Russia: do you need a visa?

Q: Russia: do you need a visa?

Required. Apply for a visa before you travel. If you live in the UK and are aged 12 or over, you must go to a visa application centre in London, Manchester or Edinburgh to submit biometric data (fingerprints). The Russia Visa Centre provides further information on how to apply for a visa, including processing time and fast track services. If you’re a British national with a Russian national in your immediate family, you can apply for a multi-entry private visa for up to one year. Check what you need for your stay with the Russian Embassy in the UK.

Russia: visa, passport and entry requirements

At a glanceRequired

Passport · Passport validity: at least 6 months after the date your visa expires

Entry document

✓Passport
✕National ID card

Passport validity
at least 6 months after the date your visa expires

Must be signed if issued after January 2017. — Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to. You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.

Visa

Required

Apply for a visa before you travel. If you live in the UK and are aged 12 or over, you must go to a visa application centre in London, Manchester or Edinburgh to submit biometric data (fingerprints). The Russia Visa Centre provides further information on how to apply for a visa, including processing time and fast track services. If you’re a British national with a Russian national in your immediate family, you can apply for a multi-entry private visa for up to one year. Check what you need for your stay with the Russian Embassy in the UK.

Your whole journey

Stopovers aren’t in our pages yet: the Sherpa link checks them for your nationality.

Passport, visa and stopovers: check on Sherpa ↗

Free tool, pre-filled for a British passport: change the nationality if needed.

Recommended vaccinations

Check the latest vaccine recommendations for Russia. See where to get vaccines and whether you have to pay on the NHS travel vaccinations page

This information is provided for guidance only and is accurate at the time of publication. Always check government websites and airline documents before booking and travelling.