Russia Visa for Indians 2026: Unified e-Visa, Tourist Visa, Fees and Processing

Do Indians Need a Visa for Russia? (2026 Quick Answer)

Yes. Indian passport holders need a visa for Russia, and there is no visa on arrival. As of October 2026 there is also no visa-free arrangement for Indian tourist groups: talks between the two governments have been reported in the press, but no agreement is in force.

For most tourist and business trips, the simplest option is Russia's unified e-visa. India is on the official list of eligible countries, which covers nationals of 64 states. The main terms as of October 2026:

• Single entry, valid for 120 days from the date of issue
• Stay of up to 30 days from entry (for e-visas issued since 23 August 2025)
• Processing within 4 calendar days
• Apply no earlier than 86 and no later than 4 days before entry
• Entry and exit only through approved border crossing points
• Fee not published on the official MFA portal; Moscow's city tourism office puts it at around USD 52

A longer stay, more than one entry or a purpose outside the e-visa list usually means a consular visa through the Russian visa centre in India. Rules change often, so check official sources before you book.

Unified e-Visa for Indians - Validity, Stay and Purpose

The unified e-visa is a single-entry visa issued online by Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

Validity and length of stay

According to the MFA, an e-visa issued since 23 August 2025 is valid for 120 days from the date of issue, and the stay cannot exceed 30 days from the date of entry. The exit date also has to fall within those 120 days.

The 30 days are calendar days, not 720 hours: the day of arrival and the day of departure each count as a day.

Allowed purposes

• Tourism
• Private (guest) and business visits
• Scientific, cultural, socio-political, economic and sporting events

For any other purpose, such as work or study, the MFA directs travellers to a Russian embassy or consulate for a regular, non-electronic visa.

Where you can enter and leave

The e-visa is valid for entry and exit only through border crossing points on the government's approved list. As of October 2026 the list includes:

• Moscow: Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo and Zhukovsky airports
• Saint Petersburg: Pulkovo airport
• Kazan, Sochi and Yekaterinburg (Koltsovo airport)

This is only part of the list, and the MFA updates it, so we recommend checking the current version on the official e-visa portal before buying tickets.

An extension is possible only when leaving Russia is impossible because of emergency medical treatment, force majeure or a natural disaster.

How to Apply for the e-Visa Step by Step

Applications are filed from a personal account on the MFA's specialised e-visa website or in the Russian Foreign Ministry mobile app, between 86 and 4 days before the planned entry.

What to prepare

• The valid passport you will use to cross the border
• A JPEG photo of the passport data page
• A JPEG face photo that meets the portal's requirements
• A bank card issued outside Russia for the fee
• An email address; the MFA suggests a service other than Gmail because of delayed notifications

The official steps

• Step 1: fill in the application form
• Step 2: pay the fee online
• Step 3: receive the grant notification on the website or by email
• Step 4: print it or save it on your phone
• Step 5: show it to the airline before boarding
• Step 6: show it to the Border Service officer at the checkpoint

Mistakes that cost time

Check every field against your passport. The MFA warns that incorrect information can lead to an issued e-visa being revoked at the border or inside Russia. Issued data cannot be corrected, so the only fix is a new application, and the first fee is not refunded.

Each minor child needs a separate e-visa, even when listed in a parent's passport. If an application is returned for corrections, the 4-day count restarts from resubmission, so leave a margin before the flight.

Consular Tourist and Business Visas - When You Need Them

A regular consular visa is the better fit when:

• You plan to stay longer than 30 days
• You need two or multiple entries
• Your purpose is outside the e-visa list, such as work or study
• You will enter or leave through a checkpoint not on the e-visa list

Tourist visa

According to the Russian visa centre in India, a tourist visa is single or double entry with validity of up to 30 days, or multiple entry with validity of 180 days and no more than 90 days in Russia within that period. Its dates follow the tourist confirmation, and it cannot be extended inside Russia.

