Question regarding repeat e-visa

Travel to Russia
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Hello, I’ve traveled to my girlfriend 4 times now on the e-visa, but 16 days is rather short. I’ve read that it will be extended to 30, but it’s unclear when exactly.

What would happen, if i went to Russia on the e visa and stayed all 16 days and apply for another e-visa whilst I’m in Russia, left Russia, and enter after a day or two with the new electronic visa? 16 + 16 days, with going out and back in to the country, I hope I explained it clearly.

As far as I know there is no rule or law against this, but it feels incredibly odd, though I might try it out of curiosity.

Anyone tried this?

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and it feels like it’s an abuse of the system somehow, I’m worried that the border check would not go smoothly as they see I just left to come back in. Am I overthinking?

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@swede28 there is no rule or law against this, but it feels incredibly odd

there is no law against it. Borders don’t care how many times you cross, and in fact Baltic borders are used to regulars crossing often. This has always been the case because the important amount of Russians living in Finland and in the Baltics and the community in Kirkenes by Murmansk. Kind of visa makes no difference.
You can also see about getting a 1-year multi-entries, for instance check cost of invitation from https://visa.llcentre.ru/multy_visa_invitation.php

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@antoniob Thank you, I was just worried since I’m from a “hostile country” that there would be some suspicions.

The regular visa will be difficult, only the embassy in Stockholm is open, and I live far away. Do you know if I can apply in another country? For example, go to Denmark? (I’m Swedish)

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@swede28 The regular visa will be difficult, only the embassy in Stockholm is open, and I live far away. Do you know if I can apply in another country? For example, go to Denmark? (I’m Swedish

Køben could work if you are in Malmö area, maybe. There was a time consulates accepted applications from nationals in the nearby border areas, like for instance French from Lille applying at Bruxelles instead of Paris, or from Savoie in Genève, etc. But with stricter rules maybe no longer the case. Best is to phone and ask.
btw “far away” from Stockholm for me means Gällivare or Luleå :slight_smile:

1-year visa could be costly, consular fees alone are now expensive, ~2600kr for a multi-entry. If the price of invitation is ~20.000rub ie. ~ 2200kr so total 4800kr for one year (plus expenses for transportation to consulate city). One e-visa cost in the ~600kr.

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@antoniob Yeah I’m very close to Malmö, so Copenhagen is much more simpler than paying 1000kr to go to Stockholm:))

Thank you for all this great info! I will keep this in mind, I sent an email to the embassy for clarification.

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@swede28
I am considering myself a 1-y multi-entries. In the last six months I was 3 times in Russia and I have another stay mid-June ( ticket Oslo-Riga then bus). So already in the 2400kr with 4 e-visas. Multi-entries is also convenient in case for some reason you need to get out and back, like one day, while on a stay.
Because the huge consular fee, I look for cheapest possible invitation. I will check with LLcentre if their rate for telex invitation is still current, 19200rub so 2200kr, in which case it is very good. Otherwise I can try a company invitation letter. But my Russia consulate, Oslo, requires for sure the original. ink stamped, pen signed. UPS fees are expensive (70 to 80 €), so I could buy online and pick personally at the office in June when I will be in SPb for instance.
GoingRus (ie.- OstVest in SPb) sells such letter for 69€. I can check other providers with office in SPb, and Moskva in case I go there. For this price I can try the 1-y application.
This could give you ideas.

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@antoniob

This gave me some ideas yeah, assuming you’re Norwegian?

Yeah the e-visas stack up in cost, but as I’m still a student I don’t really have the cash flow atm to try for 1 year multi entry visa:)) seems to me like it’s gonna be atleast 6000kr?

I’ll be in SBp mid June too, maybe I’ll look into this thing and get an invitation. I tried doing the visa once before, but it seems like I need to book hotels for everyday I’m there? Or is it different?

