How to get a Russian visa in 2026

Wondering if you need a visa to visit Russia? Whether you’re traveling for tourism, visiting friends, or attending a business meeting — your visa requirements depend entirely on your nationality. Some travelers can enter visa-free, others can apply for a convenient electronic visa (eVisa), and others still need to go through the regular visa process via a consulate. Also keep in mind that since 2025, you can visit both Russia and Belarus with the same visa.

How to get a russian visa depending on citizenship

What will I find on this page?

On this page, you can find the visa requirements for traveling to Russia depending on your nationality. Each nationality-specific guide includes:

Whether you need a visa or not
Eligibility for eVisa or visa-free entry
How to apply step by step (with official links)
Medical insurance requirements
Links to visa support services, consulates, and application forms.

What are my options for entering Russia?

1. Visa-free Russia

If your nationality qualifies for visa-free entry, you need to register in the RuID app and generate a QR code to present at the border. Nationals from over 60 countries are allowed to enter Russia visa-free for a limited duration. This includes countries such as Serbia, Andorra, Argentina, the UAE, and many others.
👉 Check visa-free countries

2. eVisa

If your country is eVisa-eligible, you can apply online with no consulate visit. If you’re from one of 64 countries (like Germany, France, Japan or China), you can easily get a Russian e-visa online for tourism or business. It’s valid for 30 days, no invitation or hotel booking needed — just a passport (valid for 6+ months) and a photo. Apply 86 to 4 days before your trip on the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs site. It costs about $52, and you must enter/leave through approved checkpoints listed there.
👉 See how the eVisa works

3. Regular Visa

If you’re staying in Russia longer, traveling for work or study, or your country’s not on the e-visa list, you’ll need a regular visa. The fee and process depend on your country and reason for visiting. You’ll need to fill out and print the visa application from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs site, then apply at an embassy or visa center.

Tourist visas can be single, double or multiple entry (up to 6 months, or 3 years for U.S. citizens). Business visas can be valid up to 1 year. Work visas are valid for a year (or 3 years for highly qualified workers). Student visas start at 3 months and can be renewed yearly.
You’ll need your passport (+copy), a photo, and proof of accommodation. For transit visas, tickets showing your route are also required. Russia also offers a private visa (up to 3 months) for those sharing Russian values who want to relocate. Once in Russia, you’ll need to apply for a temporary residence permit.
👉 See how the regular visa works

4. Visa agreement between Russia and Belarus

Since 2025, Russia and Belarus have been recognizing each other’s regular visas. This means you can visit both countries with the same visa, no need to apply twice. You can travel between them by land (road or train) or by air.

👉 Read more here

Russian Visa Requeriments by Nationality

👇 Find your nationality in the tables below to see what you need to enter Russia in 2025:

North America

Country	eVisa	Regular Visa	Visa-Free	Link
Canada	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
United States	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Mexico	✅	✅	❌	Full guide

Europe

Country	eVisa	Regular Visa	Visa-Free	Link
Albania	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Andorra	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Austria	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Belarus	❌	❌	✅ (Free movement)	–
Belgium	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Bosnia and Herzegovina	❌	Optional	✅ (30 days from 60)	Full guide
Bulgaria	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Croatia	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Cyprus	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Czech Republic	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Denmark	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Estonia	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Finland	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
France	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Germany	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Greece	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Hungary	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Iceland	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Ireland	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Italy	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Latvia	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Liechtenstein	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Lithuania	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Luxembourg	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Malta	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Moldova	❌	❌	✅	–
Monaco	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Montenegro	✅	Optional	✅ (up to 30 days)	Full guide
Netherlands	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
North Macedonia	✅	✅	✅ (with documents)	Full guide
Norway	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Poland	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Portugal	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Romania	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
San Marino	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Serbia	❌	✅	✅ (up to 30 days)	Full guide
Slovakia	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Slovenia	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Spain	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Sweden	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Switzerland	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Ukraine	❌	❌	✅	–
United Kingdom	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Vatican City	✅	✅	❌	Full guide

