By country
Russia invitation letter from India
Required for a regular consular visa. Not required for the unified e-visa (single entry, up to 30 days).
- E-visa open to this passport
- Yes, within the scheme's limits
- Invitation required
- For consular visas only
- Consular fee
- Set by the Russian Embassy in India; confirm on the current consular tariff before you book an appointment.
- Processing
- Typically 4–10 working days after a complete file is accepted in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata or Chennai.
Section 1How the invitation is used in India
Order the tourist invitation first. The kdmid application (visa.kdmid.ru) asks for the inviting organisation, its address, the reference (PTO) number and the invitation confirmation number — all four sit on the voucher.
Indian posts often ask for a day-by-day itinerary when the stay is longer than about two weeks. The invitation still lists cities, not every hotel night. Keep a simple itinerary PDF in the same pack.
A hotel booking on Booking.com is not a substitute for the invitation. Consular officers in India look for the tour-operator voucher plus confirmation on one page.
If you later change hotels, you do not need a new invitation as long as the passport data and travel dates still match.
Section 2Where to file
Russian missions in India 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 |
|---|---|---|
| New Delhi | Embassy | Main filing point; tourist invitations in PDF are routinely attached to the kdmid form. |
| Mumbai | Consulate General | Same invitation format as Delhi. Keep the confirmation number exactly as printed. |
| Kolkata | Consulate General | Useful if you live in the east; do not assume a Delhi appointment is required. |
| Chennai | Consulate General | South India filings. Print the invitation in colour if the visa centre asks for a paper copy. |
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 |
|---|---|
| Name of inviting organisation | Host company block on the left of the invitation |
| Address of inviting organisation | Legal address printed under the company name |
| Reference number | Tour-operator registry / PTO number |
| Confirmation number | Unique invitation ID at the top of the page |
Section 4Mistakes that recur here
- Typing the confirmation number with a letter O instead of a zero (or the reverse).
- Using a nickname on the invitation while the passport shows the full legal name.
- Applying for e-visa and a consular visa in parallel for the same dates — pick one path.
- Assuming a 30-day e-visa covers a double-entry trip via Nepal or Kazakhstan. That needs a regular visa and an invitation.
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 Indian citizens always need a Russian visa invitation?
Only if you apply for a regular visa at a consulate or visa centre. The unified e-visa does not use an invitation. Choose the invitation route when you need more than 30 days, a second entry, or a post that you already know how to use.
Will New Delhi accept a PDF tourist invitation?
Yes. Print it and upload the same file with the kdmid form. Keep the original email so you can resend the PDF if the visa centre asks.
Can family members share one invitation?
No. Each passport needs its own invitation. Names, dates and passport numbers are personal.
Sources
Rules and fees on this page are checked against the primary authorities below. Where they disagree with us, they are correct.