Problems Applying for the Russian eVisa (and How to Solve Each One)

Applying for the Russian eVisa is simple, but a lot of people get stuck at the same points every time: the confirmation email that never arrives, the photo the system won’t accept, the payment that fails, or the application that comes back marked «returned for correction». The good news is that almost all of these problems have a solution and, in most cases, you can fix them yourself without losing the fee you’ve already paid.

If your passport isn’t on the e-Visa list, my Russian visa guide explains what you need instead.

I’ve gathered here the most frequent problems I see among people applying for the eVisa, ordered by the stage of the process where they show up: registration, the form, photo and passport, payment, processing, and entering Russia. Find your case in the table of contents, go straight to the fix and, if you still can’t sort it out, further down I explain where to ask for official help and what to do as a last resort.

First things first: how the eVisa works (and why problems come up)

Russia’s unified electronic visa (eVisa) is applied for entirely online on the official portal of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: you create an account, fill out a form, upload a photo and a scan of your passport, pay the fee (AED 238, about US$65 / €58) and wait for the answer. It’s available to citizens of 64 countries (the entire European Union, plus China, India, Japan, Mexico, Turkey and others).

Since August 23, 2025, the eVisa has been valid for 120 days from issuance and allows a stay of up to 30 days (it used to be 60 and 16 days, so if you read those figures somewhere, they’re out of date). It’s single-entry, and you have to apply no earlier than 86 days and no later than 4 calendar days before your planned entry date.

Most problems come up because the system is strict and automated: if a piece of data, a photo or a payment doesn’t meet exactly what it asks for, the process stops and your application is returned to you. Let’s go through them one by one.

Problems registering and filling out the application

The confirmation email to register never arrives

This is, right now, the first wall a lot of people hit. To create your account on the portal you need to confirm your email address by clicking a link they send you. If that email doesn’t arrive, you can’t even start the application.

The Russian Ministry itself warns of delivery problems with Gmail: emails arrive late or don’t arrive at all. On the registration screen they expressly recommend using an email provider other than Gmail to secure your registration and receive all notifications.

What to do:

• Register with an email that isn’t Gmail. Outlook/Hotmail, iCloud, Proton, Yandex or an address on your own domain all work well.
• Check your spam or junk folder (and the «Promotions» tab if you end up using Gmail anyway).
• Type the address carefully: a single wrong character and the link is lost forever.
• Be patient for a few minutes and request the link again if the portal lets you.

And watch out, because this doesn’t just affect registration: every later notification (correction notices, visa approval) goes to that same email. If you use one that fails, you could miss a correction notice and end up without a visa simply because you didn’t find out in time. That’s why it’s worth using a reliable email from the start.

The system gives an error on the passport number

When you enter your passport number, the form sometimes flags it as incorrect («does not meet the requirements»), even though you’re copying it correctly. It’s usually down to unusual numbering formats or characters the system doesn’t recognize.

What to do: first check that you’re copying the number exactly as it appears on the data page, with no extra spaces and without mistaking a zero for the letter «O». If it still gives an error, the official solution is to write to evisa_info@kdmid.ru attaching a photo of your passport and explaining the problem. They’ll tell you how to proceed.

I can’t select my travel purpose (transit or other)

The eVisa covers tourism, private visits, business and taking part in scientific, cultural, socio-political, economic and sporting events. There’s no «transit» option as such: if you’re only stopping over, pick the purpose that fits best (tourism usually works), as long as your situation matches one of the allowed ones.

If the real purpose of your trip doesn’t fit any of those (for example, paid work, formal study or residence), the eVisa is no good to you and you’ll have to apply for a traditional paper visa at the consulate.

I don’t have some of the data they ask for (parents, hotel…)

Two very common doubts when filling out the form:

• Your parents’ details: if you don’t have them, put «no information» in the relevant fields. It’s fine.
• Hotel with no booking: even if you haven’t booked yet, you have to give the name, address and phone number of a place where you plan to stay. They don’t ask for a booking confirmation or any proof; just providing those details is enough.

About insurance: on the form you can enter the details of your travel insurance, but leaving this out isn’t grounds to deny the eVisa. Even so, it’s mandatory to have one for nationals of Schengen countries, and at some border points they may ask you for it on entry.

Problems with the photo and the passport scan

The system won’t accept my photo

This is one of the most common rejections. The system is demanding about the photo and just any selfie won’t do. These are the specifications it has to meet:

• JPEG format, with a recommended resolution of 450 × 600 pixels and a file size of roughly 20 to 500 KB.
• A plain, light background (light grey or white), with no shadows or objects behind you.
• Face front-on and centred, neutral expression, mouth closed and eyes open and clearly visible.
• A recent photo (from the last 6 months), in colour, sharp, with no glare or overexposure.
• No hats or sunglasses. If you wear prescription glasses, they shouldn’t cover your eyes or cause glare (better to take them off).

