Russian laws and visa policy

The Russian government maintains a restrictive and complicated visa regime for foreign travellers who visit, transit, or reside in the Russian Federation. Here are some extracts from the Federal Laws every foreign traveller must uphold:

1. Chapter I. General Information

Article 1.

1. •  Departure from the Russian Federation and entrance to the Russian Federation (including transit travel) are adjusted by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the international treaties of the Russian Federation, this Federal law, other federal laws, and also the governmental regulations. In case then the international treaty of the Russian Federation establishes other rules, then the rules, stipulated by this Federal law, of the international treaty have an effect.

Article 6.

1. • Foreign citizens or persons without citizenship are obliged at entrance to the Russian Federation and departure from the Russian Federation to show the valid documents proving their identity and recognized in this quality by the Russian Federation and the visa if other is not stipulated by the international treaty. Persons without citizenship enter to the Russian Federation and leave the Russian Federation according to the rules established by this Federal law for foreign citizens if other is not stipulated by this Federal law, other federal laws or the international treaty of the Russian Federation. The control over presence of visas or other entry documents of persons in the foreign state is a duty of the transport company (a carrier of passengers) if other is not stipulated by the international treaty of the Russian Federation.

1. Chapter IV. The Order of registration and Delivery of Documents for Entrance/Departure to and from the Russian Federation 

Article 24.

• Foreign citizens can enter the Russian Federation and leave the Russian Federation with visa and valid documents proving their identity and recognized in this quality by the Russian Federation if other is not stipulated by the international treaties of the Russian Federation.
• Persons without citizenship can enter the Russian Federation and leave the Russian Federation with visa and valid documents given by corresponding bodies of the state of their residing, proving their identity and recognized in this quality by the Russian Federation if other is not stipulated by the international treaties of the Russian Federation.
• The foreign citizens, who have received residence permit in the Russian Federation, enter to the Russian Federation and leave the Russian Federation with valid documents proving their identity and recognized in this quality by the Russian Federation, and residence permit. Persons without the citizenship with residence permit enter to the Russian Federation and leave the Russian Federation with residence permit.
• Foreign citizens and persons without the citizenship, recognized as refugees in the order established by the federal law, staying in territory of the Russian Federation, can leave the Russian Federation and enter the Russian Federation on the basis of a travel document of the refugee
• Foreign citizens and persons without citizenship leave the Russian Federation on the basis of decision of deportation in case then this decision was taken

Article 25. 

• The cases for delivery to the foreign citizen of the visa are:
• The invitation to entrance to the Russian Federation, according to the federal law in the order established by the Government of the Russian Federation. The invitation to entrance to the Russian Federation is given out by the federal enforcement authority, under the petition:

1. Federal bodies of the government;
2. Diplomatic representatives and consular establishments;
3. The international organizations and their representations in the Russian Federation, and also representations of the foreign states at the international organizations which are situated in the Russian Federation;
4. Bodies of the government of republics of the Russian Federation.

The decision taken by federal enforcement authority, diplomatic representatives either consular establishment of the Russian Federation or representation of the federal enforcement authority, situated within the limits of frontier territory, including in a check point through frontier of the Russian Federation, under the petition of foreign citizen staying outside the Russian Federation sent with necessity of entrance to the Russian Federation for emergency treatment or in case of heavy illness or death of the close relative;

The decision of the federal enforcement authority on delivery to the foreign citizen of the visa, directed to diplomatic representatives or consular establishment of the Russian Federation;

The decision of the head of diplomatic representatives or consular establishment of the Russian Federation on delivery to the foreign citizen of the visa, taken in unusual cases under the writing application of the foreign citizen;

The decision of territorial body of the federal enforcement authority on delivery to the foreign citizen of the sanction to time residing in the Russian Federation;

The agreement on rendering of services on tourist service and acknowledgement on reception of the foreign tourist by the organization which is carrying out tourist activity;

The decision of the federal enforcement authority, or his territorial body on a recognition of the foreign citizen or the person without citizenship the refugee under the application sent by the foreign citizen or the person without citizenship in diplomatic representatives or consular establishment of the Russian Federation.