Issuance of Visas

General information

List of necessary documents

Tourist visas

Business visas, student visas, visas for cultural, sport, scientific and other exchanges

Transit visas

Homestay (visitors) visas

Payment

Consular fee

APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC)

General Information

• To enter the Russian Federation a foreigner should obtain a Russian visa in one of the Russian consular offices in Tokyo, Sapporo, Osaka or Niigata.

• Each visa is valid for one person only. Visa is valid for a fixed term (in accordance with an invitation or a tourist confirmation). It can allow a single, double or multiple entry to Russia.

• A visa application should be made directly to the Consular Section in person or via travel agent (mailed applications are not accepted).

Attention! If you apply via a travel agent, the application form should bear the original signature of the applicant!

• Business hours of the Visa section of the Embassy are Monday to Friday from 9:30 till 12:30.

• Further inquires can be made by phone (03-3586-4445) or by fax (03-3586-0407).

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List of necessary documents

• Passport or other travel document in original. The validity term of the Passport should be no less then 6 month from the date of expiration of the Russian visa and the Passport should contain at least two blank pages.

• If you are accompanied by a child, who does not have his/her own passport, he/she should be included in one of the parents' passport. If a child is 4 years old or senior the parents' passport should have his/her photograph.

• Visa application form, filled out by hand or printed and signed personally by the applicant. All the answers to the questions should be detailed and correct (click here to view the sample).

• One passport size photo (3,5x4,5 cm.), attached to the visa application form.

• Citizens of the United States, Canada, Georgia and British nationals applying for Russian visas should submit to the Consular section a special application form. All the questions should be answered.

• All foreign citizens (except Japanese), who wish to come back to Japan after visiting Russia should receive a Re-entry Permit from the Japanese immigration authorities.

• Citizens of the countries which are members to the Shengen agreement (Austria, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, France) and citizens of Finland, Estonia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Israel should have a medical insurance, valid in Russia. Please submit to the visa section the following documents:

  - Filled out medical insurance card containing information on your insurance company, which insurance is valid in Russia (click here to get a list of such Japanese insurance companies);

  - Copy of the insurance policy (a certificate from the insurance company with the information on the insurance period).

• Citizens of some countries should also submit following documents:

  - Stamp or seal of the Japanese immigration authorities confirming the validity of their stay in Japan for more then 6 month (If an applicant enters Japan with short term visitor status he/she can get a Russian visa only in his/her home country);

  - Air tickets in original (there and back);

  - Originals of all other submitted documents (e.g. in case of tourism - originals of the voucher and of the visa confirmation).

Attention!
A visa application shall be declined if any of the above listed documents are missing!

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Tourist visas

• To obtain a Russian tourist visa an applicant should, besides documents listed in the previous paragraph, present a standard tourist confirmation (fax copy, click here to view the sample) from a hosting authorized Russian travel agency or a hotel, which is registered with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and has a valid reference number.
  
• A copy of a voucher from the travel agency in Russia or the original and copy from the travel agency in Japan. The voucher must contain the following information:

  - applicant’s name or alphabetical list of a group with dates of birth and passport numbers;

  - dates and points of arrival and departure in and from Russia and means of transportation;

  - itinerary in Russia;

  - index and reference number of the receiving organization;

  - agency's official stamp and signature of the person in charge.

• If you purchase tourist services from several travel agencies in Russia (which may be the case of both single and double tourist visa) a set of the above listed documents should be presented from each agency.

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Business visas, student visas, visas for cultural, sport, scientific and other exchanges

To obtain a business visa the original of the official letter of invitation issued by the Russian Ministry of internal affairs (click here to view the sample) should be submitted to the visa section.

If the visa support was obtained through the Russian Ministry of foreign affairs or its regional representatives an applicant should inquire by fax (03-3586-0407) using special form. When an applicant receives a positive reply fax from the Consular section (which shall be sent to the fax number written in the special form) it should be submitted alongside with other documents at the time of the application.

If an applicant is planning to stay in the Russian Federation for more than 3 month a certificate of HIV-infection test negative results should be submitted to the visa section alongside with their documents (the certificate is valid for 3 month from the day of test).

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Transit visas

• an original and a copy of airline tickets;

• a copy of the passport page with the visa of the country you are going to and/or from.
  

Transit visas for passengers who travel from Japan through Russia to CIS countries, which do not have a diplomatic or consular establishment in Japan, are issued only if the Consular section receives a fax confirmation directly from the Ministry of foreign affairs of the respective country, which confirms that an applicant will get his/her entry visa at the point of the border control.

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Homestay (Visitor's) visas

Payment

Visa fees should be paid in cash in the day of the application (Japanese yen only, no credit cards or personal checks are accepted).

Visa fee for Japanese nationals

*If a weekend or a Russian national holiday comes in between the processing time is further extended for the duration of the weekend/holiday.

**Only Japanese nationals are free from the visa fee. Citizens of other countries may be charged an extra consular fee on the basis of reciprocity.

Visa processing fee is not refundable.

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The Government of the Russian Federation has issued decree on participation of Russia in APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC)

The Government of the Russian Federation has issued decree (N773 of 02.10.2009) on participation of Russia in APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) Scheme under certain conditions, which can be regarded as �átransitional membership�â. Under the decree, which comes into force since 12-th April, 2010 , the ABTC holders will enjoy special fast-track entry and exit lanes at international airports and seaports. Although the ABTC cardholder is still to apply for entry visa, unless otherwise exempt under international agreements of the Russian Federation , our Embassy (Consulate General) will process such visa applications in a priority mode, including same day visa processing.

Any ABTC cardholder applying a visa should have an invitation from some organization in Russia , completed application form, one photo and passport.

Please notice that on arrival to Russia the ABTC cardholder should show his passport with visa and the card to pass through the lanes "For APEC Business Travel Card holders" or "For ABTC holders", which can be the same as "For Diplomatic passport holders".

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2-1-1, Azabudai, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, 106-0041, Japan
Tel: 03-3583-4445
Fax 03-3586-0407

© 2003-2011 Embassy of The Russian Federation in Japan