Business visa

A business visa is single or double entry with validity of up to 90 days, or multiple entry for up to one year with a cap of 90 days of stay per 180. It is issued on the basis of an invitation from Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD), a directive of the Russian MFA, or a direct invitation letter from the host organisation on its official letterhead.

Where to apply in India

Consular visas are issued by the Embassy of Russia in New Delhi and the Consulates General in Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, with Russian visa centres in the same four cities. There are no collection hubs; applicants from distant areas can use postal application.

The New Delhi visa centre is at Tolstoy House, 15 Tolstoy Road, Connaught Place. Applications are accepted from 9 am to 3 pm and passports returned from 3 pm to 5 pm, Monday to Friday. Other addresses are on the visa centre's contact page.

The application form is completed online on the MFA's visa application website, then printed, signed and submitted with the documents.

Visarun helps travellers choose between the e-visa and a consular visa and checks documents before submission. Decisions belong to the Russian authorities, and no agency can guarantee the outcome.

Documents, Insurance and Invitations

For the e-visa

The MFA does not ask e-visa applicants for an invitation letter, hotel booking or any other proof of purpose. The passport has to be machine-readable, issued by your country of nationality and valid for at least 6 months from the date of the e-visa application.

For a consular tourist visa

• Tourist confirmation from a Russian tour operator in the Unified Federal Register of Tour Operators, or a booking with a hotel on the government's Uniform List of Classified Hotels; good-quality scans are accepted
• Original passport with at least 2 blank visa pages, valid for 6 months after the visa expires
• A copy of the passport photo and address pages on one A4 sheet
• The printed online application form
• A colour photograph, 3.5 x 4.5 cm

For a consular business visa

The invitation is the core document. We recommend confirming the current checklist with the visa centre, since the mission may request additional documents or an interview.

Medical insurance

The MFA requires e-visa holders to have medical insurance valid in Russia for the entire stay, except citizens of countries on a reciprocity list. We could not confirm whether India is on that list, so we recommend carrying insurance valid in Russia for the whole trip on any visa type.

According to the MFA's e-visa FAQ, leaving the insurance question in the form blank is not by itself a reason for refusal. That concerns the form field only and does not make insurance unnecessary. No official source we checked sets a minimum coverage amount, so ask your insurer to confirm the policy is valid in Russia.

Fees and Processing Time

e-Visa fee

The official MFA portal does not show the e-visa fee in dollars or rupees: the invoice is issued in UAE dirhams or Chinese yuan, and the exact amount appears at payment. According to Moscow's city tourism office it is around USD 52, so treat that figure as an estimate.

• Payment: online, by a Visa, MasterCard or other international card issued by a bank outside Russia; Russian-issued cards are not accepted
• Currency: a card in any currency works, with conversion at your bank's fee
• Refunds: none, whatever the outcome
• Children under 6: no consular fee

In September 2026, Economic Development Minister Reshetnikov said the MFA was looking at reducing or waiving the fee for Indian citizens, according to TASS. No decision has been published, so check the amount on the portal when you pay.

Consular tourist visa fees as of October 2026

The visa centre's schedule for Indian citizens dated 13 October 2026 lists these totals, each including a service fee of about INR 2,750 per application:

• Single entry, standard (20 working days): INR 7,760 + INR 2,750 = INR 10,510
• Single entry, urgent (3 working days): INR 31,040 + INR 2,750 = INR 33,790
• Double entry, standard: INR 12,416 + INR 2,750 = INR 15,166
• Multiple entry, standard: INR 23,280 + INR 2,750 = INR 26,030

The visa centre notes that fees vary by citizenship, entries and processing time, that its service fee is charged on top of the consular fee, and that payments are non-refundable. Confirm the final amount at the visa centre, and ask it for current business visa fees.

Processing time

• e-Visa: within 4 calendar days, weekends and holidays included, not counting the submission day
• Consular visa, standard: 20 working days from submission of a complete file and payment
• Consular visa, urgent: 3 working days or less, in cases of extreme urgency

The embassy or consulate may request more documents, an interview or more processing time, so leave a buffer.

