars. Standard processing takes 7–20 days, and expedited processing takes 1–3 days.
• Single-entry visa: standard 80 dollars, expedited 160 dollars
• Double-entry visa: standard 128 dollars, expedited 256 dollars
• Multiple-entry visa: standard 240 dollars, expedited 480 dollars (multiple-entry tourist visas are available only through standard processing, for 240 dollars)
• These amounts are the same for private, business, tourist, student, work, humanitarian, and transit visas. Transit and student visas are issued as single- or double-entry visas.
• Visa center service fee: the equivalent of 35 dollars per application. Since July 4, 2022, the service fee has been payable only in Turkish lira, at the day’s exchange rate.
• Payment is made at the visa center in cash or by bank transfer. Payments are non-refundable.
• If you are not a Turkish citizen, the fee may be different; ask the visa center.
• Issuance or extension of a visa while in Russia (Tax Code Article 333.28, text dated August 4, 2026): an exit visa or exit-and-return visa costs 2,000 rubles, and a multiple-entry visa costs 6,000 rubles (see R2.2).

• Embassies and consulates general usually make a decision within 10 business days after complete documents have been submitted and the fee has been paid.
• In very urgent cases, the period may be 3 business days or less.
• If a more detailed review is required, the period may be extended to 30 days.
• For a private visa based on a written application from your Russian-citizen relative, processing takes at least 10 business days.
• The consulate may request additional documents or invite you for an interview.

• You collect your passport from the visa center yourself or through an authorized person. If you select courier service during the application, the passport will be sent to your address.
• When you receive your passport, immediately check the information on the visa: passport details, validity dates, number of entries, and purpose of travel.
• If you notice an error, contact the visa center before departing.
• For application locations, addresses, and telephone numbers, see R1.5.

• Going to the visa center before the invitation arrives. Applications for visas based on an invitation are not accepted without the invitation.
• When applying from Istanbul, failing to check whether the telex invitation has reached the Consulate General.
• Selecting the wrong visa center on the application form or failing to sign the form.
• Taking the HIV test more than 3 months before the application.
• Working with a business visa. A business visa does not grant the right to work (see R3.5).
• Forgetting the 90-days-in-180-days limit for multiple-entry visas.
• Failing to check the dates on the visa when collecting the passport.

• Can I pay the visa fee in Turkish lira? The visa center accepts the service fee only in Turkish lira. The consular fee is set in dollars; ask the visa center about the payment method.
• Is the fee refunded if the visa is refused? No. Payments are non-refundable.
• Is an invitation required for a tourist visa? An invitation from the Ministry of Internal Affairs is not required. A tourist acceptance document from a registered tour operator or a reservation and proof of full payment from a hotel on the federal list is sufficient.
• I want to travel to and from Russia for one year. What should I do? Depending on your purpose, a multiple-entry business visa may be suitable, or, if you have a Russian-citizen relative, a multiple-entry private visa may be appropriate. With a business visa, you may stay for no more than 90 days in any 180-day period.
• Can I extend my visa after arriving in Russia? In some cases, the Ministry of Internal Affairs may extend the visa; however, a private visa based on an invitation from the Ministry of Internal Affairs cannot be extended in Russia. Details are provided in R2.2.
• I live in another country. Can I apply at the Russian consulate there? According to the Russian Embassy, applicants applying in a third country must prove that they have a residence permit valid for more than 180 days in that country.

• Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs – electronic application form for a consular visa
• Visa center fee schedule – private visa (PDF)
• Visa center fee schedule – business visa (PDF)
• Visa center fee schedule – tourist visa (PDF)
• Visa center fee schedule – student visa (PDF)
• Visa center fee schedule – work visa (PDF)
• Visa center fee schedule – humanitarian visa (PDF)
• Visa center fee schedule – transit visa (PDF)
• Russian Visa Center – appointments for agencies and group applications
• Federal Law 114-FZ (full text)