Visa application
This page explains how to obtain the official letter of invitation which must be submitted to the Russian Embassy or Consulate in the country of your residence.
We will also send to you the separate letter of formal invitation from the conference organizer, which you can use in your institution/university to arrange your trip. Please let us know by email info@isfeh9.org if you want to have this letter as soon as possible by email and whether you also need a hard copy. Otherwise, both letters will be sent to you together after the letter to the Embassy/Consulate is available. Please note that the invitations mentioned in p. 3 below are to be processed by the Russian Home Office, and the duration of processing cannot be controlled by the organizers of the Seminar. The important notice is also highlighted below.
We will also send to you the separate letter of formal invitation from the conference organizer, which you can use in your institution/university to arrange your trip. Please let us know by email info@isfeh9.org if you want to have this letter as soon as possible by email and whether you also need a hard copy. Otherwise, both letters will be sent to you together after the letter to the Embassy/Consulate is available. Please note that the invitations mentioned in p. 3 below are to be processed by the Russian Home Office, and the duration of processing cannot be controlled by the organizers of the Seminar. The important notice is also highlighted below.
Dear Delegates and Accompanying persons,
To arrange your travel to the ISFEH9 conference, you may need a formal invitation from the conference host. This is particularly important for those of you who will have to apply for the Russian visa. The main purpose of your visit to Russia will be to attend the scientific conference, and we expect that Common Humanitarian visa type will be required. Please consult with the visa section of the Russian Embassy or Consulate what type of visa is required for you and the persons who will accompany you in this travel. Since the visa application procedure may take considerable time, we strongly encourage you to make every effort to ensure that you have all the necessary documents and start the process as soon as possible.
Depending on your citizenship, different procedures for issuing the invitation (visa support letter) apply as described below.
1. Passport holders of CIS, Israel, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, and other countries with visa-free entry to Russia do not have to apply for the entry visa. You can still let us know if you need a formal invitation to attend the conference for your travel arrangements.
2. Preparing the invitations for holders of EU (except UK), China (and Hong Kong), Japan, India, and Iran passports will take at least 1-week time (plus the time needed to deliver the hard copy by mail). Please clarify with the Russian Embassy or Consulate in the country of your residence whether the scanned copy of the invitation is sufficient or you need the hard copy.
3. Preparing the invitations for holders of all other passports will take at least 5-week time. In this case, the official invitation will be issued by the Russian Ministry of Interior (Home Office) and sent by email directly to the Russian Consulate which you indicate in the invitation form given below.
Important notice for these passport holders: Given the limited time remaining to the conference, it is now recommended to consider the alternative route of obtaining the invitation. When you book your accommodation in the Corinthia Hotel St. Petersburg (the venue of ISFEH9) or elswhere, please ask for the voucher from the hotel which can be then submitted with your visa application.
The above times do not include the time needed for your visa application. Please refer to the official websites of the Russian Embassy or Consulate in the country of your residence to obtain the information needed to prepare and submit your application, to pass the interview (if appropriate), and to get your passport stamped with the visa. Please do not underestimate the actual time needed to complete the procedure.
To obtain the formal invitation which will be required to apply for Russian visas (visa support letters), you have to provide the following information.
1. A good quality scan of the front page (with your photo) of your passport or any other appropriate travel document. Please ensure that all the information on the page is included and clearly readable. Your passport must be valid at least half-year period after your intended departure from Russia.
2. Full name and address of your employer, your position in the organization. Students should provide the full name and address of the university and indicate the student status (including PhD).
3. Country and place of birth. Please ensure that the place of birth is indicated along with the country.
4. Country and city of visa application (location of the Russian Embassy or Consulate to which you submit your visa application).
5. The time period of your intended stay in Russia (arrival and departure dates).
Please include all of the above-listed data in the invitation inquiry form provided below.
Once again, we encourage you to inquire about the invitation and to start your visa application process as soon as you can. For further details on how to apply for the Russian visa, please refer to the specific requirements which are applicable to your country of residence, available at the official website of the Russian Embassy or Consulate. Please do not hesitate to let us know by email info@isfeh9.org if you need further assistance.
To arrange your travel to the ISFEH9 conference, you may need a formal invitation from the conference host. This is particularly important for those of you who will have to apply for the Russian visa. The main purpose of your visit to Russia will be to attend the scientific conference, and we expect that Common Humanitarian visa type will be required. Please consult with the visa section of the Russian Embassy or Consulate what type of visa is required for you and the persons who will accompany you in this travel. Since the visa application procedure may take considerable time, we strongly encourage you to make every effort to ensure that you have all the necessary documents and start the process as soon as possible.
Depending on your citizenship, different procedures for issuing the invitation (visa support letter) apply as described below.
1. Passport holders of CIS, Israel, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, and other countries with visa-free entry to Russia do not have to apply for the entry visa. You can still let us know if you need a formal invitation to attend the conference for your travel arrangements.
2. Preparing the invitations for holders of EU (except UK), China (and Hong Kong), Japan, India, and Iran passports will take at least 1-week time (plus the time needed to deliver the hard copy by mail). Please clarify with the Russian Embassy or Consulate in the country of your residence whether the scanned copy of the invitation is sufficient or you need the hard copy.
3. Preparing the invitations for holders of all other passports will take at least 5-week time. In this case, the official invitation will be issued by the Russian Ministry of Interior (Home Office) and sent by email directly to the Russian Consulate which you indicate in the invitation form given below.
Important notice for these passport holders: Given the limited time remaining to the conference, it is now recommended to consider the alternative route of obtaining the invitation. When you book your accommodation in the Corinthia Hotel St. Petersburg (the venue of ISFEH9) or elswhere, please ask for the voucher from the hotel which can be then submitted with your visa application.
The above times do not include the time needed for your visa application. Please refer to the official websites of the Russian Embassy or Consulate in the country of your residence to obtain the information needed to prepare and submit your application, to pass the interview (if appropriate), and to get your passport stamped with the visa. Please do not underestimate the actual time needed to complete the procedure.
To obtain the formal invitation which will be required to apply for Russian visas (visa support letters), you have to provide the following information.
1. A good quality scan of the front page (with your photo) of your passport or any other appropriate travel document. Please ensure that all the information on the page is included and clearly readable. Your passport must be valid at least half-year period after your intended departure from Russia.
2. Full name and address of your employer, your position in the organization. Students should provide the full name and address of the university and indicate the student status (including PhD).
3. Country and place of birth. Please ensure that the place of birth is indicated along with the country.
4. Country and city of visa application (location of the Russian Embassy or Consulate to which you submit your visa application).
5. The time period of your intended stay in Russia (arrival and departure dates).
Please include all of the above-listed data in the invitation inquiry form provided below.
Once again, we encourage you to inquire about the invitation and to start your visa application process as soon as you can. For further details on how to apply for the Russian visa, please refer to the specific requirements which are applicable to your country of residence, available at the official website of the Russian Embassy or Consulate. Please do not hesitate to let us know by email info@isfeh9.org if you need further assistance.
Invitation inquiry form
Please submit free access personal data only. By submitting this form you agree to have your personal data processed for the purposes of organizing ISFEH9 in accordance with the bylaw and the privacy policy available here (English and Russian versions).