Russia visa and entry requirements

Russia's Foreign Ministry says a foreign citizen needs a visa to enter Russia, and that visa-free entry is possible where an agreement provides for it; its per-country table lists visas for all passport types for the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. Only citizens of the countries on a list approved by the Russian Government can get the unified e-visa, a single-entry visa allowing a stay of up to 30 days. The UK government advises against all travel to Russia and Canada says to avoid all travel.

Every fact on this page verified on or after: Oct 3, 2026· How this site works

Check requirements for your passport

Requirements differ by nationality. Select your passport above, or scan the full table below.

Visas & entry authorisations

Unified e-Visa

Fee
Not published
Processing
up to 4 days
Validity
120 days
Stay per entry
30 days
Entries
single

When to apply: Apply no earlier than 86 days and no later than 4 days before the expected date of entry.

Documents the application asks for

  • Passport — Machine-readable, issued by your country of nationality, valid for at least 6 months from the date you apply, with space for border stamps.
  • Photo of the passport data page — Digital, JPEG.
  • Photo of your face — Digital, JPEG, meeting the portal's photo requirements.
Apply on the official site Verified Oct 7, 2026 · evisa.kdmid.ru · archived copy

Entry requirements

Passport validity

Russia's Foreign Ministry says e-visa applicants need a machine-readable passport issued by their country of nationality, valid for at least 6 months from the date the e-visa application is submitted, with sufficient space for border crossing stamps. For a regular visa it says the passport must have at least two blank pages for visas and, as a rule, must not expire earlier than six months after the visa expires.

Verified Oct 5, 2026 · evisa.kdmid.ru · archived copyCompare every country

Vaccinations

Not officially stated

No official source we read lists a vaccination certificate required for entry.

Travel insurance

Required

Russia's Foreign Ministry says visa applicants provide a medical insurance policy unless Russia's international treaties provide otherwise; holders of diplomatic and service passports and some other categories are exempt. It says e-visa holders must have medical insurance valid in Russia for their entire stay, except citizens of countries exempted on the basis of reciprocity.

Verified Oct 5, 2026 · kdmid.ruCompare every country

Onward or return ticket

Not officially stated

No official source we could read states an onward-ticket requirement for visitors in general. Russia's Foreign Ministry asks transit-visa applicants for tickets valid for leaving Russia, and says the unified e-visa is valid for entry and exit only through the border crossing points on the Government's list.

Verified Oct 5, 2026 · kdmid.ru

Proof of funds

Not officially stated

No official source we could read states a proof-of-funds requirement or amount for visitors to Russia.

Verified Oct 5, 2026 · evisa.kdmid.ru · archived copy

Arrival cards & declarations

Required
  • Migration card — Russia's Foreign Ministry says migration card forms are handed to arriving foreigners by the crew (air, sea or river), the train crew, the bus driver or, for private transport or on foot, border control officials. The exit part (coupon B) is kept for the whole stay and handed to border control officials on departure. The UK government says you must register with the local authorities if you are staying anywhere for more than 7 working days, and that your hotel will do this automatically.
Verified Oct 3, 2026 · kdmid.ruCompare every country

Staying past your permitted stay

Under the Code of Administrative Offences, a foreigner who evades leaving Russia after their period of stay ends is fined 2,000 to 5,000 roubles and expelled; in Moscow, St Petersburg and the Moscow and Leningrad regions the fine is 5,000 to 7,000 roubles, with expulsion. Entry is refused for five years after an expulsion. Under the law on entry and exit, a foreigner whose previous stays exceeded 90 days in total in a calendar year is refused entry for three years from departure; one who overstayed continuously more than 180 and up to 270 days, for five years; more than 270 days, for ten years.

Verified Oct 12, 2026 · pravo.gov.ru · Code of Administrative Offences of the RF, Article 18.8Compare every country

Registering your presence after arrival

Required

Done by the accommodation.

