A Russian student visa will need to be obtained before travelling to Russia. A Russian student visa is valid for 90 days but can be extended to a year and then renewed after that for the duration of the study. This visa is valid for study in any Russian college or university or for any short-term courses.

Once you have applied with a complete application form and all the other documents required to secure enrolment in the college/university; the university will send you an official invitation if you are up to the mark of the course you applied to. This invitation letter is a basic and most important key part of your Russian student visa application.

Student visas are initially issued for three months. You then must apply to the local division of the Federal Migration Service of the Russian Federation (FMS of Russia) to extend your visa. The FMS will issue you with a multi-visa which will allow you to enter and leave Russia for a period of one year. Before the visa expires at the end of the year, you must apply to extend the visa for a further year. You then continue in this way throughout your academic course. Understanding the procedure better below:

1. Get yourself enrolled in a Russian college in the desired course. With the submission of online admission form, Russian university/institute will process your application. And check your aptitude to study the specific program. They check all your educational documents and may take online interviews, if required.

2. Next step is to apply for student visa invitation letter. Student visa invitation letter is an official document, issued by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. This letter explains your purpose of travel to Russian Embassy. Without student visa invitation, your admission process is not completed, and visa will not be issued.

3. The Russian student visa invitation letter takes 45-50 days of processing. Russian university/institute send student details to the office of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. We get this document ready for our student.

4. After receiving original visa invitation letter along with the university/ institute contract, you need to follow student visa checklist of Russian embassy / consulate in your country, to apply for Russian visa.

5. After your embassy interview, and acceptance of your visa application, the Russian Embassy issues your student visa. Initially, Russian Ministry of foreign affairs (MFA) issue entry visa for the student of maximum 90 days of stay, known as short term entrance visa for Russia. This entrance visa is further extended (as per your course duration) after your arrival to Russia.

The application process and documentation list defined below is for single entry visa:

• To obtain a student visa you should submit the visa application form filled up completely
• Valid National passport with at least 2 blank pages for visas
• Two professional photos on a white background.
• Document showing the purpose of your visit
• Your recent diploma or educational certificate
• A confirmation paper of the payment directly from the University or College
• Proof that you had paid your tuition fee and other basic fees to the college you are going to study in
• Written proof from the college as your letter of acceptance- it should be on the letter head of the college and should clearly mention the college name and other basic details
• Official HIV (AIDS) Test Certificate
• Proof showing that you have some amount with you to help your stay in Russia