By country
Russia invitation letter from United States
Always required for a tourist or business visa. US passports are not on the unified e-visa list.
- E-visa open to this passport
- No
- Invitation required
- Always, for every consular category
- Consular fee
- Reciprocal consular fee (commonly quoted around $160 for a tourist visa — confirm the current MFA tariff).
- Processing
- Plan 2–4 weeks including the appointment wait in Washington, New York, Houston or Seattle.
Section 1How the invitation is used in United States
There is no e-visa fallback. The invitation is the first document you obtain, not an optional extra.
On visa.kdmid.ru, mark that visa support has been issued and copy the organisation name character-for-character, including LLC / OOO.
US posts compare passport MRZ data with the invitation. Middle names and suffixes (Jr, III) must appear if they are in the passport.
Business invitations (letterhead / TELEX) are a different product. Do not attach a tourist voucher to a business-visa file.
Section 2Where to file
Russian missions in United States 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Washington, D.C. | Embassy | Appointments via the MFA portal. Bring a colour print of the invitation. |
| New York | Consulate General | High volume. PDF invitation is standard; originals are not couriered for tourist support. |
| Houston | Consulate General | Covers the south. Same invitation fields as other US posts. |
| Seattle | Consulate General | West Coast filings. Check jurisdiction by state of residence before you book. |
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 |
|---|---|
| Inviting organisation | Left block, legal name |
| Reference number | PTO / registry line |
| Confirmation number | Header of the invitation |
| Dates of stay | Entry and exit dates — must match the kdmid form |
Section 4Mistakes that recur here
- Waiting for a hotel to “issue visa support” — most US hotel chains cannot issue a Russian tourist voucher.
- Entering travel dates in US format (MM/DD) on the order form. Use the passport / ISO dates we show on the invitation.
- Booking the consulate slot before the invitation PDF arrives. You need the confirmation number for the form.
Section 5Which route applies to you
Holders of this passport have one route into Russia, and it always needs an invitation.
- An invitation is mandatory for this passport in every consular category, so the document is the first thing to secure.
- 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 are also outside the e-visa scheme, so an invitation is required for every trip.
Important
An invitation letter is a supporting document. It does not guarantee a visa: consular officers decide every application.
Questions
Can US citizens apply for a Russian e-visa instead?
No. The official e-visa list does not include the United States. A consular visa with an invitation is the working path.
Is a DS-style hotel printout enough?
No. Russian consulates want a tour-operator invitation (voucher + confirmation), not a reservation confirmation from a booking site.
Sources
Rules and fees on this page are checked against the primary authorities below. Where they disagree with us, they are correct.