What to do: take a photo specifically for this, don’t crop one out of a group shot. If you can’t get the size and background right, use an online passport-photo tool (there are several that adjust the image to the Russian format automatically) or drop by a photographer and ask for a «photo for a Russian visa, in digital format». If you’d already submitted the application and it’s returned to you just to change the photo, you have to contact the visa centre through which you paid the fee (I’ve left the contacts further down).

My passport scan is rejected

The other document you upload is the scan of your passport’s data page (the one with your photo and details), not the cover. The most common reasons for rejection:

• Uploading the passport cover instead of the data page.
• The image being blurry or poorly lit so the numbers can’t be read.
• The machine-readable zone being cut off: the two lines of letters, numbers and «<<<» symbols at the bottom. That band has to be fully visible.

What to do: scan or photograph the whole data page, with good light, no glare and well framed, so that absolutely everything is legible, including the bottom band. In JPEG format. Check the image before uploading it: if you can read every line, the system will be able to as well.

Problems with payment

I’ve paid but I don’t know if it went through

After submitting the form, you pay the fee online by card. Payment confirmation isn’t immediate: it can take between 20 and 45 minutes. During that time it’s normal for the application to still not show as paid.

What to do: don’t close the browser right after paying, wait for the confirmation and don’t pay again out of impatience (you could double the charge). Once that time has passed, check the status in your personal account on the portal. And remember that, once paid, the application can’t be withdrawn nor the money recovered.

I get an error when paying or my card doesn’t work

Because of the sanctions, you can only pay with cards issued by banks outside Russia (Visa, MasterCard, etc.). Cards from Russian banks and systems like PayPal don’t work. And even with a valid card, the payment can fail if your bank blocks the transaction as suspicious: after all, it’s an international charge in a foreign currency.

What to do, in order:

• Tell your bank you’re going to make an international payment in a foreign currency and ask them not to block it.
• Check that your card allows international payments and online purchases.
• If it keeps failing, contact your bank to confirm whether the transaction was blocked. If the bank assures you there’s no block, write to the visa centre you paid through (contacts further down).
• Don’t repeat the payment over and over without first finding out what went wrong.

They’re asking me to pay in dirhams or yuan

It’s normal: because of the sanctions, the invoice may be issued in UAE dirhams (AED) or Chinese yuan (CNY). Don’t panic, you don’t need to hold those currencies. You can pay with a card linked to an account in your local currency (euros, for example) and the conversion is done automatically. The exchange fee is set by your bank.

I’m not getting the payment receipt (or I want a refund)

If you’ve paid but you don’t receive the proof or receipt, you have to request it from the visa centre through which you paid the fee (contacts below). On refunds, bad news: the fee is not returned under any circumstances, whether or not your application is approved. That’s why it’s worth reviewing everything calmly before paying.

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Problems during processing

My application shows as «returned for correction»

If, when reviewing your application, they spot an incorrect detail, processing is suspended and it’s returned to you to fix, with a comment indicating which field is wrong. This return happens within a maximum of 2 calendar days from submission. It’s not a denial: it’s your chance to put it right.

What to do: log in to your personal account on the portal, find the application with the status «returned for correction», read the comment, fix what they tell you and submit it again. Important: when you resubmit, the 4-day processing period starts counting again from that moment. Fix it as soon as possible so you don’t delay your trip.

More than 4 days have passed and I haven’t received the visa

The eVisa is processed within 4 calendar days, but the day you submit (or correct) the application doesn’t count within that period. So «4 days» is actually a bit more. Before you panic:

• Log in to your personal account and check the status. If it says «returned for correction», you have a detail to fix (see the previous point). If it says «accepted for processing», check the submission or correction date and count from the next day.
• Writing to support won’t speed anything up while the deadline is still running.

Only if more than 5 days have passed since submission (or since the correction) and you still have no answer, write to evisa_info@kdmid.ru stating your application number, your nationality and your passport number.

There’s an error in the visa I’ve already been issued

If your eVisa has already been granted but you discover a mistake (for example, a wrongly typed date of birth because you slipped up when filling it in), bad news: an electronic visa that’s already been issued can’t be modified. You’ll have to apply for a new one from scratch and pay the fee again.

Even so, report the error to evisa_info@kdmid.ru stating the application number, the passport number and the wrong field. And this time, check every detail with your passport in front of you before submitting: the name has to appear exactly as it does in the machine-readable zone of the passport (in capitals, without accents or «ñ»: «MUNOZ», not «Muñoz»).

