Applying a Russian Tourist Visa as a Philippine Passport Holder in 2024

Another trip, another visa. The struggle of a Philippine Passport Holder is real. But I always say, let's get through it, one at a time. To pay for my struggles experiences forward, I'm sharing yet another visa guide, which is from my recent trip to Russia. If Russia is also on your hot list to visit, here's how you can apply for your Russian Tourist Visa in Dubai, UAE!

Another Interesting Read: What it's like to travel to Russia in 2024: Safety Concerns, Travel Sanctions, and Highlights

Russian Tourist Visa and the newly launched E-Visa

As Philippine Passport Holders, we have two options to consider when planning to visit Russia — the standard Tourist Visa and the E-Visa.

The standard Tourist Visa (visa sticker on your passport) can be applied from the Embassy or Consulate near you. There are also travel agencies who can arrange this for you with an additional service fee.

Then there's the not-so-new E-Visa launched in 2019. Initially announced by the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Philippines, the E-Visa is only applicable if you're visiting Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. There are now reports that the E-Visa is now extended to other regions such as the Kaliningrad and the Far Eastern region. However, traveling outside the mentioned regions with the E-Visa is still NOT ALLOWED. Should one wish to visit other Russian regions, the standard visa should be applied.

Update as of October 2024: As clarified by the consular office of the Russian Federation in the UAE, the E-Visa has expanded its entry points. You may apply for the E-Visa and check the entry points through this LINK.

Where to Apply in Dubai?

If you're interested in applying for a tourist visa, there are two ways how to get it in Dubai. You can apply directly to a visa service center assigned by the Embassy or through a travel agency. Either way works fine and it's totally up to you where to apply for your visa.

Visa Service Center

As assigned by the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the UAE, all visa applications should be applied through the Russian Visa Service Centre in Dubai. Appointments should be booked through THIS PORTAL and requirements are as follows:

• Visa Application Form
• Passport-sized photo
• Passport
• Tourist Voucher & Confirmation Letter (MANDATORY)
• Travel Insurance
• Flight Tickets (Provision or Confirmed)
• UAE Residence Visa
• Photocopies of Passport Copy, UAE Residence Visa Page, and Emirates ID

Visa Service Center Details:

• Address - Russia Visa Service Centre, Unit no. 304, Deyaar Barsha Building, Al Barsha First (Near Mall of the Emirates), Dubai
• Opening Hours - Monday to Friday from 9 AM - 5 PM (Submission cut off at 4 PM)
• Contact Number - +971 54 586 5588
• Email Address - [email protected]

Travel Agency

While I always try to DIY as many as I can, the hassle of arranging the requirements especially the tourist voucher directly from Russia was a little overwhelming for me at that point. In the end, I took my colleague's recommendation to take the easy way and applied mine through Green Apple Travel & Tourism. The agency was referred to me by my colleague who applied for his Russian, Chinese, and Mongolian visas with them. Yep, he did the Trans-Siberian Railway at that time!

I first reached out to the agency through Instagram and WhatsApp back in 2022 and they were always responsive to all my questions until now. When I was finally ready to apply for my visa, I was only asked the following requirements:

• Passport
• UAE Residence Visa Page
• Passport-sized photo

The rest of the requirements were taken care of by them such as the travel insurance, dummy ticket, and tourist voucher.

Recommended Agency - Green Apple Travel & Tourism

• Address - Green Apple Travel & Tourism, Unit 408, Nasser Lootah Building, Consulate Area, Khalid Bin Al Waleed Road, Dubai,
• Opening Hours - Monday to Friday from 9 AM - 6 PM
• Contact Number - +971 4 370 5995
• Email Address - [email protected]

Application Process

Since I applied for my visa through an agency, I only sent them my passport, a copy of my UAE Residence Visa Page, and a passport-sized photo. I went to their office in Bur Dubai and left my passport with Ms. Almira. A week later, she informed me that my visa was already issued and ready for collection!

Russian Tourist Visa Application Costs

As a Philippine Passport Holder, these are the visa application cost as of July 2024:

• Through the Russian Visa Service Center in Dubai - A total of AED 515 per person (visa fee, service charge, pre-check of documents cost).
• Through Green Apple Travel & Tourism - AED 800 per person

Should you have a different nationality, consult directly either through the Russian Visa Service Center or through any travel agency for the exact cost of your visa.

Result

After one week, I finally received my Russian Tourist Visa, and boy I was teary-eyed. Russia has been my dream for so long and this time I'm one step closer to it!

Processing my visa with a travel agency is expensive, that's for sure.

But, upon calculating the estimated cost I would need to spend for the requirements such as travel insurance, tourist voucher, and dummy ticket, the cost would be almost the same. Plus there's an additional effort of booking an appointment and submitting hard copies of the requirements to the Russian Visa Centre.

After my failed Schengen Visa application back in 2022, I really don't want to go through the stress of preparing documents anymore unless there's no option. This time, since the visa application costs are pretty much the same, I opted to just sit back, relax, and wait for my visa.

Hella expensive in the end but I was happy and satisfied that I did it this way, without any hassle. Want to know the best part here? I was only asked to pay for my visa once the visa was issued! I mean, how cool was that?