Visa (for visa regime)
To enter Russia, foreign students validate single student visa which can be valid up to 90 days. A student can enter Russia once* upon this visa. To prolong the period of your stay in Russia, you have to prolong your visa: you should obtain a multiple student visa. It allows you to leave and enter Russia multiple times while your visa is valid.
The period of multiple student visa can last up to (but no longer) one calendar year for one study year, it is limited by the period of validity of your passport: visa expires 6 months before your passport expires, according to the law of the Russian Federation. To stay in Russia for the period of studies, you need to prolong multiple study visa annually**.
Local departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Departments of Migration Issues) are responsible for prolongation of visa. All the required documents for validating (prolonging) visa should be submitted not later than 30 days before your current visa expires.
Important! Violation of the period of submitting documents can lead to refusal to accept your documents. In this case, a foreign student must return to the country of citizenship before visa expires and wait for a new invitation to validate a new visa.
To apply for prolongation of visa, you should:
Prepare documents:
• Copy of your international passport (the first page, all the pages with visa, all the pages with stamps);
• Copy of migration card;
• Copy of fingerprint registration (migrant’s green card);
• Copy of current results of completing medical examination (medical report, medical certificate and HIV certificate);
• Copy of your current registration;
• Photo 3x4 (1 photo);
• Copy of Voluntary Medical Insurance (Obligatory Medical Insurance, if you have it)
Pay fee for validating visa – 6 000 rubles
Confirm the transaction. Send payment receipt to the Department of Visa and Migration Support of Foreign Students via email indekanat@gnesin-academy.ru
Bring documents to the Department of Visa and Migration Support of Foreign Students
Receive an answer from the Department of Visa and Migration Support of Foreign Students that the procedure is done
Validating visa can take up to 20 workdays since submitting documents to the Department of Visa and Migration Support of Foreign Students. It is prohibited to leave Russia during this period of time!
Important! It is impossible to prolong visa upon passport with short period of validity
If you are going to leave Russia, we recommend you not to book a flight until your passport with prolonged visa is ready
*Important: single student visa does not allow you to leave and enter Russia on free basis. If you leave Russia, you will have to ask Academia for a new invitation, then validate a new visa in the Embassy or the Consulate of the Russian Federation in your country in order to enter Russia again.
**To get a visa for the whole period of studies (not for one year), foreign students can apply for Temporary Residence Permission For Getting Education (RVPO)