Getting a visa
Visa is a necessary requirement for a foreign citizen who wants to visit Russia. Depending on the purpose of the travel, there are 5 types of visas: private, diplomatic, business, transit, visa for family members.
Visa is issued by a Russian embassy or consulate in your country. Visa application can be sent by post or submitted personally.
List of documents required to obtain a visa
Visa is issued no later than 20 working days after receipt of the application in case other is prescribed by international treaties signed by the Russian Federation. The day of application is defined as a day when all required documents have been properly filled in and submitted. Should a foreign state issue a longer visa obtaining period for Russian citizens, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation may prolong the issue period for foreign citizens according to the international principle of mutuality under international agreements.
A foreign national may be denied a Russian visa. The state body is not entitled to reveal the reason of refusal.
2012 passport control procedures
In order to cross the Russian border you need to have a valid ID and a visa.
There are some countries that Russia has a mutual visa-free agreement with. Citizens of these countries only need to have an ID and an invitation. Main document for entrance is an international passport.
There are also some countries Russia has a mutual simplified entrance procedure with. Citizens of these countries need only an ID (which can also be their national passport).
You can find the list of countries enjoying visa-free or simplified entrance procedure as well as visa application procedure in Russian consulates and diplomatic missions in your home country. If a visa or an ID has expired when crossing the border, you will not be permitted to enter the country. All the documents are checked when crossing the border in special passport control booths. Border authority officers have a right to ask for additional documents (plane ticket, boarding pass, voucher, etc.) as well as inquire the person crossing the border.
There will be special passport control booths marked with the Kazan 2013 logo for participants and visitors of the 27th Summer Universiade.
You need to present a migration card when crossing the border. It can be obtained on the border-crossing stations. At Moscow airports Domodedovo, Vnukovo, Sheremyetevo (Terminal D) migration cards are printed out automatically. At other airports they need to be filled out by hand and cards are distributed onboard. The information should be written in Russian or with the Latin alphabet and correspond to the information contained in documents.
An immigration card should be carefully kept throughout the duration of the stay in Russia and handed in to the border officer on departure. It must also be presented when you check into a hotel or at the Universiade Village. A copy is issued if the card is lost. A copy can be obtained on the border-crossing station on the way back.
2012 customs control
The Russian Federation is a member of the Customs Union together with Belarus and Kazakhstan. These 3 countries form a common customs territory.
Private travellers undergo customs procedures using a “red” and “green” channel system.
There will be special “green” and “red channels” marked with the Kazan 2013 logo for participants and visitors of the 27th Summer Universiade.
“Green channel”
Passengers who have nothing to declare may go through the “green channel”. If goods that must be declared are found during a random check, one can incur responsibility as stipulated by the Russian legislation.
You can go through the “green channel” if:
- you have no goods prohibited or restricted for import
- the amounts of alcoholic beverages, cigarettes and products of animal origin that you import do not exceed the maximum quantities allowed by the law
- the amounts of fish and sea products, caviar, jewelry and precious stones that you import do not exceed the maximum quantities allowed by the law
- you have no more than $10,000 in cash or traveller’s cheques
- you have no unaccompanied luggage
“Red channel”
If you have goods that must be declared or are restricted for import you need to go through the “red channel”. Even if you have no goods to declare, you may go through the “red channel” and fill in the customs declaration form.
Please pay attention to the fact that some goods are restricted for import and export. See the list of goods restricted for import and export.
All luggage travelling on another board is considered unaccompanied. It is a subject to declaration and should be brought through the “red channel”.
Please consult a customs officer in case of any difficulties. You should not trust incompetent people or accept goods that are to be given to a third party, especially if they are valuable or unknown.
Document forms:
Arrival airports
Temporary import and export of firearms (including sport firearms) are possible only when the required documents are present. To ensure the safety and security of sport firearms and to centralise the sports firearm registration system, FISU passed a resolution to restrict the number of places of arrival. The Kazan International Airport was confirmed as an official arrival airport and Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo were named transit ones. A special group will be formed to import/export sport firearms during the Games. In this regard FISU strongly recommends that
All athletes carrying sport firearms and ammunition enter Russia by air and only via the following airports – Kazan, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo.
