Entry to Russia for Turkish citizens: visa and passport types

This page is for Turkish citizens planning to travel to Russia. Whether you will enter Russia with or without a visa depends on the type of passport you carry and whether you have a residence permit in Russia. Below, you will find the rules according to passport type, which visa you should choose, how periods of stay are calculated, and in which cases entry may be refused.

• Ordinary (burgundy) passport: a visa is required. You must obtain a visa for all purposes, including tourism, family visits, business meetings, work, and education.
• Special (green) and service (gray) passports: you may stay visa-free for 30 days on each entry. Your total stay may not exceed 90 days in any 180-day period.
• Diplomatic passport: 90 days visa-free.
• Those with a temporary residence permit (РВП) or residence permit (ВНЖ) in Russia: may enter, leave, and stay visa-free regardless of passport type.
• According to Russia's decree, the following other groups retain the right to visa-free entry even if they hold ordinary passports:
  • crew members of aircraft belonging to Türkiye (члены экипажей воздушных судов)
  • professional drivers engaged in international road transport (since August 7, 2019; 30 days, no more than 90 days within 180 days)
  • staff and their families working at Türkiye's embassies and consulates in Russia

• Türkiye and Russia signed a mutual visa-free travel agreement in Ankara on May 12, 2010. Under the agreement, stays of up to 30 days per entry and a total of 90 days within every 180 days were permitted without a visa.
• Russia suspended the agreement for Turkish citizens holding ordinary passports as of January 1, 2016 (Decree No. 583, November 28, 2015).
• The groups excluded from the suspension are listed above. The agreement began to apply again to service and special passport holders and professional drivers on August 7, 2019.
• The suspension for ordinary passports is still in effect today. The work restrictions introduced in 2016 were lifted in 2017 (see R3.4).
• A separate agreement applies to diplomatic passports (November 5, 1999, Moscow).

• E-visa (единая электронная виза): for tourist, business, or guest visits of up to 30 days, as well as scientific, cultural, social-political, economic, and sporting events. It allows a single entry. No invitation is required. See R1.2 for details.
• Consular visa (обыкновенная виза): for stays longer than 30 days, work, education, multiple entries, transit, and family visits. Types include private, business, tourist, education, work, humanitarian, and transit visas. See R1.3 for details.
• Most consular visas require an invitation (приглашение) obtained by the inviting person or organization in Russia (see R1.4).
• If your passport contains a valid regular Russian visa, you do not need to obtain an e-visa as well. The validity of a regular visa cannot be extended with an e-visa.

• For an e-visa:
  • the passport must be machine-readable and issued by the country of which you are a citizen
  • it must be valid for at least 6 months from the application date
  • your date of birth must be fully stated by day, month, and year
  • there must be blank space for entry and exit stamps
• For a consular visa: the passport must be valid for at least 6 months after the visa expires and must contain at least 2 blank pages.
• For work and education visas, the Russian Embassy requires the passport to be valid for at least 1.5 years from the visa start date.
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye reminds travelers that their passport must not contain damage such as tears, alterations, or erasures and that its validity period must be sufficient.
• If you have renewed your passport and your old passport contains a valid Russian visa, clarify the visa procedure with the consulate before setting out (see R2.2).

• As a rule, the period of stay of a foreigner entering with a visa is limited by the visa's validity period. You must leave the country when the period expires.
• For multiple-entry business and tourist visas, the total stay may not exceed 90 days in any 180-day period.
• With an e-visa, you may stay for up to 30 days from entry. The day of entry and the day of exit are counted as separate days.
• With a special or service passport, you may stay for 30 days per entry and a total of 90 days in any 180-day period.
• For extending your stay and the consequences of overstaying, see R2.2 and R2.5.

• Even if you have a visa, you may be denied entry at the border. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye also reminds travelers that a visa does not provide an absolute right to enter the country and that questions from border officials should be answered carefully.
• The main circumstances in which entry is not permitted under the law (Article 27 of Federal Law 114-FZ):
  • having been deported from Russia within the last 5 years, or having been deported two or more times within the last 10 years
  • an uncleared or unresolved conviction for an intentional crime
  • failure to present the documents required for the visa or a valid health insurance policy in Russia (until presented)
  • being unable to prove that you have sufficient funds to cover your stay in Russia and your return expenses
  • using forged documents
  • an unpaid administrative fine or unreimbursed deportation expenses (until paid)
  • overstaying the permitted period by 180–270 days during a previous stay (5-year entry ban), or by more than 270 days (10-year entry ban)
• Circumstances in which entry may be refused (Article 26 of Federal Law 114-FZ):
  • knowingly providing false information about yourself or the purpose of your trip
  • receiving administrative fines two or more times within three years
  • failing to leave within 30 days after the end of your previous stay (3-year ban)
  • participating in the activities of an organization whose activities in Russia have been declared “undesirable” or of an organization on the lists of extremist and terrorist organizations (see R10.3)
• To find out whether you are subject to an entry ban, the Russian Embassy recommends the inquiry service of the Main Directorate for Migration Affairs of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (ГУВМ МВД). For fines and bans, see R2.5.

• Assuming that the 2010 visa-free travel agreement is still valid for all passports. Ordinary passport holders have required a visa since 2016.
• Going to work or study with an e-visa. E-visas are not issued for these purposes.
• Calculating 30 days with an e-visa as “30 × 24 hours.” The entry and exit dates count as separate days.
• Applying without checking the passport's validity period. For an e-visa, six months are required from the application date; for a consular visa, six months are required from the visa expiry date.
• Assuming that a multiple-entry visa grants a new 90 days on every entry. The total stay may not exceed 90 days in any 180-day period.
• Considering a previous overstay unimportant. Earlier violations may be grounds for refusal at a new entry.

• Can Turkish citizens travel to Russia without a visa? Not with an ordinary passport. You may travel visa-free for 30 days with a special or service passport and for 90 days with a diplomatic passport.
• I have a residence permit in Russia. Do I need a visa? No. Turkish citizens with a temporary residence permit (РВП) or residence permit (ВНЖ) may enter and leave visa-free.
• I am a truck driver engaged in international transport. Do I need a visa? Under Russia's decree, professional drivers engaged in international road transport may enter visa-free for 30 days; you may not exceed a total of 90 days within 180 days. Since you enter visa-free, you must notify your trip in advance through the ruID application or Gosuslugi (see R1.6).
• Does my child registered in my passport need a separate visa? Yes, for an e-visa: a separate application must be submitted for each child registered in your passport.
• I am both a Turkish and Russian citizen. Can I obtain an e-visa with my Turkish passport? No. An e-visa is not issued to a person who has Russian citizenship. Russian citizens may enter and leave Russia only with a Russian passport (see R4.5).
• I do not know which visa to obtain. Where should I start? For a short tourist or business visit of up to 30 days, consider an e-visa (R1.2). For a longer stay, work, or education, consider a consular visa (R1.3).

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye – visa requirements for Turkish citizens
• Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs – e-visa application website
• Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs – electronic application form for a consular visa
• Türkiye–Russia mutual travel agreement (2010, full text)
• Federal Law 114-FZ, entry into and exit from Russia (full text)
• Russian Embassy – Consular services
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye consular appointment system