Visa to Russia
In accordance with the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Botswana on the exemption of visa requirements for nationals of the Russian Federation and the nationals of the Republic of Botswana dated 06 June 2019, citizens of Botswana can visit Russia without visa for a period of 30 continuous days or less.
The Consular Section of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Botswana issues visas depending on the purpose of a trip and a period of stay on the territory of the Russian Federation. An applicant should submit the following documents to the Consular Section of the Embassy:
1) Valid foreign passport (diplomatic, official, ordinary). The passport should not raise doubts about its authenticity. Any marks, reservations, inscriptions, erasures or corrections in the passport are not acceptable. There should be at least two blank pages for visas in the passport, and its expiry date must exceed the visa expiry date by six months.
2) Visa application form filled out online at visa.kdmid.ru.
3) One 3,5 x 4,5 coloured photo with the accurate image of the person in full face without glasses and headdress.
4) (for foreign citizens) Permit to stay in Botswana for more than 90 days.
5) (only for those travelling to the Russian Federation for a period of more than three months) Negative HIV test report.
6) (for citizens of some third countries) Certificate of medical insurance.
7) Consular fee payment receipt.
8) Other documents depending on the type of visa.
TYPES OF VISA
For a business or humanitarian visa (90 days or less), an applicant should submit:
a) documents mentioned in paragraphs 1 – 7;
b) original invitation issued by the Federal Migration Service of Russia (General Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia) or by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia/ electronic invitation issued by General Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia;
c) letter of inviting organization.
For tourist visa (3 months or less, or 6 months but no more that 90 continuous days during the period of 180 days), an applicant should submit:
a) documents mentioned in paragraphs 1 – 7;
b) tourist voucher and contract on tourist services issued by the authorized tourist agency in Russia. Please note that a tourist voucher is not a booking confirmation.
Please note that, in accordance with Federal Law No. 145-FZ dated 26 May 2021, a Consular Section accepts a reservation confirmation issued by classified hotels. In this case, a tourist visa can only be a single entry, and its validity is limited to the dates of hotel booking confirmation. The confirmation must be issued in Russian or English in conformity with the requirements of the Law, it must be signed by an authorized employee of the hotel and certified by the hotel seal.
For private visa (90 days or less), an applicant should submit:
a) documents mentioned in paragraphs 1 - 7;
b) original invitation issued by the Federal Migration Service of Russia (General Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia) or by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia/ electronic invitation issued by General Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia;
Please note that simplified visa procedures may be applied to the foreign citizens who are close relatives of Russian citizens, namely, spouse, parents (adoptive parents), children (adopted), spouses of children, brothers and sisters, grandparents, and grandchildren. A foreign citizen is entitled to a one-year multiple-entry visa with no restrictions on continuous days of staying in Russia. In this case, apart from documents mentioned in paragraphs 1 – 7, a Russian citizen should submit a visa request letter addressed to the Head of diplomatic mission.
For a study visa (90 days or less), an applicant should submit:
a) documents mentioned in paragraphs 1 – 7;
b) original invitation issued by the Federal Migration Service of Russia (General Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia) or by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia /electronic invitation issued by General Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia;
Please note that for a study visa, the passport's expiry date must exceed the visa's expiry date by 18 months.
For a working visa, an applicant should submit:
a) documents mentioned in paragraphs 1 – 7;
b) original invitation issued by the Federal Migration Service of Russia (General Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia) or by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia/ electronic invitation issued by General Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia;
c) letter of inviting organization (employer);
Please, note that for a working visa, the passport's expiry date must exceed the visa's expiry date by 18 months.
For a transit visa, an applicant should submit:
a) documents mentioned in paragraphs 1 - 7;
b) tickets to/ from the Russian Federation;
c) visa of the neighboring state/visa of the state of final destination/passport of the respective state.
Please note that a transit visa is issued for a period of 3 days. Foreign citizen who travel by air in Russia without leaving international transit zone do not need a transit visa.
The visa can be issued only after all required documents are submitted to the Consular Section. The documents for visa should be submitted personally or by the applicant's lawful representative. The Consular Section retains the right to decline the issuance of visa without any explanation. The paid consular fees are not subject to return.
Please note that if a passport with a valid Russian visa is cancelled or expired, it is necessary to relocate the valid visa from this passport to a new one before travelling to Russia. The relocation is done in the Consular Section of the Embassy.
