Applying for a Visa
List of the documents to be submitted to the Consular Section:
1. Passport (and a copy of it)
- The original Passport must be valid within 6 months after visa expiry date and contain at least 2 blank pages left for the use of visa sticker and stamps.
- Damaged passports or passports with marks, reservations, records, erasures, corrections, torn pages are not acceptable.
For non Malaysian passport holders, the applicants must copy Malaysian Visa / Malaysian Entry Stamp / Malaysian IC / Permanent Resident IC.
2. Electronic visa application form (one per person)
Starting from February 9, 2015 the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Malaysia ceases to accept handwritten visa application forms and will only be processing electronic versions of visa application forms filled in and printed from the specialized website of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation located at the following address: http://visa.kdmid.ru
Corrections and amendments in the application form made by hand are not acceptable.
3. One passport-size photo glued to the form
4. A copy of travel/health insurance policy
It must be valid in Russia for the whole period of the journey.
Details of the policy including the policy number, dates of validity, etc. must be stated in the visa application form as well.
5. Visa supporting documents depending on the main purpose of visit:
• BUSINESS, HUMANITARIAN, STUDY and WORK visas:
An official letter of invitation issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia or the Russian Federal Migration Service on request of the host organization.
Only the original invitation is acceptable!
An HIV/AIDS negative test (not older than 3 months) must be provided when applying for STUDY and WORK visas.
These types of visas can be single-entry, double-entry and multiple-entry. Single-entry and double-entry visas are valid for 1 or 3 months. Multiple-entry visas are valid for 3, 6 or 12 months.
• TOURIST visas:
A TOURIST CONFIRMATION VOUCHER (clear scanned copies) issued by a Russian travel agency or a Russian hotel which has the license to invite foreign tourists (such license is indicated on the Tourist Confirmation as a Reference Number - MBT XXXXXX). According to a tourist confirmation voucher, a single- or double-entry visa can be issued for the period of up to 3 months or a multiple-entry visa for up to 6 months (with no more than 90 days of total duration of stay within 180 days).
Or a HOTEL BOOKING CONFIRMATION (clear scanned copy) issued by a hotel or a resort facility in Russia for a single-entry visa in accordance with the dates specified in hotel booking (up to 6 months).*
The procedure for issuing a confirmation of a hotel reservation or other accommodation facility, information about which is contained in the unified list of classified hotels, ski slopes, and beaches, is established in accordance with the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of June 9, 2003 No. 335 "On approval of the Regulation on establishing the visa form, the procedure and conditions for its registration and issuance, extension of its validity, restoration in case of loss, as well as the procedure for cancellation of a visa."
A confirmation of a hotel reservation may be issued on paper using technical means (typewriters, computers) in Russian, English or in the language of the country in which the foreign tourist applies for a visa, signed by an authorized hotel employee and certified by the hotel seal.
It contains:
1. The name of the document "Confirmation of a hotel reservation", its number and date of issue;
2. The hotel's corporate name, its actual address and registration number in the unified list of classified hotels, ski slopes, beaches;
3. Information about the foreign citizen for whom the confirmation was issued (last name, first name(s), date of birth, gender, citizenship, passport number or other document recognized by the Russian Federation as an identity document of a foreign citizen);
4. Date of arrival at the hotel and date of departure from the hotel;
5. Other information about the booking conditions (at the discretion of the hotel).
*Note: in case of the cancellation of a hotel booking a tourist visa will become invalid.
Your Tourist Confirmation Voucher or Hotel booking confirmation defines:
The date of entry to Russia and the date of exit from Russia (you may enter Russia on or after the date indicated in your visa, and leave Russia on or before the date indicated in your visa) and your personal details as per your travel document;
If you visit Russia as a registered Cruise Vessel passenger, you do not need a visa for 72 hours provided you spend nights onboard and follow the group when leaving the vessel.
• PRIVATE visas:
An official letter of invitation (in original only) issued by a local branch of the Russian Federal Migration Service on request of the host person.
Private visa can be valid for up to 90 days and can be issued for single or double entry.
• TRANSIT visas:
Valid tickets for entry and exit from the Russian Federation or guarantees of its purchase in the Russian Federation, a valid visa of the country you want to enter after leaving Russia (if required by that country) or passport of that state.
A Transit visa is not required if you remain in the transit zone of the airport within 24 hours in order to catch an onward or connecting flight. Transit visas can be valid for maximum of 3 days if travelling by air and 10 days if travelling by train.
Passengers travelling to/from Belarus and Kazakhstan via the Russian Federation need to obtain the transit Russian visa irrespectively of their duration of stay in Russia.
Each type of visa corresponds to the purpose of your visit to the Russian Federation. It is important for you to apply for the right type of visa, the one that corresponds to the purpose of your trip, in order to enjoy your visit to Russia without legal problems, should it be a tourist journey, a home stay with a relative or friend, a business trip, or a transit.
Please, note that visas type cannot be changed. If your travel plans changed after visa was issued you have to reapply for a new visa abroad.
You don’t need to book a flight ticket before you apply for a visa.
It is recommended not to buy the ticket until the visa is granted.
Please be advised that person cannot have two valid visas in one passport. In this case the first visa is to be cancelled.
NUMBER OF ENTRIES
visa can be single-, double- or multiple-entry.
Single-entry visa is valid for one visit to Russia with specified dates of the earliest arrival and the latest departure.
Double-entry visa is issued for two entries within a period indicated in visa. A maximum term of stay in Russia with a single- or double-entry visa is three months on condition that this term is indicated in your visa (with the exception of tourist visas).
Double-entry tourist visa issued to a foreign citizen only if the documents during his stay in Russia includes a visit to Russia’s neighboring States (CIS countries (CIS, Baltic States)) or of the country, which repayment is carried out through Russian territory (e.g. China, Mongolia). The route must be specified in the confirmation of a foreign tourist issued by a host Russian organization.
Multiple-entry visa is normally issued for a period up to one year without any limitations on the number of trips (entries) within a period indicated in visa, but with a permitted period of continuous stay no longer than 6 month (re-entry visas issued by the Ministry of interior affairs in Russia in favor of foreign students, employees or contract workers may allow a longer permitted term of continuous stay).
PROCESSING TIME
Normal time for visa processing is 7-10 working days.
There are urgent and express visa processing. That means that if you are ready to pay extra fee (please check tariffs) you can get your visa on the next working day open for public (urgent) or on the same day (express).
Express (same day) processing is only available if the volume of work technically permits. Visa processing starts after we have collected all necessary documents. So please kindly prepare your documents beforehand and do apply in good time.
According to the Russian legislation the consular section reserves the right to accept visa applications for the period of consideration of up to 20 working days.
PAYMENT
If you apply personally, you should get a pick-up slip from visa officers confirming visa fee payment. You should present this slip to pick up your visa when it is ready or refer to its number to check out the status of your application. The earliest date of collection is indicated in the slip.
Visa processing fees received from the applicants are not subject for reimbursement in case of subsequent refusal.