A foreign national staying in Russia must be registered at the place of stay. The host party, or the foreign national directly, submits the notice of arrival to the migration registration authority within seven working days of arrival at the place of stay. When the foreign national stays in a hotel or other accommodation facility, the notice must be submitted within one working day after the day of arrival. A foreign national who breaks the migration registration rules is fined 2,000 to 5,000 roubles, with or without administrative expulsion from Russia.

If not done: Breach of the migration registration rules by a foreign national: fine of 2,000 to 5,000 roubles, with or without administrative expulsion (Code of Administrative Offences, art. 18.8 part 1).

Verified Oct 12, 2026 · pravo.gov.ru · Federal Law No. 109-FZCompare every country

Other compulsory government charges

  • Tourist tax — Set locally, up to 2% of the accommodation price in 2026, with a minimum of 100 roubles per night. Paid at the accommodation.

    The Federal Tax Service says the tourist tax is a local tax introduced by municipalities and by Moscow, St Petersburg and Sevastopol, charged on the price of temporary accommodation. Local rates may not exceed 2% in 2026, rising by one point a year to 5% from 2029, with a minimum of 100 roubles per night.

Verified Oct 12, 2026 · nalog.gov.ru · Tax Code of the Russian FederationCompare every country

Customs & currency

The UK government says you may bring cash in any currency and travellers' cheques into or out of Russia without declaring them if their combined value does not exceed the equivalent of 10,000 US dollars, and that you cannot leave Russia with cash or travellers' cheques worth more than that, even if you complete a customs declaration.

  • The UK government says you must complete a customs declaration if you import goods worth more than 10,000 US dollars, and, regardless of value, when bringing in items of cultural and historical significance, rare plants or animals, vehicles, Russian state awards, weapons or their components, or medicines containing potent, toxic or psychoactive substances.
  • The UK government says you must obtain a licence before travelling with certain electronic equipment, including GPS devices, that the number of electronic items you can bring for personal use is limited, and that you must get permission from the Russian aviation authority before using drones in Russian airspace.
  • The UK government says cannabidiol (CBD) is illegal in Russia, even in products purchased legally elsewhere, and that you must get an export permit from the Ministry of Culture for antiques and artwork; it is illegal to import or export such items without a permit.
Verified Oct 3, 2026 · gov.uk

Country in a nutshell

Currency
Russian ruble (RUB, ₽)
Cards & payments
The UK government says Mastercard and Visa are not operating in Russia: cards issued outside Russia will not work at Russian shops or ATMs, and cards issued inside Russia work in, but not outside, Russia. It says it is illegal to pay directly for general transactions in foreign currency; to buy roubles in Russia you must take US dollars or euros to exchange, and change money only at banks, hotels and exchange bureaus.
Safety — High risk
The UK government advises against all travel to Russia, citing security incidents such as drone attacks and Russian air defence activity, the lack of flights to return to the UK and limited ability for the UK government to provide support; it says in-person support is limited, and very limited in parts of Russia. It says there is an increased risk of British nationals being detained and a high likelihood terrorists will try to carry out attacks, including in major cities; that Russian authorities treat British-Russian dual nationals as Russian citizens; and that Russian law prevents eligible individuals from leaving Russia once their draft notice appears on the federal electronic draft register. Canada says to avoid all travel to Russia.Verified Oct 3, 2026 · gov.uk · archived copy
Power plugs
C, F · 220V 50Hz
Emergency numbers
General emergencies: 112 · Police: 102 · Ambulance: 103 · Fire: 101
Languages
Russian
Time zone
UTC+2 to UTC+12
International Driving Permit

Russia is a party to the 1949 Geneva and the 1968 Vienna Conventions on Road Traffic (UN Treaty Collection). The UK government tells British drivers they need both the 1968 international driving permit (IDP) and their UK driving licence in the car. Canada's travel advice tells Canadians they should carry an international driving permit, that they may drive with a Canadian driver’s licence if they carry a notarized Russian translation, and that they must obtain a local permit if they stay longer than 6 months. No Russian official source we could read states Russia's own rule for visitors on driving with a foreign licence.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · treaties.un.org · Convention on Road Traffic · archived copy Compare every country
Tap water
not for drinking. Use bottled

Best time to visit

No official source we could read gives a best time to visit Russia.

