Okay, you’ve heard the good news, right? Yes, the Russian Federation is opening its door to more and more visitors who want to experience the country for tourism and other purposes. This has been made possible through e-visa applications. And yes, it’s confirmed, this program caters to Filipinos as well. Let’s celebrate! No, not that fast. Of course, you need to know the important details of this e-visa program so that your application ends up a success.
We, here at MeantToGo, have read the e-visa guidelines (the E-visa characteristics of and conditions for issuing an e-visa) and so we have published this post to provide Filipinos a simplified guide out of it.
If you are planning to visit Russia through an e-visa application, this might be of help.
So, without further ado, here’s the gist of the Russian Federation e-visa program that you need to know:
CONTENT AT A GLANCE
1 | What’s an e-visa application?
A visa application that is done electronically – i.e. through the Internet. There is no need to submit hard copies of documentary requirements at the Russian Embassy in the Philippines or their consular offices.
2 | How much does the e-visa cost?
The Russia’s e-visa is FREE of charge. And, as stated in item #4 of their e-visa guidelines, there is no need to submit “invitations, hotel booking confirmation, and any other documents that confirm the purpose of your visit” to the country.
3 | Are Filipinos granted permission for visit via e-visa allowed to go anywhere in the country?
No. The Russian Federation e-visa program, as of this writing, provides Filipinos permissions only for the following regions:
If you intend to visit places in Russia other than above, you may submit your application through the conventional way – the non-electronic way through the embassy or consulate.
4 | Can e-visas be used only for those arriving in Russia by air?
No. Filipinos can use the e-visas at different checkpoints in the Russian Federation’s national borders – air checkpoints, railroad checkpoints, naval checkpoints, as well as automobile checkpoints (see item #5 in e-visa guidelines at their Foreign Affairs official website for more details about this).
5 | How long is the validity period of the e-visas?
The validity period is 30 calendar days. However, the period of stay should not exceed 8 days, which starts from the date of entry, within the validity period.
Important things to note regarding the e-visa validity period:
1 | 8 days does not imply you can stay for the entire 192 hours (24 hours x 8) as the period of stay starts at midnight of the day of entry, regardless of the actual time of the day of passage through passport control.
2 | E-visa is a single-entry type of visa
6 | Which visit categories do e-visa fall under?
An e-visa can fall under any of the following categories:
- Ordinary Business Visa (purpose of the journey is business
- Tourist Visa (the purpose is tourism)
- Ordinary Humanitarian Visa (for sports, cultural, scientific, and technological purposes)
If the purpose of your visit does not fall under any of categories specified above, then you must apply for a visa the conventional way – non-electronic application.
7 | Are Filipino visitors allowed to exit at a different constituent entity?
No. Item #8 of the e-visa guideline states that “foreign citizens should leave the territory of the Russian Federation only through checkpoints of the *constituent entity from which they entered.
*Constituent entity refers to the regions or territories that consist the Russian Federations
8 | Are Filipinos visiting the Russian Federation required to buy medical insurance?
Yes. Foreign Citizens visiting the country are required to purchase medical insurance that is valid in the Russian Territory for the entire period of stay.
9 | When can you apply for e-visa?
You can apply (through their online form) not earlier than 20 days and no later than 4 days before the intended date of entry into the Russian Federation.
10 | Can an e-visa be used to extend the validity period of an already issued Russian visa in your passport?
No. The guideline explicitly states that an e-visa “does not extend the validity period of a regular visa.” Furthermore, you do not need to apply for an e-visa to enter Kaliningrad Oblast, Saint-Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast if you already have a valid Russian visa in your passport. You can enter the said regions with no limitations provided for by e-visa.
11 | What are the things that could cause visa rejection or revocation of an already issued visa?
During application, you must keep in mind to submit (as you should) only correct information as required, including passport data and photo, to avoid rejection or revocation at the national border checkpoint of the Russian Federation.