Who can be invited to Russia for a business visit?

You will learn:

1. Who can enter Russia on a business visa?

2. How many purposes of entry to Russia on a business visa exist?

3. What are the most common purposes of entry used?

A company can invite any foreign citizen for a business visit, provided that their entry into Russia is not prohibited. The business trip of such a foreigner must be necessary within the framework of the company's commercial activities in Russia. To undertake such a trip, the foreigner needs to obtain a business visa.

Russian legislation provides for 14 possible purposes of travel, which are indicated in the business visa.

MOST COMMON PURPOSES OF ENTRY TO RUSSIA:

Business - for foreigners visiting government and commercial organizations to participate in negotiations (consultations, conferences), as well as for the purpose of improving qualifications or professional retraining.

Commercial - for foreigners visiting commercial organizations to solve business issues (conducting commercial negotiations, concluding contracts, etc.), as well as for participation in exhibitions and other events with a commercial character.

For such trips, it is possible to obtain (i) a single or double-entry visa for up to 3 months, or (ii) a multiple-entry visa for up to 12 months.

It can be said that the business purpose of entry is used when visiting Russia to search for and meet with business partners, study the market for goods and services, participate in negotiations, conferences. The commercial purpose of entry is used for visits to conclude and extend contracts, participate in exhibitions, and solve strictly commercial issues.

Other purposes of entry when applying for a business visa are used less frequently. These include:

IMPORTANT:

There are conflicts in Russian legislation regarding the definition of some statuses of foreigners for business visas, such as "crew members" or "technical maintenance". For example, in practice, there is a position of migration service employees according to which workers, for instance, of a floating fish processing base, who provide fish processing and harvesting directly on the vessel, may be classified not as crew members but as regular workers engaged in labor activities on Russian territory. According to this position, such workers are required to obtain a work permit in Russia and a work visa, not a business visa.

Similar controversial situations are usually resolved, but to do so, they need to be individually regulated with migration service employees for each company project involving the entry of such foreigners on a business visa.

Visiting Russia on business visas is a fairly common practice, and obtaining such visits is much easier than obtaining work visas and employing foreign citizens in Russia. Such trips are suitable for short-term visits of foreigners when their presence is necessary to resolve business issues arising within the Company's activities.

A business visa to Russia is a sticker in the passport. It should contain information about the validity and number of entries, the purpose of the foreign citizen's trip, their passport details, as well as information about the inviting party.

Resume:

1. Any foreign citizen who is not prohibited from entering Russia can enter on a business visa.

2. There are 14 purposes of entry to Russia on a business visa.

3. The most common purposes for entry to Russia on a business visa are "business" and "commercial".