LIVE UPDATES ABOUT ENTRY AND EXIT FROM RUSSIA AND PROCESSING RUSSIAN PASSPORTS AND VISAS DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS.
Last updated: March the 18th, 2020 12:19 PM EST
Here you can find all news and updates about entry and exit from the Russian Federation and processing all Russian visas and passports on the territory of the U.S. during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.
If you need to obtain a Russian travel passport urgently in order to enter the Russian Federation or any other Russian documents, please call us for a free consultation at (888) 978-7742. We are here and working during the quarantine to assist you.
URGENT: Russia has stopped processing all types of Russian visas in all the consulates abroad, including the United States.
March the 17th, 2020, 06:50 am PST
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation has stated that they stopped accepting applications to process and are returning unprocessed applications currently in their possession. This includes the issuing of visas to Russia of all types. Also, there has been a stop of all electronic visas.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the restrictions will not apply to foreign diplomats or representatives of official foreign organizations. This is also true for their family members. Exceptions are also made for those who are working as truck drivers, airline and shipping crews. These people will be able to obtain visas to enter Russia.
Please note, restrictions in regard to entering the Russian federation for any foreign citizens and also for stateless people will be in effect from March the 18th to May the 1st, 2020. Important – these restrictions also apply to citizens of the Republic of Belarus.
Exceptions for private visas are being made by the Russian Federation for those who are arriving in Russia for a funeral of a close family member. Exceptions are also made for those who are traveling through Russia as a transit passenger.
For our clients, we would like to give you the following options. For the requests we currently have, we can return all of your documents back to you and issue full refunds or we can hold on to your requests and process them as a first priority when the consulate reopens.
URGENT: Russia has closed borders to foreign citizens, starting March the 18th, 2020 to May the 1st, 2020.
March the 16th 2020, 09:08 pm PST
The Russian government made a decision to restrict the entry of foreign citizens due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Entry to the Russian Federation will be closed to citizens of foreign countries from midnight Moscow time on March the 18th, 2020 until midnight on the first of May the 1st, 2020.
The travel ban will not apply to foreign diplomats, airline and shipping crews, transit passengers, and foreign citizens who have a residence permit in Russia. Private individuals will only be able to enter Russia to attend the funeral of a close relative.
URGENT: The Russian Embassy and Russian Consulates in the U.S. are no longer having personal appointments in regard to consular, notary, and public service starting March the 16th, 2020 and continuing until further notice.
March the 17th, 2020 2:21 PM PST
Due to the rapidly changing situation and the increasing number of people affected by the Coronavirus, starting March the 16th, 2020 the Russian Embassy in Washington, DC and Russian consulates in New York and Houston will no longer accept applications and provide services, such as obtaining citizenship, vital record services, consular registration, notary services, requesting documents, issuing certificates of return to Russia, and also Russian passport and visa applications. All the prescheduled appointments will be canceled and there will be an opportunity to reschedule their appointments for later. However, it is not known when the consulates will open again. We will keep you updated.
! Please note, for all our clients an expedited service of obtaining a 5-year Russian travel passport without personal appearance through the Ministry of Internal Affairs is still available. You can still apply for a new Russian travel passport with us by mail and also receive the processed passport by mail. This service is not affected by the quarantine. Also, other services are still available. For more information please call us at (888) 978-7742!
Here are emergency phone numbers for Russian citizens in the U.S with emergency situations, such as life-threatening emergencies and humanitarian cases:
(202) 365-2124 (for a consular officer on duty at the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C.);
(917) 612-7842 (for a consular officer on duty at the Russian Consulate in New York);
(713) 213-8484 (for a consular officer on duty at the Russian Consulate in Houston).
URGENT: Dear clients, we know that everyone is concerned about the Coronavirus. We want to update you with regards to our business. We remain open and are continuing our work . Much of our work is done through email and mail so this will NOT be affected.
March the 15th, 2020 7:55AM PST
Also, we want to remind you that we can process most Russian documents WITHOUT the need for you to travel or personally appear at the consulate.
We hope that the situation will be resolved before summer and that things will go back to normal.
We will keep you updated on this page and our social media pages if there are any changes.
We are optimistic and hope that you all are staying safe
The following links may be useful for you:
