Guidance note 13
Sample invitation letter
Knowing what the page looks like makes it far easier to spot a problem before the appointment. A tourist invitation is a single sheet, and consular officers read four fields on it before anything else.
Section 1How the page is laid out
The sheet is divided in two. The left side is the confirmation that a registered operator will receive you; the right side is the voucher covering the itinerary. A stamp and signature apply to the sheet as a whole.
Business invitations look different: company letterhead, or an electronic form with a barcode, or nothing at all in the case of a TELEX, where only a number reaches the consulate.
- Inviting organisation — must be the operator that will actually receive you, and must match the host named on your application form.
- Registered address — the operator's address as it appears in the register, not a branch or booking-office address.
- Reference number in the Federal Register — the number that proves the operator is entitled to issue visa support. No number, no filing.
- Confirmation number — unique to your document; the number a consular officer quotes when checking it.
Section 2The four fields officers check first
The organisation name, its address, the registry reference and the confirmation number are what the officer matches against your application form. Everything else on the page is secondary.
| Field | Where it appears | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Inviting organisation | Host block, left side | Must match the form exactly |
| Legal address | Beneath the organisation name | Copied verbatim onto the form |
| Reference number | Operator registry line | Identifies the issuer |
| Confirmation number | Header of the sheet | Identifies your specific document |
Section 3Check your own data before you file
Compare the personal fields against your passport bio page, character by character, including the order of given names. This two-minute check prevents most avoidable refusals.
- Surname and given names as in the machine-readable zone
- Passport number, including letters
- Date of birth in the format shown
- Entry and exit dates covering the whole trip
- Citizenship as printed in the passport
Important
An invitation letter is a supporting document. It does not guarantee a visa: consular officers decide every application.
Questions
Can I see a real invitation letter before I apply?
We show the layout and the fields on this page. A live document carries personal data and a unique confirmation number, so specimens are always anonymised.
Is the invitation bilingual?
Tourist invitations are issued so that both Russian and English readers can work with them, which is what consulates worldwide expect.
Should the document be in colour?
Print in colour where you can. Some visa centres prefer it, and it costs nothing to comply.
Is a photograph attached to the invitation?
No. Your photograph belongs to the application form, not to the invitation.
Sources
Rules and fees on this page are checked against the primary authorities below. Where they disagree with us, they are correct.