The Russian e-visa in 2026: who qualifies, cost, how to apply
The e-visa is the fastest, cheapest legal way into Russia — if your passport qualifies. $52 flat, about 4 calendar days to process, a single 30-day stay. No invitation letter, no consulate appointment. The catch: only around 64 nationalities can use it, and the biggest Western passports — US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand — aren't among them.
Apply window: no earlier than 86 days, no later than 4 days before entry · Children under 6: fee exempt · No invitation letter required
Insurance: medical insurance valid in Russia for the entire stay is an official requirement.
Who qualifies
Every EU passport qualifies, plus roughly 64 nationalities total — the official site carries the current full list. If you're holding a US, UK, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport, the e-visa isn't available to you at all; that's the consulate route instead. US route → · UK route →
Cost and how to apply
Apply directly at evisa.kdmid.ru — the official Russian MFA site takes foreign Visa and Mastercard for the $52 fee. That's the whole cost; there's no invitation letter to buy on top, unlike the consulate routes. The application window runs from 86 days out down to 4 days before entry, and approval typically lands within 4 calendar days.
Once issued, the visa is valid for 120 days and covers one entry with a stay of up to 30 days inside that window. Travel insurance covering your full stay in Russia is an official requirement — build that into your prep alongside the visa itself. What actually gets accepted →
What trips people up
- Paying a third-party "agency" 2–3x the $52 official price for the same form the government site processes directly.
- Applying outside the window — too early (before 86 days) gets rejected, too late (inside 4 days) risks missing the flight entirely.
- Assuming a US, UK, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport qualifies. It doesn't — those five go through the consulate, not the e-visa.
- Skipping travel insurance because there's no invitation letter to remind you. It's still required.