Central America

Country	eVisa	Regular Visa	Visa-Free	Link
Belize	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Costa Rica	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
El Salvador	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Guatemala	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Honduras	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Nicaragua	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Panama	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide

Caribbean

Country	eVisa	Regular Visa	Visa-Free	Link
Antigua and Barbuda	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Bahamas	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Barbados	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Cuba	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Dominica	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Dominican Republic	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 60 days)	Full guide
Grenada	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Haiti	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Jamaica	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Saint Kitts and Nevis	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Saint Lucia	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Trinidad and Tobago	❌	✅	❌	Full guide

South America

Country	eVisa	Regular Visa	Visa-Free	Link
Argentina	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Bolivia	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Brazil	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Chile	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Colombia	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Ecuador	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Guyana	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Paraguay	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Peru	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Suriname	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Uruguay	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Venezuela	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide

Asia

Country	eVisa	Regular Visa	Visa-Free	Link
Afghanistan	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Armenia	❌	❌	✅	–
Azerbaijan	❌	❌	✅	–
Bahrain	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Bangladesh	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Bhutan	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Brunei	❌	✅	✅ (up to 14 days)	Full guide
Cambodia	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
China	✅	✅	✅ (Group visa-free)	Full guide
Georgia	❌	❌	✅	–
India	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Indonesia	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Iran	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Iraq	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Israel	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Japan	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Jordan	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Kazakhstan	❌	❌	✅	–
Kuwait	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Kyrgyzstan	❌	❌	✅	–
Laos	✅	✅	✅ (up to 30 days)	Full guide
Lebanon	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Malaysia	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Maldives	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Mongolia	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 30 days)	Full guide
Myanmar	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Nepal	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
North Korea	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Oman	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Pakistan	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Palestine	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Philippines	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Qatar	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Saudi Arabia	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Singapore	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
South Korea	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 60 days)	Full guide
Sri Lanka	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Syria	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Taiwan	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Tajikistan	❌	❌	✅	–
Thailand	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 30 days)	Full guide
Timor-Leste	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Turkey	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Turkmenistan	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
United Arab Emirates	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Uzbekistan	❌	❌	✅	–
Vietnam	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Yemen	✅	✅	❌	Full guide

Oceania

Country	eVisa	Regular Visa	Visa-Free	Link
Australia	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Fiji	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Kiribati	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Marshall Islands	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Micronesia	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Nauru	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 14 days)	Full guide
New Zealand	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Palau	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 30 days)	Full guide
Papua New Guinea	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Samoa	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 60 days)	Full guide
Solomon Islands	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Tonga	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Tuvalu	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Vanuatu	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide

Africa

Country	eVisa	Regular Visa	Visa-Free	Link
Algeria	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Angola	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Benin	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Botswana	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 30 days)	Full guide
Burkina Faso	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Burundi	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Cabo Verde	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 60 days)	Full guide
Cameroon	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Central African Republic	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Chad	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Comoros	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Congo (Republic)	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Congo (DR)	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Côte d’Ivoire	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Djibouti	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Egypt	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Equatorial Guinea	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Eritrea	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Eswatini	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Ethiopia	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Gabon	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Gambia	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Ghana	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Guinea	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Guinea-Bissau	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Kenya	✅	✅	❌	Full guide
Lesotho	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Liberia	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Libya	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Madagascar	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Malawi	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Mali	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Mauritania	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Mauritius	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 60 days)	Full guide
Morocco	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Mozambique	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Namibia	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
Niger	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Nigeria	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Rwanda	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
São Tomé and Príncipe	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Senegal	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Seychelles	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 30 days)	Full guide
Sierra Leone	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Somalia	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
South Africa	❌	Optional	✅ (up to 90 days)	Full guide
South Sudan	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Sudan	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Tanzania	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Togo	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Tunisia	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Uganda	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Zambia	❌	✅	❌	Full guide
Zimbabwe	✅	✅	❌	Full guide

On this page, you can find the visa requirements for traveling to Russia depending on your nationality. The official and most up-to-date information about the conditions of entry for foreign citizens to the Russian Federation, listed by country and passport type, is available (in Russian) on the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia at this link.

I recommend checking the latest requirements there before planning your trip.