Visa and Registration

Initial single-entry visa is given to you by a Russian consulate in your country of residence.
The visa is valid for 90 days only. It lets you enter Russia only once.
If you leave the country while having only a single-entry visa - you will not be allowed to enter Russia before you receive another single-entry visa. 

IMPORTANT: Be prepared to stay in Russia without leaving for the first 3 months after your arrival, until you receive your multiple-entry visa. 

If you plan to go the HSE for studies or internship you should apply for a Student visa to Russia:

1) check the study visa requirements at the Russian consulate in your country of residence.
2) check the steps of the initial visa procedure.
3) apply for a study visa at the Russian consulate according to your student category.

NOTE: your passport must be valid for at least 1,5 years beginning from the validity start date of the visa. 

IMPORTANT: The HSE does not sponsor visas for family members or friends. If you intend to have guests come visit you in Russia, their visa and registration arrangements will have to be taken care of independently.

Multiple-entry visa replaces the single entry visa and allows you to re-enter the country multiple times.
The multiple-entry visa is given only for the duration of the student's study period and cannot be valid for longer than 1 year. 
Students who study at HSE longer than 1 year will have to re-apply for another multiple-entry visa every year.

Multiple-entry visa will be valid straight after the day your single-entry visa expired.Thus, if there is a necessity for you to leave Russia before your single-entry visa expires, you can return to Russia only via obtaining a new invitation and applying for a new single-entry visa in your country of residence.

Visit the Visa & Registration Unit to apply for a multiple-entry visa. 
Documents for the multiple-entry visa must be submitted 30-45 days prior to the date your previous visa expires on.
If a students submits documents for the multiple-entry visa later than 30 days until the expiry of the current visa, the VIsa & Registration unit will not accept them.

The following documents must be submitted with the multiple-entry visa application:

• copy of the passport ID page + visa page
• migration card original + copy
• registration original + copy
• 1 photo 3x4 (color)
• visa extension fee payment (pick it up at the Visa & Registration office or International Students Support office)
• certificate of enrollment from your your programme manager/mobility coordinator (all students)
• copy of your contract (only fee-paying students)
• letter of referral from the Ministry of Education and Science (only quota degree students) 
• copy of the enrollment order (only exchange/semester students)
• visa application form 

When the visa is issued, you will be invited by e-mail to the Visa & Registration Unit to bring your passport.

Apply for the registration within 3 days after your arrival to Russia.

If you stay at the HSE students dormitory, the dormitory passport specialist will do it for you. For that, they must take scans of the student's: 

If you do not stay at the dormitory, e-mail scanned copies of the documents to the Visa & Registration at visa-registration@hse.ru.

You should pick up your registration at the Visa & Registration Unit in 3 days after the documents have been submitted. Always keep the original registration with you.

When you apply for a multiple-entry visa you will have to submit the original registration notice together with the application documents.
HSE Visa & Registration will give you a certified copy of the registration in lieu of the original.
The new registration will be issued together with the new multiple-entry visa.

It is extremely important to keep the migration card that you receive when you enter Russia.
This document has to be presented at the passport control when you leave.
Always keep the original migration card with you.

If you lose the migration card, you need to file an application for recovery at the police station of the district where the card was lost. After that you must apply to receive a new migration card at a Multifunctional Centre (public services office) of the Basmanny district located at Tsentrosoyuznyy pereulok, 13. Ask your buddy to help you communicate with the non-English speaking authorities.

REMINDER: Every time you leave Russia and come back you need to obtain a migration card and re-apply for registration at the Visa & Registration Unit.