Problems entering Russia with the eVisa

I want to enter or exit through a point that doesn’t accept the eVisa

Although the eVisa is valid throughout the country, you can only enter and leave through the authorized border crossings for this visa. The major international airports in Moscow and Saint Petersburg are, but not every land crossing or regional airport. And there’s a rule that catches a lot of people out: you also have to exit through a point on the list, you can’t just do it anywhere.

What to do: before buying tickets, confirm that both your entry point and your exit point accept the eVisa. You’ve got the up-to-date situation in my article on Russia’s borders.

Afraid of exceeding the 30-day stay

The eVisa lets you stay up to 30 days, counting both the day of entry and the day of exit (it’s not 30 nights). And remember: your exit can’t be later than 120 days from the visa’s issuance. Staying beyond that (what’s called an overstay) carries penalties and can make leaving the country very complicated.

What to do: count the days on the calendar from the moment you set foot in Russia and leave on day 30 or before. Don’t cut it fine.

Migration registration

If you stay in a hotel, the hotel itself handles the migration registration automatically and you don’t have to do anything. If you stay at someone’s home or in a private apartment for more than 7 working days, that registration is the host’s responsibility. I explain it in detail in the article on the registration of foreigners in Russia.

Where to ask for official help if you have a problem

So you’re not just shooting in the dark, note down who to turn to depending on the type of problem. There are two official channels:

Your problem	Who to write to
Error in the passport number, an error in an already-issued visa, or more than 5 days with no answer	Ministry technical support: evisa_info@kdmid.ru (state your application ID, your nationality and passport number)
Payment problems or a missing payment receipt	The visa centre you paid through: support@sinovisa.org / help@sinovisa.org or support.gkd-global.com
Checking the status of your application	Your personal account at evisa.kdmid.ru and the checker evisacheck.kdmid.ru

A heads-up: technical support may not reply if the answer is already in their official recommendations, and sending the same email twice only delays the response. Write once, with all the details, and be patient. You can also check the official portal’s frequently asked questions.

What if I can’t solve my problem?

If you’ve tried everything and you’re still stuck—the payment simply won’t go through, the system keeps returning your application over and over, or you just don’t want to risk losing the fee over a mistake—there’s always the option of applying for the eVisa with the help of a specialized agency. They review your details, handle the application and make sure everything meets the requirements, so you can forget about the paperwork. I explain how it works on my page about the Russian eVisa application service.

Frequently asked questions

Why isn’t the Russian eVisa confirmation email arriving?

The Russian Ministry warns of delivery problems with Gmail: emails arrive late or don’t arrive. Register with an email that isn’t Gmail (Outlook, iCloud, Proton, Yandex or your own domain), check your spam folder and make sure you typed the address correctly. Every later notification also goes to that email, so use a reliable one.

What do I do if the system won’t accept my photo?

The photo has to be JPEG, around 450 x 600 pixels, with a plain light background, face front-on, a neutral expression, recent, and with no sunglasses or hats. Take a photo specifically for the visa or use a passport-photo tool. If your application is returned just because of the photo, contact the visa centre you paid the fee through (support@sinovisa.org, help@sinovisa.org or support.gkd-global.com).

How long does the fee payment take to be confirmed?

Payment confirmation isn’t immediate: it can take between 20 and 45 minutes. Don’t close the browser or pay again during that time so you don’t double the charge. Once it’s passed, check the status in your personal account on the portal.

Can I pay the fee in euros?

Yes. Even if the invoice is issued in UAE dirhams or yuan because of the sanctions, you can pay with a card in your local currency and the conversion is done automatically. Cards from Russian banks and PayPal aren’t accepted, only Visa or MasterCard cards from banks outside Russia.

What does it mean that my application is returned for correction?

It means they’ve detected an incorrect detail and suspended processing so you can fix it. It’s not a denial. Log in to your personal account, read the comment, correct the field they point out and resubmit the application. When you resubmit, the 4-day processing period starts counting again.

More than 4 days have passed and I have no answer, what do I do?

The day you submit or correct the application doesn’t count within the 4-day period. First check the status in your personal account. Only if more than 5 days have passed since submission or correction and you still have no answer, write to evisa_info@kdmid.ru stating the application ID, your nationality and your passport number.

There’s an error in my already-issued visa, can I correct it?

No. An electronic visa that’s already been issued can’t be modified. You’ll have to apply for a new one from scratch and pay the fee again. Report the error to evisa_info@kdmid.ru with the application number, the passport number and the wrong field.

Where do I get in touch if I have a problem with the eVisa?

There are two official channels. For errors in the passport number, errors in an issued visa or delays of more than 5 days, write to the Ministry’s technical support: evisa_info@kdmid.ru. For payment problems, a returned photo or a missing receipt, write to the visa centre you paid through: support@sinovisa.org, help@sinovisa.org or support.gkd-global.com.