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@swede28 I tried doing the visa once before, but it seems like I need to book hotels for everyday I’m there? Or is it different?

the option I mentioned is the “business” kind of visa, not proof of accommodation. The “business” part is not about you the applicant, but about the inviting part ie, a company (typically the tourist agency itself) “invites” you. The reason for travel is yet set a “business/work/consultancy/etc” to the inviting organization, on the invitation letter. But all this is only pro forma, it is so because these categories are administrative remains of soviet visa framework, that was not changed much, and from the 90’s, the old framework with “business” category was found to be useful for people for will travel multiple times and/or longer stays. So just forget about the naming “business”. This framework is slowly evolving but still there.

the point is if now consulates still accept to deliver this kind of visa to Schengen people. Even when the simplified visa regime for Schengen people was in place (with much cheaper consular rates), before Donbass war (2022), acceptance of these invitations varied. The letter one required often the original letter not a PDF. The electronic one, that was the newer worked fine in my experience, I used also telex one and this worked the best, no questions asked at all because it is a telex number send from ministry of foreign affairs to a given consulate, ie. it is a telex from Moskva ministry instructing the consulate to issue a visa to the applicant.
Read Irena summary: Russia Business Visa: Do You Still Need It in 2026?

@swede28 gonna be at least 6000kr?

no, depends much the price for an invitation. But consular fee is stiff anyway, as the friendly fee for Schengen applicants was cancelled. Here in Norway 2640 NOK, with nowadays currency rate (I do shopping routinely by border in Värmland, on Årjäng kommun) similar in SEK:

Last year I applied for a 6-month multi-entries “tourist” category. The consular agent approved , told me ok. When I returned to pick the passport with the visa on, he explained that the consul decided to deliver instead a double-entries for 3-month. So duration and kind of visa can be modified, already by the agent processing you, and you are told, but also without being told.

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I would be careful in using a business visa for tourism. Russian authorities may scrutinize your activities, and engaging in activities not covered by your visa (e.g., tourism on a business visa) could technically be considered an administrative violation, potentially leading to fines, deportation, or a ban on re-entry. There have been cases of travelers being detained or expelled for conducting business on a tourist visa, and the reverse could theoretically apply.

That said some have done this route, your milage may be different with success.

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@NorseVictory I would be careful in using a business visa for tourism.

.As i explained “business” visa has nothing to do with applicant"s activity. It is just how long term multi-entries stays are done since long. The “business” is not the applicant but the inviting party, ie. the travel agency.

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For Schengen citizens multi-entries visa can or could be issued up to 5 years. As “business” or less common “cultural” categories. The 1-year has been the most common used.

for illustration this is my last 1-year multi-entry visa, “business” category.

the invitation in order to apply was the “electronic” kind, ie. a code sent to the consulate by FMS and PDF to the applicant. The date of validity were 12.04.22 - 07.04.23.

this is the former visa, 2 years duration, 27.07.19-21.07.21 and obtained by presenting a company letterhead, original not PDF (means stamp ink inside the paper mass, maybe embossing too)

when the cross-game of sanctions and counter sanctions started in 2022 between EU and Russia, it was right after I got that 1-year visa.
Prices for invitations inflated, then last year, visa processing fees also.

this is a 6-month “tourism” category visa, multi-entries, I opted for instead, because cheap price of invitation:

But, the next application for same kind of 6-month multi-entries didn’t work, probably because restrictions by citizenship. The end by Russia of the “simplified” visa regime for most of Schengen zone. Instead I got a double-entries 3-months visa:

for the consular fee now expensive, a double entries for 3 month is not interesting. So after that I got instead several evisas. Good for 2 weeks stays max, ok for a short stay, like an extra long week-end or a week, but then after few ones in a row, fees sum up to an amount.

All these visas pictures here were issued by Oslo consulate. Last year they declined applications on company letterhead invitations for 1-year or more, for many Schengen citizenships. A well as the 6-month multi-entries on regular tourist agency invitation. Maybe be related strict application of no simplified visa regime, many be local policy of Oslo consulate and/or the kind of invitation (telex, electronic, company letter).