Invitation for Russia: how is it done?

Tourist visa for Italy from Russia: everything you need to know for a successful application.

From filling in the form to gathering the documents, plus useful tips: step by step on how to obtain a tourist visa for Italy from Russia

If you are thinking of inviting a Russian friend or relative to visit Italy, you should know that you need to obtain a visa for him or her. 

They can only apply for it thanks to your tourist invitation from Russia.

In this article I will explain how to obtain a visa for Italy from Russia.

A visa is an authorisation that allows you to enter a country for purposes of tourism, study, work or other reasons. 

Как получить визу в Италию из России: полное руководство по приглашению друзей и родственников

There are several types of visa available, but in this case we will focus on the tourist visa, also known as the Schengen visa, which allows you to travel in Italy and in other European Union countries.

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The procedure for obtaining a visa for Italy from Russia is relatively simple, but it takes some time and requires certain documentation. 

IMPORTANT: as you can read on the website of the Italian Embassy in Russia, intermediation in obtaining the visa is prohibited: only the person applying for the visa may attend the Embassy to request the visa for Italy.

Below I will explain the steps to follow:

1. Understand which type of visa is required: as mentioned earlier, if the person you want to invite to Italy is coming only for tourism, you need to obtain a tourist visa. If the visit is for work, study or other reasons, a different visa may be required.

2. Book an appointment at the Italian consular office: to apply for a tourist visa, the person you want to invite to Italy will need to book an appointment at the Italian consular office nearest to them. In Russia there are several Italian consular offices, including in Moscow and St Petersburg. For some years now, the Italian Embassy in Russia has relied on two external companies to handle visa applications; here are the two offices to contact: 

• residents of Moscow and the Moscow region (https://rgis.mosreg.ru/v3/#/map?bbox=34.94383,54.44677,40.93031,56.57591&layers=17) must contact the company VMS ( www.italyvms.ru ) with offices in Moscow;
  
• residents of the rest of the territory of the consular district must contact the company Almaviva Russia (https://ru.almaviva-visa.services/ ) with offices in Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don, Novosibirsk and Samara.

To visit these offices, you must always book an appointment.

Where are the Italian embassies in Russia located?

Here are the addresses:

Consulate General of Italy in MOSCOW

Yakimanskaya Nabereznaya, 10 – 11
0074957969692|0074959165451
www.consmosca.esteri.it
visti.conmosca@esteri.it

(Consular district: the entire territory of the Russian Federation, except for the area included in the district of the Consulate General of Italy in St Petersburg, as well as Turkmenistan.)

Consulate General of Italy in ST PETERSBURG

Teatralnaya Ploshad, 10 190068
0078123180791|0078123180792
www.conssanpietroburgo.esteri.it
visti.sanpietroburgo@esteri.it

(Consular district: St Petersburg, the regions of Leningrad, Novgorod, Vologda, Arkhangelsk, Pskov and province, Murmansk and province, the Autonomous Republic of Karelia.)

Any information regarding the Visa Facilitation Agreement between the European Union and the Russian Federation can be found on the website of the European Commission Delegation in Moscow .

• Schengen visa application form (Italian/Russian)
• Schengen visa application form (Italian/English)
• National visa application form (Italian/Russian)
• National visa application form (English).
• Invitation letter for tourism (Word).
• Invitation letter for tourism (PDF).
• Invitation letter for business.

3. Fill in the visa application form: The invitation letter for tourism in the case of an invitation from a person residing in Italy, you can find the form here.  And it is one of the documents to be submitted to obtain the visa.

This form must be filled in in English or Italian and must provide detailed information about the person you want to invite to Italy and who is applying for the visa at the Italian Embassy, such as their name, date of birth, the reason for the trip and the dates of the planned stay.

This form must be filled in by the person who is inviting the foreign citizen to Italy.

4. Provide the required documentation: 

Which documents are needed to apply for the visa?

To obtain a visa for Italy, the applicant will need to provide a series of documents, including:

1. a valid passport, 
2. a recent photograph,
3. proof of the reason for the trip, with the invitation letter provided by the person hosting them in Italy 
4. a copy of a health insurance policy, with a minimum coverage of 30,000.00 euros, 
5. the Bank Guarantee for an amount of 3,905.00 euros (maximum amount guaranteed for staying in Italy up to the maximum permitted of 90 days).
6. a flight reservation. 
7. a copy of the identity document, the tax code and a tax return of the person inviting you from Italy.

It is advisable to check the specific documentation requirements with the Italian consular office well in advance.

8. Pay the visa fee: to obtain a visa for Italy, the applicant will need to pay a fee. The cost varies depending on the type of visa requested and the duration of the planned stay.

9. Wait for the consular office’s reply: once the visa application has been submitted, the applicant will need to wait for the reply from the Italian consular office. This can take up to 45 days, so it is important to apply sufficiently in advance of the planned travel date; our advice is to request the appointment at least 60 days before the departure date for Italy. 

If the visa application is approved, the applicant will need to collect the visa from the Italian consular office. In the event of a refusal, the applicant will have the option of lodging an appeal.

We also recommend that you read all the updates on the issue of the visa for Italy from Russia on the website of the Italian Embassy in Moscow; for example, you should read this  Decision of the Council of the European Union – News on visa applications:

Date: 10/03/2022

By Decision No. 2022/333 of 25 February, the Council of the European Union ordered the partial suspension of the application of the agreement between the European Community and the Russian Federation on the facilitation of the issue of visas to citizens of the European Union and the Russian Federation https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32022D0333 with regard to specific categories of applicants of Russian citizenship.

It should be noted, among other things, that the fee for applications for diplomatic, mission and business visas has been raised to 80 euros.

In addition, the fast-track processing of such visa applications has been suspended, and a decision may now be taken within a maximum period of 45 days.

How to write the invitation letter for Russia and obtain a visa for Italy from Russia: a complete guide to inviting friends and family

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Come ottenere un visto per l’Italia dalla Russia: guida completa per invitare amici e familiari