By country
Russia invitation letter from Japan
Not required for unified e-visa. Required at Tokyo, Osaka and other consulates for a regular visa.
- E-visa open to this passport
- Yes, within the scheme's limits
- Invitation required
- For consular visas only
- Consular fee
- Japanese-yen tariff at the Russian missions in Japan.
- Processing
- E-visa is usually faster. Consular appointments in Tokyo can be the slower path — have the invitation ready before you book.
Section 1How the invitation is used in Japan
Names must follow the passport spelling in Latin characters, not a Hepburn variant you use for hotels.
If you enter Russia from Hokkaido by ferry or air, check whether that checkpoint accepts e-visa. If not, switch to a consular visa plus invitation.
Section 2Where to file
Russian missions in Japan 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | Embassy | Regular visas need the invitation PDF. |
| Osaka | Consulate General | Kansai jurisdiction. |
| Sapporo | Consulate General | Hokkaido. |
| Niigata | Consulate General | Same invitation fields as Tokyo. |
| Naha | Consulate General | Okinawa. |
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
- Putting the name in kanji order on the invitation. Use the passport MRZ order.
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
Can I collect the visa in Osaka with an invitation ordered online?
Yes. The invitation is not tied to a Japanese city. The consulate is.
Sources
Rules and fees on this page are checked against the primary authorities below. Where they disagree with us, they are correct.