L’invitation en Russie

Whatever type of Russian visa you need, (with the exception of a transit visa), it will always require a specific visa support document - an invitation. This is often called a “confirmation” or a “voucher” and is issued by the party who has invited you to Russia. A Russian visa invitation and the Russian visa application form will always list:
• The traveller’s personal data (Name/surname written in both Russian and Latin characters)
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Citizenship/nationality
• Passport number
• Visa Issue date
• Entry/exit dates
• Invitation type, and corresponding visa type
• Number of entries
• Purpose of visit
• Route if travelling through or around Russia
• Information of the host organisation in Russia, its index and a corresponding reference number
• Invitation number
• Information regarding any children who will be travelling with you
• Additional information, such as whether you will be bringing a car into the country.

Visa Type	Type of Invitation	Corresponding Authority
Tourist visa	Tourist Confirmation and Voucher Order now>>>	A Russian travel agency which is properly registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and which also possesses a valid "tour reference" number. Make sure you are dealing with a reliable travel agency which can provide you with your registration once you are in Russia, and which will also provide other support services on your arrival.
Business visa	Business Invitation Order now>>>	The local department of the Passport and Visa Service (PVU) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for paper invitations, or the Department of the Consular Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for telexes. The sponsoring organization should be officially registered with the PVU in order to apply for an invitation (according to the new Federal Law from Nov 1, 2002)
Private visa	Private Invitation (the so-called "izveschenie’)	The local department of the Passport and Visa Service (PVU) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, or the OVIR. Allow 4-6 weeks for approval and obtain the original invitation to apply to the Russian Consulate/Embassy.
Transit visa	No invitation is required. Present your travel tickets and visa to the country of destination.
Student Visa		The "foreign department" of the university should take care of all the formalities. It submits the student’s data to the immigration officials and will have a student invitation ready in 7 to 10 days. Then the invitation is sent by post, by fax, or by telex directly to the Consulate where a student applies for his/her visa

To get an Invitation, you should stick to the following STEP-BY-STEP INVITATION OBTAINING GUIDANCE:
• Decide on the type of invitation you need for your Russian visa.
• Contact the travel agency, business, company or relatives, etc., and submit the required data.
• Receive the invitation and make sure that everything is correct.
• Take the invitation to your chosen Russian consulate along with the other required documents, and make your Russian visa application.

It’s worth keeping in mind

• It is always better to ask the Russian consulate whether they accept copies of invitations which have been sent to you by fax or e-mail, or whether they only accept originals. You should specify this to the company or individual who arranges your Russian visa invitation to ensure that your invitation and visa are processed without problems or delays.
• The cost of visa can vary, as well as the processing time. For instance, a tourist invitation costs about $30 US and takes from 1 hour to 1 day to be issued; while a business invitation is more expensive (from about $50), as it requires some fees to be paid to the Russian Interior Ministry and takes longer to issue (as a rule leave 15-30 days).
• Please take note that a letter from your friends or business partners cannot be regarded as official support documentation , and is therefore not valid for obtaining a Russian travel visa. The invitation can be issued only by a registered Russian travel agency or by a company or organisation authorized by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
• Choose a trustworthy agency/company/partner to provide you with Russian visa support. Before placing your order, make sure that the agency can be easily contacted and provides its address and valid phone number; has experience of at least several years of work with Russian visas, and will be able to provide you with your registration in the city where you will be staying. It must also be able to help you in exceptional cases.