Arrival, Migration Registration and Payments in Russia

Keep the e-visa notification on paper or on your phone: the airline checks it before boarding and the border officer on arrival.

Migration registration within 7 working days

Migration registration is mandatory for every foreign visitor. According to the MFA, a notification of arrival at the place of stay is filed within 7 working days.

• Hotel stay: the hotel registers guests automatically, with no further action needed
• Other accommodation: the notification goes through an Interior Ministry office, a Russian Post office or an MFC "My Documents" centre

Payments: plan before you fly

In March 2022, Visa Inc. said that Visa cards issued outside Russia would no longer work inside the country. Moscow's city tourism office states that Visa and Mastercard cards issued by foreign banks do not work in Russia and suggests paying in cash or with a MIR card.

We found no official source either way on Indian RuPay cards or UPI in Russia, so check with your bank before travelling. The e-visa fee is different: it is paid online before the trip with an international card issued outside Russia.

Recent Changes (2025-2026)

• 23 August 2025: the MFA confirms that e-visas issued since this date are valid for 120 days with a stay of up to 30 days. Before that, the e-visa was valid for 60 days with a stay of up to 16 days. The change came from Federal Law No. 257-FZ of 23 July 2025, published on Russia's official legal portal.
• e-Visa list: now open to nationals of 64 countries, India among them.
• September 2026: according to TASS, Minister Reshetnikov said the e-visa fee for Indians may be reduced or waived soon; no decision has been published.
• 30 September 2026: India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued an advisory for Indians travelling to Russia.
• 13 October 2026: the visa centre in India published updated tourist visa fees.

Group visa-free travel: not in force

No visa-free arrangement for Indian tourist groups exists as of 14 October 2026. In December 2025, Interfax reported that Russia's Ministry of Economic Development was awaiting India's response to its draft agreement. In June 2026, India's ambassador to Russia told Izvestia that official-level consultations would be held and implementation was still under discussion. Until an agreement is signed and published, group tourists need a visa.

MEA advisory on job offers

The advisory refers to continuing reports of Indian nationals recruited into the Russian armed forces and advises due diligence before accepting job offers from agents not registered with the MEA. Neither the e-visa nor a tourist visa covers work, which needs a regular visa from a Russian mission. The full text is on the MEA website.

FAQ

Can Indians get a visa on arrival in Russia?

No. Russia does not offer visa on arrival. Indians need an e-visa or a consular visa before travel.

Is there visa-free travel to Russia for Indian tourist groups?

Not as of 14 October 2026. Press reports from December 2025 and June 2026 describe talks, but no agreement has been signed or put into force.

How long can I stay in Russia on the e-visa?

Up to 30 days from entry, within the visa's 120-day validity. Arrival and departure days both count. Some older guides still quote the limits that applied before August 2025.

Can the Russian e-visa be extended?

Only if leaving is impossible because of emergency medical treatment, force majeure or a natural disaster. For a longer trip, a consular visa fits better.

Do I need an invitation letter for a Russian visa?

Not for the e-visa. A consular tourist visa needs a tourist confirmation or a classified hotel booking; a business visa needs an MVD invitation, an MFA directive or a direct invitation letter.

How much does the Russia e-visa cost for Indians?

The portal shows the amount at payment, in UAE dirhams or Chinese yuan. Moscow's city tourism office puts it at around USD 52; officials have said it may be reduced or waived for Indians. Children under 6 pay nothing, and fees are non-refundable.

Can I work in Russia on an e-visa or tourist visa?

No. Work is outside the e-visa purposes and needs a regular visa. India's MEA advises due diligence before accepting job offers from agents not registered with it.

Can Visarun get me a Russian visa?

Visarun is a visa agency, not an issuing authority. We help choose the visa type and check documents; the decision belongs to the Russian authorities, and no outcome can be guaranteed.