First of all, you should decide exactly when you are going to Russia and the cities you intend visit. This information will be included into your visa application. These are supplied on the plane or at the airport on arrival.

Then make sure your passport is valid for the dates you are planning to travel. If you apply for a visa for longer than three months, then most consular departments will require that your passport must be valid for at least six months after your planned departure date from Russia. Please check that you have the required number of clear pages in your passport.

After that you should decide what type of visa you need to apply for. It depends on the purpose of your trip and the length of your stay. Most visitors to Russia need only the easily obtainable single-entry Tourist Visa, valid for one month. If you are planning to stay longer, or need to enter Russia more than once during your trip, then you will have to apply for a Business Visa even if you're travelling for pleasure.

Once you've decided on the type of visa you need, you will then need to find a person or company who will supply you with the documents required by Russian consular departments to process your visa application. These documents are usually called visa support documents. If you are pre-booking accommodation in Russia, then nearly all hotels will do it for you. If you are applying for a Tourist Visa you will need: a tourist voucher and a tourist confirmation. There are also many travel companies who will, for some fee, provide you with these documents without pre-booked accommodation. Both documents can be fitted on to one A4 sheet of paper if necessary, and they can be presented to most Russian consular departments as a faxed copy. Check with your nearest consular department to ensure that a fax is acceptable.

Now find the nearest Russian consular department. Most Russian consular departments will make you have health insurance covering the dates of your proposed trip and valid in Russia. Your visa application must be also accompanied by a recent photo of yourself.

Along with your passport and your visa support documents, you will need to submit a completed Visa Application Form.

Now you have everything ready, you can submit your documents to the nearest Russian Consular Department. You can do it by post or in person. Don't forget that your application must be accompanied by the following documents:

• Your passport
• A completed Visa Application Form
• Relevant visa support documents
• Details of health insurance
• One color photograph
• HIV test results (if applying for a six-month or longer visa)
• A postal or money order for the cost of your visa (if applying by post)
• A self-addressed envelope with pre-paid postage (if applying by post)

You will also need to obtain a Imigration Card at your point of entry into Russia. This is a form in English and Russian which you must complete and present at passport control. Half will be stamped and returned to you, and you must keep it with your visa until your departure.

When you are in Russia, the party that provides you with accommodation must register your visa within three working days of entry. If you are traveling on a Tourist Visa and staying in a hotel, then it is almost certain you will be able to register your visa at reception. In this case, the hotel will issue you with proof of registration, which you must then return to the hotel when you leave. If you are travelling on a Business or Private Visa, then you will be registered with a local department of the Ministry of the Interior. The responsibility to register you lies with the person or company who is providing your accommodation, and they can now do this at any post office. To register you, they will need to show your passport there.

You must make copies of all your travel documents, including the main pages of your passport, your Russian Visa, and both sides of your imigration card. In case you lose your passport or imigration card during your stay, copies are almost certain to make things easier. They can also be carried with you instead of the original documents in case the Russian police wish to check your identity.

Cash it may be advisable to inform your bank that you will be in Russia before you leave, as some banks may stop your card.

Remember! A Russian visa gives you the possibility to experience Saint-Petersburg on your own. This way you will be able to sit in cafes watching the people around you or walk along Nevsky Avenue. This is often important for many tourists. You will be able to spend as much time as you need or want at each place that you liked the look of. You will also have FREEDOM here to observe Russian life.