Tips & warnings

The UK government advises against all travel to Russia, citing security incidents such as drone attacks and Russian air defence activity, the lack of flights to return to the UK and limited ability for the UK government to provide support, and Canada says to avoid all travel. The UK says that if you hold both British and Russian nationality, Russian authorities will treat you as a Russian citizen, which limits the consular assistance the UK government can provide.

The UK government says Mastercard and Visa cards issued outside Russia will not work at Russian shops or ATMs. It says that to buy roubles in Russia you must take US dollars or euros to exchange, to change money only at banks, hotels and exchange bureaus, and that it is illegal to change money from street traders.

Russia's Foreign Ministry says the unified e-visa is single-entry, valid for 120 days from issue, allows a stay of up to 30 days from entry, and is valid for entry and exit only through the border crossing points on the list approved by the Russian Government.

The UK government says you must register with the local authorities if you are staying anywhere for more than 7 working days and that your hotel will do this automatically. It says police carry out routine checks, and if you cannot show your registration and passport you may be detained for up to 48 hours for identity checks or get a fine.

The UK government reports drone attacks and explosions in Russia, particularly near the Russian border with Ukraine, says terrorists are active in the North Caucasus, and says access to some areas, such as military and border zones, is restricted and requires permission from local authorities.

Visa requirements by nationality

PassportsVisas & entry authorisationsMax stay
AfghanistanEmbassy visa—
AlbaniaEmbassy visa—
AlgeriaEmbassy visa—
AndorraVisa-free90 days
AngolaEmbassy visa—
Antigua and BarbudaVisa-free90 days
ArgentinaVisa-free90 days
ArmeniaVisa-free90 days
AustraliaEmbassy visa—
AustriaeVisa30 days
AzerbaijanVisa-free90 days
BahamasEmbassy visa—
BahraineVisa30 days
BangladeshEmbassy visa—
BarbadoseVisa30 days
BelarusVisa-free—
BelgiumeVisa30 days
BelizeVisa-free90 days
BeninEmbassy visa—
BhutaneVisa30 days
BoliviaVisa-free90 days
Bosnia and HerzegovinaVisa-free30 days
BotswanaVisa-free30 days
BrazilVisa-free90 days
BruneiVisa-free14 days
BulgariaeVisa30 days
Burkina FasoEmbassy visa—
BurundiEmbassy visa—
Cabo VerdeVisa-free60 days
CambodiaeVisa30 days
CameroonEmbassy visa—
CanadaEmbassy visa—
Central African RepublicEmbassy visa—
ChadEmbassy visa—
ChileVisa-free90 days
ChinaVisa-free30 days
ColombiaVisa-free90 days
ComorosEmbassy visa—
Costa RicaVisa-free90 days
Côte d'IvoireEmbassy visa—
CroatiaeVisa30 days
CubaVisa-free90 days
CypruseVisa30 days
CzechiaeVisa30 days
Democratic Republic of the CongoEmbassy visa—
DenmarkeVisa30 days
DjiboutiEmbassy visa—
DominicaVisa-free90 days
Dominican RepublicVisa-free60 days
EcuadorVisa-free90 days
EgyptEmbassy visa—
El SalvadorVisa-free90 days
Equatorial GuineaEmbassy visa—
EritreaEmbassy visa—
EstoniaeVisa30 days
EswatinieVisa30 days
EthiopiaEmbassy visa—
FijiVisa-free90 days
FinlandeVisa30 days
FranceeVisa30 days
GabonEmbassy visa—
GambiaEmbassy visa—
