A Russian visa is a special document attached to your passport, that grants you a permit to enter and to leave the Russian Federation during a period of time specified in the visa. Every foreign citizen needs a Russian visa to enter / leave Russia, except nationals of some Eastern European countries.

There are six types of Russian visas: 1) a tourist visa, 2) a business visa, 3) a student visa, 4) a personal (private) visa, 5) a transit visa, 6) work visa. Each visa type corresponds to the purpose of your visit.

The easiest visa to get is a transit Russian visa. It is valid for 72 hours and can be obtained at the Russian consulate if you present the tickets showing you're traveling through Russia to another destination.

The tourist visa is also relatively easy to get. You need to get an invitation (also called visa support) first – it's easily available from travel agents or online. The tourist visa is valid for up to 30 days.

The business visa is a good choice if you want to travel for a longer period of time. Business Russian visa can be valid for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months, but you can't stay longer than 90 days during a 180-day period. In order to get a business visa you just need an invitation (visa support), which can be obtained through travel agents, Russian companies, or online.

A student or work visa allows you to stay more than 90 days during a 180 day period, but can only be obtained through an organization that has quotas with the Federal Migration Service.

Finally, a private visa is an option if you're traveling to see friends, but it takes long to get the invitation for it (your contacts in Russia have to go to a local police station to get the original of the invitation and then send it to you by post) and it's only valid for up to 90 days.

Information provided by Way to Russia Visa Guide