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Russian visa resources

Processing times

Indicative timeframes for the e-visa and traditional Russian visas.

Official guidance Regularly updated

Important

This information is for general guidance only. Meeting the requirements does not guarantee your application will be approved.

The unified electronic visa is processed within a few calendar days of a complete online application. Traditional visas take longer because they depend on obtaining an invitation first and then consular processing, and expedited service may be available at some missions for an additional fee.

Migration-related permits handled by the MVD (work permits, residence permits, citizenship) run to their own statutory timeframes, which are considerably longer than visa processing.

Indicative timeframes

  • Unified e-visa: processed within a few calendar days (reported as up to 4 days).
  • Traditional visas: standard consular processing plus the time to obtain the invitation.
  • Work permits and HQS invitations: issued by the MVD to statutory deadlines.
  • Residence permits and citizenship: months, per the applicable statutory periods.

Next steps

  1. Check the documents you’ll needView documents
  2. How to applyStart here
  3. Choose your visaFind a visa

Official sources

For the most accurate and up-to-date information, always refer to the official government sources.

Verified against official sources · last reviewed 2026-08-21. Information only — not legal advice.