GeorgiaVisa-free90 days
GermanyeVisa30 days
GhanaEmbassy visa—
GreeceeVisa30 days
GrenadaVisa-free90 days
GuatemalaVisa-free90 days
GuineaEmbassy visa—
Guinea-BissauEmbassy visa—
GuyanaVisa-free90 days
HaitiEmbassy visa—
HondurasVisa-free90 days
Hong KongVisa-free14 days
HungaryeVisa30 days
IcelandeVisa30 days
IndiaeVisa30 days
IndonesiaeVisa30 days
IraneVisa30 days
IraqEmbassy visa—
IrelandeVisa30 days
IsraelVisa-free90 days
ItalyeVisa30 days
JamaicaVisa-free90 days
JapaneVisa30 days
JordanVisa-free30 days
KazakhstanVisa-free90 days
KenyaeVisa30 days
KiribatiEmbassy visa—
KuwaiteVisa30 days
KyrgyzstanVisa-free90 days
LaosVisa-free30 days
LatviaeVisa30 days
LebanonEmbassy visa—
LesothoEmbassy visa—
LiberiaEmbassy visa—
LibyaEmbassy visa—
LiechtensteineVisa30 days
LithuaniaeVisa30 days
LuxembourgeVisa30 days
MacauVisa-free30 days
MadagascarEmbassy visa—
MalawiEmbassy visa—
MalaysiaeVisa30 days
MaldivesVisa-free90 days
MaliEmbassy visa—
MaltaeVisa30 days
Marshall IslandsEmbassy visa—
MauritaniaEmbassy visa—
MauritiusVisa-free60 days
MexicoeVisa30 days
MicronesiaEmbassy visa—
MoldovaVisa-free90 days
MonacoeVisa30 days
MongoliaVisa-free30 days
MontenegroVisa-free30 days
MoroccoEmbassy visa—
MozambiqueEmbassy visa—
MyanmarVisa-free30 days
NamibiaVisa-free90 days
NauruVisa-free14 days
NepalEmbassy visa—
NetherlandseVisa30 days
New ZealandEmbassy visa—
NicaraguaVisa-free90 days
NigerEmbassy visa—
NigeriaEmbassy visa—
North KoreaeVisa30 days
North MacedoniaeVisa30 days
NorwayeVisa30 days
OmanVisa-free30 days
PakistanEmbassy visa—
PalauVisa-free30 days
PalestineEmbassy visa—
PanamaVisa-free90 days
Papua New GuineaeVisa30 days
ParaguayVisa-free90 days
PeruVisa-free90 days
PhilippineseVisa30 days
PolandeVisa30 days
PortugaleVisa30 days
QatarVisa-free90 days
Republic of the CongoEmbassy visa—
RomaniaeVisa30 days
RussiaFree movement—
RwandaEmbassy visa—
Saint Kitts and NevisVisa-free90 days
Saint LuciaeVisa30 days
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesVisa-free90 days
SamoaVisa-free60 days
San MarinoeVisa30 days
São Tomé and PríncipeEmbassy visa—
Saudi ArabiaVisa-free90 days
SenegalEmbassy visa—
SerbiaVisa-free30 days
SeychellesVisa-free30 days
Sierra LeoneEmbassy visa—
SingaporeeVisa30 days
SlovakiaeVisa30 days
SloveniaeVisa30 days
Solomon IslandsEmbassy visa—
SomaliaEmbassy visa—
South AfricaVisa-free90 days
South KoreaVisa-free60 days
South SudanEmbassy visa—
SpaineVisa30 days
Sri LankaEmbassy visa—
SudanEmbassy visa—
SurinameVisa-free90 days
SwedeneVisa30 days
SwitzerlandeVisa30 days
SyriaEmbassy visa—
TaiwaneVisa30 days
TajikistanVisa-free90 days
TanzaniaEmbassy visa—
ThailandVisa-free30 days
Timor-LesteEmbassy visa—
TogoEmbassy visa—
TongaeVisa30 days
Trinidad and TobagoeVisa30 days
TunisiaEmbassy visa—
TurkeyeVisa30 days
TurkmenistaneVisa30 days
TuvaluEmbassy visa—
UgandaEmbassy visa—
UkraineVisa-free90 days
United Arab EmiratesVisa-free90 days
United KingdomEmbassy visa—
United StatesEmbassy visa—
UruguayVisa-free90 days
UzbekistanVisa-free90 days
VanuatuVisa-free90 days
Vatican CityeVisa30 days
VenezuelaVisa-free90 days
VietnameVisa30 days
YemenEmbassy visa—
ZambiaEmbassy visa—
ZimbabweeVisa30 days

Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.

