Errors in obtaining an electronic visa for visiting certain regions

About cases of refusal to enter the Russian Federation using electronic visas

Starting from October 1, 2019, nationals of 53 foreign States may be granted an e-visa to enter the Russian Federation through air, naval, automobile, and pedestrian checkpoints located in the territory of Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad region.

At the same time, the Consular Section of the Embassy receives complains from the citizens who were denied entry when crossing the border of the Russian Federation or registering for a flight.

In this regard, we draw your attention to the correct filling out the form published on the website of the Consular Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry at electronic-visa.kdmid.ru.

It is necessary to pay special attention to paragraph 5 of the section “E-visa application procedure” if characters of the national alphabets (such as Ñ, É, Ü or Ç) are used in the names it is necessary to indicate the transliterated meanings that are presented in the first machine-readable line of your passport when filling in the relevant fields of the application form. For example, if the names in the visual area of the passport are "Séo Türre" then you are required to use names from the machine-readable line "Seo Tuerre" when filling in the application form.

Russian consular sections are not responsible for the electronic form independently filled out by a foreign citizen and cannot make any changes to it. Responsibility for the process of applying for this type of visa is entirely with the applicant. Please consider this information when planning your trip.

E-visa applications errors for trips to certain regions of the Russian Federation

Recently there have been many reports on applying for e-visas to visit certain Russian regions of various travel agencies, websites and also inquiries from the public about agents that offer visa support services including profiting from Russian e-visa application services. The cost of these services ranges from €15 to €40. One can find other quotes as well. Nobody is disputing foreign nationals’ right to spend money as they see fit, including on paperwork. However, we remind that e-visas for visiting selected Russian regions are free and can only be obtained via the Russian Foreign Ministry’s special website electronic-visa.kdmid.ru. It takes only one visit to the website to find this section. E-visa applicants do not have to provide invitations, hotel booking confirmations or any other documents proving the purpose of their travel to the Russian Federation.

All e-visa applications are processed within 4 calendar days. So, any promises by ‘intermediaries’ to expedite the process and obtain an “express visa,” including for an additional fee, are unsubstantiated. Moreover, there is no guarantee that an agent completing an e-visa application on behalf of somebody else will not make errors in their personal data, which may result in the applicant being denied entry at the Russian border.

It should also be remembered that neither an e-visa nor a paper visa guarantees entry to the Russian Federation. The decision on whether or not a foreign national is admitted to the country is made at the port of entry, which is generally in line with international practice. There have also been reports in the media on the difficulties visitors face when crossing the Russian border, as well as on the deportation of foreign nationals from Russia due to errors in their e-visas, and duration of stay violations, etc.

The analysis indicates one common circumstance, which is simply lack of attention and disregard for e-visa application guidelines (which are clear) that are an integral part of the application process. The guidelines contain very detailed explanations with examples of how to correctly fill out one’s first and last names, including how to use characters of national alphabets and how to enter other personal data. A major part of the guidelines describes how to correctly determine one’s period of stay and exit dates in order to prevent administrative charges for violating Russian immigration law.

The guidelines are not simply step-by-step but as thorough as possible. Applicants should remember that e-visas are granted based on applications submitted by applicants themselves rather than by a mediator. The entire travel experience and whether a trip to Russia happens in the first place largely depend on the accuracy of the visa application. Moreover, there is a website for the Consular Department and the department’s social media account where applicants can ask questions and receive prompt answers. Our consular departments and consulates at foreign missions operate all over the world and applicants can address questions to them.

It should be noted that the online visa processing system is being constantly improved, in order to offer the most comfortable entry procedure for foreign nationals travelling to Russia on e-visas, as well as to minimize incidents caused by errors in visa applications, subject to Russian border crossing law.