09/04/2012
Russia May No Longer Require Visa Support
Thanks to US diplomacy, Russian president Vladimir Putin has signed an agreement that frees US passport holders from having to provide a letter of invitation (also know as Visa Support) from a Russian citizen or entity when applying for a visa. This means visa support may
no longer be necessary.
This is reported to be effective as of September 9, 2012 although some project mid-September. The Russian Embassy and the Consulates have thus far not commented or made any official statement regarding this potential change. Until the change has been made official or we have been notified of the date the law will take effect, we will continue to provide you visa support as before, and ensure you have the most current necessary documentation to travel to Russia. We will update our site accordingly, so please bookmark this page and check back.
In addition to this change and also as of yet unconfirmed by the Russian Embassy and Consulates, both business travelers and tourists will now be issued a Russian visa valid for up to 3 years, allowing for multiple entry with a duration of stay of up to 6-months per entry. This is a significant change and will make travel to Russia much less of a hassle for those who visit frequently. The consular fees for the visa are rumored to remain the same.
We had earlier reported on the difficulty of attaining a Russian visa, especially now that Russia has instituted a middleman to the
process, But it seems that this agreement may be one of many first steps toward making Russia entirely visa free. Spend your time planning your samovar teas and strolls through the Winter Palace, and leave your visa to us! Passport Visas Express will walk you through each step and keep you abreast of any further changes to Russian visa policies.
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