US Citizens: Get your Russia Home Stay or Private Stay visa with the TDS Houston Office

If Travel Document Systems assists you in applying for a New/First Time, Renewal or Second Limited passport as part of this order, the passport will need to be returned to you for a signature before your visa application can be processed. Extra FedEx fees will apply in this case.

Please send 2 recent professional passport-type photographs.
The photographs must have been taken within the last six months.
Digital and non-passport photographs are not acceptable.
Passport Photo Guide - Click Here

Please do not attach the Photo to the visa application, TDS will do this for you.

Please send a copy of your round trip airline tickets, or itinerary or e-ticket, or letter of confirmation from a travel agent. The itinerary must show the applicant's name, date of arrival and departure from the country, and flight information. The Embassy does not recommend purchasing your ticket prior to a visa being issued.

Option One:

An Official Invitation, issued by the Federal Migration Service of the Russian Federation.
Original Invitation: Sample One

Your relatives or friends (Russian citizens residing in Russia) should provide you with an official letter of invitation bearing your personal data and registered with a local office of the Russian Interior Ministry (OVIR office). 
Your host must obtain this certificate for you and send the original invitation to you so you can apply for your visa.

Option Two:

This option is valid for a Single Entry Visa only.

A written invitation from a Russian citizen located in the US, addressed to the Russian Consulate on behalf of their close relative, spouse, or minor who is a foreign citizen, that will accompany them to Russia, along with: 
Sample Two

- Copy of a valid external Russian passport of the inviting party;
- Copy of Green card or US passport of the Russian citizen who is inviting;
- Copy of the husband's passport (wife or children);
- Copy of Marriage Certificate or Birth Certificate of the child;
- Copy of Round-Trip airfare with specific dates.

Option Three:

**This option is only for 3 Year Multiple entry visas.

** If you select this option as your Letter of Invitation, ONLY Regular processing (7-9 Business Days) will be available. Rush or Emergency processing options are not available to you.

For a 3-year visa, a notarized written statement on a notary blank from the hosting individual residing in Russia.
The host individual could be either a Russian citizen registered in the territory of the Russian Federation or a U.S. citizen who has the permit to stay in Russia for more than 90 days. (i.e. work permit, student visa, diplomatic visa as an employee of the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.) If the host is a Russian citizen, a photocopy of the domestic and internal passport must be attached. If the host is not a Russian citizen a copy of the passport and valid Russian visa must be attached.

A written invitation from your host must be made in Russia on a notary blank, or a notarized written invitation from a Russian citizen located in the USA by providing copies of their valid Internal Russian Passport with registration, valid Russian foreign passport, and their status in the U.S. such as a US Passport or Green Card.
Sample Three

A NOTARIZED Letter of Invitation from the hosting individual, the letter should state the following:
*Surname, First Name.
*Date of birth.
*Citizenship.
*Gender.
*Passport number.
*Address of registration.
*Actual residence of the hosting individual.

Notarized Letter of Invitation must also include:
*Applicant's First name, surname and any other given names.
*Date of birth.
*Citizenship.
*Gender.
*Passport number.
*Multiplicity of the visa.
*Purpose of travel.
*Letter must state applicant wishes to apply for a 3 year Multiple Entry Visa and the period of stay from dd/mm/yyyy to dd/mm/yyyy (e.g. 23 June 2013 to 22 June 2016)
*Location of intended residence of the visa applicant.
*Cities to be visited.

Note: Letter of Invitation MUST be written in Russian.

Any minor traveling to Russia must have a letter of consent signed by both of the child's parents or legal guardians. If the minor is traveling with a parent or guardian who is not applying for a visa at the same time a copy of the parent or guardian's Russian visa or certificate of Russian citizenship must be submitted along with the minor's application.

When applying for a visa it is necessary to provide documentation that you no longer possess Russian Citizenship, such as:

Copy of USSR passport with a stamp stating you left for permanent residence abroad, dated prior to February 6th 1992.

Copy of a Visa to Israel issued prior to February 6th 1992.

Copy of a Certificate of Naturalization issued prior to 1996

Document confirming the renunciation of your Russian citizenship.

Copy of the main pages of a passport of a former USSR state, issued after February 1992.

Written statement of explanation in the case that you have no documentation.

In accordance with Russian law, visas can not be issued to Russian citizens with expired passports. We remind you that in accordance to Article 12 of Russian law "On citizenship of the Russian Federation", children born to two parents who are Russian citizens automatically gain Russian citizenship regardless of the place of birth. In this case visas are not issued and they must apply for Russian citizenship or have their information written into the passport of one of their parents or obtain a Russian passport.

If you were born in a state of the former Soviet Republic or Ukraine you must supply a copy of your Soviet or Ukrainian passport along with a letter stating when you immigrated to the US.

Complete and Sign One Online Application Form, plus one copy.

Please Note: The application must be printed on TWO sheets of paper, the Embassy/Consulate will NOT except applications on a single sheet printed back to back.

The online Russian Application functions only with Internet Explorer Versions 7.0 and above and Mozilla Firefox Versions 3.6 and above. Browsers such as Chrome and Safari are not compatible with the online Russian Application.

As part of the visa application process you will be asked to create a Application ID and answer a Security Question, you MUST save the Application ID and Security Question as you will need it should you need to access your application again online to make any changes or corrections your online visa application.

****Please print and send your Application ID and Password along with your completed and signed Russian visa application to Travel Document Systems.****

 Common Errors To Avoid

The very first question on the electronic application site asks “Country (select the country where you will be applying for your visa)”. Be sure that you select “UNITED STATES" from the dropdown menu.

At the end of the online Russian visa application, you will be asked to select the visa issuing office. You MUST select "Russia Visa Center WASHINGTON", "Russia Visa Center NEW YORK", or "Russia Visa Center HOUSTON" depending on which Travel Document Systems location will process your visa.

If you select the city without "Russia Visa Center" the application will not be accepted.

The Russian Embassy has the right to request, if needed, additional documents/evidence which shows the purpose and length of the applicant's planned trip, the applicant's financial means sufficient for a stay in Russia and the applicant's intent to depart the Russian Federation after the trip, documents/evidence may include:
*A Bank Statement from the applicant.
*A statement from the employer regarding the applicant's wages for the preceding year, half year or month.
*Medical insurance valid in the country to be visited and fully covering the period of the first trip.
*Documents regarding the applicant's ownership of property in the country of his/her citizenship.
*A certificate on the makeup of the applicant's family.
The Russian Embassy also have the right to request additional information and/or documents from applicants as may be needed in particular cases.