By country
Russia invitation letter from China
Not required for unified e-visa. Required for consular tourist, business and other sticker visas at Russian missions in China.
- E-visa open to this passport
- Yes, within the scheme's limits
- Invitation required
- For consular visas only
- Consular fee
- Local tariff in CNY at Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and other consulates.
- Processing
- E-visa: MFA portal. Consular: depends on the city; invitation PDF is attached to the form in all cases.
Section 1How the invitation is used in China
Latin-letter names must match the passport exactly, including spaces in given names.
Group leisure travel still uses individual invitations.
A Chinese business licence is not a Russian business invitation.
Section 2Where to file
Russian missions in China accept the invitation as part of the consular file. Check which post covers your place of residence before booking, because jurisdiction is by address and not by convenience.
| City | Post | Notes on the invitation |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Embassy | Regular visa files include the invitation. |
| Shanghai | Consulate General | Same PDF standard. |
| Guangzhou | Consulate General | South China jurisdiction. |
| Shenyang | Consulate General | Northeast. |
| Hong Kong | Consulate General | Separate jurisdiction; invitation format is still the Russian tour-operator voucher. |
Section 3What to copy into the application form
Four fields move from the invitation to the application form. Transcribe them character for character; mismatches here are the most common reason a file is returned before it is assessed.
| Field on the application form | Where it sits on the invitation |
|---|---|
| Organisation | Host |
| Reference | PTO |
| Confirmation | ID |
Section 4Mistakes that recur here
- Transliterating the name differently from the passport bio page.
Section 5Which route applies to you
Holders of this passport have two routes into Russia, and only one of them needs an invitation.
- Before you commission anything, compare the two routes on invitation versus the unified e-visa — for short stays the e-visa removes the invitation entirely.
- Choose the category that matches your trip: tourist confirmation and voucher for leisure travel, or a business invitation for meetings and contracts.
- Budget with the breakdown of invitation and consular fees and plan around current issuing times.
- When the document arrives, verify its registry number before you book a consular appointment.
Section 6Countries in the same position
These passports also qualify for the unified e-visa, so the same choice between routes applies.
Important
An invitation letter is a supporting document. It does not guarantee a visa: consular officers decide every application.
Questions
Do I need an invitation for the e-visa from China?
No. Use the invitation only if you are filing a regular visa.
Sources
Rules and fees on this page are checked against the primary authorities below. Where they disagree with us, they are correct.