- Travelers to Russia need an invitation from either a Russian citizen or a company such as a hotel, relative, university or employer to acquire a Russian visa. The invitation is then taken to a Russian embassy or consulate, where the actual visa is issued.
- Many travelers opt to hire a visa service instead of arranging for a Russian visa on their own. If there is a Russian consulate in the traveler's home city, it may be cheaper to apply individually. The Russian Visa Requirements website states that Russian consulates have many options for visa processing, from a regular 2-week (cheapest) processing, to a very fast (and terribly expensive) same-day processing.
- The Russian Visa Requirements website cautions that an agency issuing an invitation for a Russian visa must provide its address and a valid phone number and should have experience working with Russian visas for many years. The agency should also be able to provide registration for the city in Russia where the traveler will be staying.
- The visa must be registered by the person or organization that issued the invitation for the Russian Visa upon three business days of arrival in Russia or else it may be challenging to leave the country.
- The Russian Visa Requirements website lists the following types of Russian visas: transit visa, tourist visa, business multiple entry visa, business double entry visa, business single entry visa, private visa.
- According to the Russian Federation website, in addition to an authentic Russian visa, U.S. citizens are required to have a valid U.S. passport to enter Russia for any reason.
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