No official page we read states the rule for 1 nationalities, so the table leaves them out: Kosovo.

Norway94 of 199 passports visa-freeFinland94 of 199 passports visa-freeEstonia94 of 199 passports visa-freeLatvia94 of 199 passports visa-freeLithuania94 of 199 passports visa-freePoland94 of 199 passports visa-freeBelarus96 of 199 passports visa-free · 3 eVisa/ETAUkraine83 of 199 passports visa-free · 42 eVisa/ETAGeorgia104 of 199 passports visa-free · 32 eVisa/ETAAzerbaijan28 of 199 passports visa-free · 79 eVisa/ETAKazakhstan87 of 199 passports visa-free · 90 eVisa/ETAChina79 of 199 passports visa-freeMongolia68 of 199 passports visa-free · 129 eVisa/ETANorth Korea1 of 199 passports visa-freeTurkey97 of 199 passports visa-free · 28 eVisa/ETA

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa for Russia?

Yes, unless an agreement provides visa-free entry: Russia's Foreign Ministry says a foreign citizen needs a visa, applied for at the Russian consular office for their place of permanent residence, and its per-country table shows each country's regime. The table says citizens of, for example, Germany, India and Japan can enter on an e-visa for up to 30 days, and lists visas for all passport types for the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Can US or UK citizens get the Russian eVisa?

Russia's Foreign Ministry table lists visas for all passport types for the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, while for countries such as Germany, India and Japan it adds that their citizens can enter on an e-visa for up to 30 days. A visa is applied for at the Russian consular office for your place of permanent residence. For a tourist visa the consulate asks for confirmation from an organisation on the unified federal register of tour operators or — only for citizens of countries on a list approved by the Russian Government — a booking in a hotel on the unified list of classified hotels.

How does the Russian unified eVisa work?

You apply from your personal account on the Russian Foreign Ministry's specialised website or its mobile app, no earlier than 86 days and no later than 4 days before your expected entry. A fee is charged, paid with a bank card of an international payment system, and it is non-refundable whatever the result; no consular fee is charged for children under 6. Applications are processed in no more than 4 calendar days. The unified e-visa is single-entry, valid for 120 days from issue, allows a stay of up to 30 days from entry, and is valid for entry and exit only through the border crossing points on the Government's list.

Is it safe to travel to Russia right now?

The UK government advises against all travel to Russia, citing security incidents such as drone attacks and Russian air defence activity, the lack of flights to return to the UK, and limited ability for the UK government to provide support; it says in-person UK government support in Russia is limited, and very limited in parts of Russia. It also says there is an increased risk of British nationals being detained and a high likelihood terrorists will try to carry out attacks, including in major cities. Canada says to avoid all travel to Russia.

Can I pay by card in Russia?

Not with a Mastercard or Visa card issued abroad: the UK government says Mastercard and Visa are not operating in Russia and cards issued outside Russia will not work at Russian shops or ATMs. It says that to buy roubles in Russia you must take US dollars or euros to exchange, and to change money only at banks, hotels and exchange bureaus.

Do I need to register my stay in Russia?

The UK government says you must register with the local authorities if you are staying anywhere for more than 7 working days; your hotel will do this automatically, and if you are staying with someone you should check that they are doing it. It says you must show evidence of your registration at passport control when you leave Russia.

Sources & verification

Every fact on this page is compiled from and periodically re-checked against these official sources:

Something wrong or out of date? Tell us, with the official source