Russian e-visa facility for Indians: How to apply, and other key details

Russia has launched an e-visa facility for Indians from August 1, allowing travellers to the country to surpass the hassles of obtaining a regular visa. The e-visa facility, also available for travellers from 54 other countries, does not require a visit to consulates or embassies.

Here are the key points to note while applying for an e-visa for Russia from India:

You can apply for an e-visa online through the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.
The application must be submitted at least 40 days and no later than 4 days before the planned trip.
You will need to provide a digital photo and a scan of the information page of your passport.
The e-visa is valid for 60 days from the date of issue and allows you to stay in Russia for up to 16 days.
The cost of the e-visa is 35 USD.
You can extend the e-visa for a maximum of 10 days by applying to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

The status of your application will be displayed on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. The possible statuses are:

Draft: The application has been partially completed or has not yet been sent for processing.
Awaiting payment: The payment of the consular fee has not been made or has not yet gone through.
Accepted for processing: The application is being processed.
Returned for editing: Incorrect information was found during the processing of the application. You need to make corrections and then resubmit the application for processing.
Processing completed: A decision has been made on your application.

If your application is approved, you will receive an email with a link to download your e-visa. You will need to print out the e-visa and present it to immigration officials upon arrival in Russia.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams: