Diplomatic and Service Visa of Russia

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs decides to give a diplomatic visa when they receive a verbal note from that ministry, a diplomatic or consular mission of another country, or a permanent mission of an international organization in Russia. The note must be given to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a Russian embassy.

The following foreign nationals with a diplomatic passport get diplomatic visas:

a) leaders of other countries, members of official groups from other countries visiting here, family members of these leaders, people who are with these leaders or members of these groups, unless the Russian Federation international treaty says otherwise.

b) The Russian Federation grants diplomatic standing to the diplomatic or foreign workers and international organization staff members who work here permanently. This is not the case if Russia's foreign treaty rules say something different. This group is made up of family members (spouses) of the people above, children under 18 years old who live with their parents, and single children 18 to 25 years old who go to college in Russia. It also includes kids whose parents have to take care of them for health reasons.
c) people who are visiting a foreign political or consular office in the Russian Federation for work reasons

d) couriers from other countries' official and consular offices

e) people who are just passing through the Russian Federation on their way to another country for work.

If the Russian Federation gives someone from another country diplomatic standing, that person can get a diplomatic visa even if they don't have a diplomatic ID.

National (regular) papers can only get diplomatic visas for these kinds of foreigners:

- people in high-level government groups and the top levels

— family members of diplomatic staff from foreign diplomatic or consular missions and international groups' permanent missions, as long as those family members have ordinary IDs or are citizens of another country

— strangers based on a decision from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A foreigner with an official passport who the Russian Federation does not grant diplomatic standing may get a regular visa or a business visa.

If people with official passports are not allowed to get a diplomatic visa, they can apply for regular visas instead. The paperwork needed varies on the type of visa.

People from other countries in the following groups can't be given a diplomatic visa, not even if they have an official passport:

—people from countries that the Russian Federation doesn't get along with the

- adult children (sons and daughters over 18 years old) of people who work for a foreign government at a diplomatic or consular office in the United States

— individuals with diplomatic visas who work for the host country's state government, along with those who work for a diplomatic or consular assignment from another country and travel to Russia as guests or because a Russian citizen asked them to come.

- people with diplomatic passports who work for the host government and people who work for a diplomatic or consular mission from a third country and go to Russia as a guest of a staff member of that foreign diplomatic or consular mission who is approved to work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia or its offices in the subjects of the federation; banks, businesses, media, and consulates in Russia;

- people who have official papers from a third country and work for that country's foreign mission or for the host government's agencies and travel to Russia when a Russian group not related to the government's legislative, executive, or judicial branches asks them to do so

- people with diplomatic papers working for the host country's government, as well as people whose jobs are with diplomatic or foreign missions from third countries, passing through Russia on their way to third countries that aren't on an official mission (as guests or for other private reasons).

To get a foreign visa, you need to give these papers to the Consular part of the Russian Embassy:

1) passport for diplomats

2) a verbal note from the Foreign Ministry of the host country (the foreign state's diplomatic or consular mission in the host country) saying that the person who is asking for a diplomatic visa is going on a work-related trip. If the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia has already decided to give that person a diplomatic visa, then a verbal note is not needed. In that case, a six-digit decision number will be needed.

3) The person applying for the visa must print out the application form, sign it, and glue a passport picture on it. This is very important. when the website asks where the person is going to submit their papers, they should choose the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Netherlands because people with diplomatic passports are not exempt from visa application forms and must give photos because of reciprocity.

A health insurance plan and an HIV-free proof are not needed for a foreign visa.