If you hold a US, UK, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport, your Russian visa application starts with one document: the tourist invitation letter. We issue it for you – fast, correctly formatted, and backed by a team you can actually talk to.
What is a tourist invitation letter?
Officially it’s a tourist voucher with a confirmation of reception – a document from a registered Russian tour operator or hotel confirming that your trip is arranged. Russian consulates require it before they will accept a tourist visa application from nationalities that are not eligible for the e-visa. It is not a personal letter from a friend; it’s a standardised tourism document, and getting the details right (dates, cities, passport data) is exactly what consulates check.
Who needs one?
- US citizens – not e-visa eligible, invitation required. Full US guide →
- UK citizens – not e-visa eligible, invitation required. Full UK guide →
- Canadian, Australian and New Zealand citizens – same classic-visa route, invitation required.
- EU citizens staying longer than 30 days or needing a multi-entry visa – the e-visa caps at 30 days single entry, so longer trips go the classic route with an invitation too.
If your passport is on the e-visa list and your trip is 30 days or less, you don’t need an invitation at all – check the visa overview first.
How fast is it?
Fast. Tourist invitations are generated electronically and are typically issued within minutes to hours of your order being confirmed – not days. Even if your consulate appointment is next week, the invitation will not be your bottleneck.
How it works with us
- Send us your details
Passport data, planned travel dates and the cities you’ll visit. If you’re still finalising your route, we’ll advise what to enter – contact us to get started.
- We issue the invitation
As a tour operator working with Russia travel every day, we prepare the voucher and confirmation in the exact format consulates expect, matched to your itinerary.
- You apply for your visa
With the invitation in hand you complete the form at visa.kdmid.ru and submit at your consulate or visa centre. We stay available for questions until the visa is in your passport.
Tell us your nationality, travel dates and destination cities – we’ll confirm the details and issue your invitation, usually the same day.
Contact us to order →FAQ: Russian visa invitation letter
What is a Russian tourist invitation letter?
A tourist voucher with confirmation of reception, issued by a registered Russian tour operator or hotel. Russian consulates require it for classic tourist visa applications from US, UK, Canadian, Australian and NZ citizens.
How quickly can I get a Russian visa invitation?
Tourist invitations are generated electronically and typically issued within minutes to hours of order confirmation – the invitation is almost never the slow part of the visa process.
Do I need an invitation letter for the Russian e-visa?
No. The e-visa (available to 64 nationalities including all EU countries, India and Türkiye) requires no invitation or hotel booking. Invitations are only needed for the classic visa route.
Does the invitation letter guarantee a visa?
No document can guarantee a visa – the decision rests with the consulate. A correctly issued invitation matching your application is, however, a standard requirement, and properly prepared applications are routinely approved.
Planning the trip itself? Our Russia tours 2026 – Moscow, St Petersburg, Trans-Siberian and more – include the invitation letter and full visa support in every package for classic-visa nationalities.