Visa information for Taking Russian Courses in Russia
Students who are not from Russia and will be studying at one of our learning centres in St. Petersburg, Moscow, or Irkutsk will require a visa to do so, as all travellers to Russia require a visa. A visa is a document that is inserted into your passport that outlines your earliest arrival and latest departure date. You must apply for a Russian visa at a dedicated visa centre or to the Visa Department of a Russian Consulate Embassy. Liden & Denz provides each student with a relevant letter of invitation.
Maximum duration of student visa for language course is 90 days, regardless of nationality. Please see table below for more information on visa options.
| Place of Origin | Staying up to 30 days | Staying up to 90 days | |
| Schengen area | Tourist Visa | ||
| Study visa under simplified regime | |||
| Japan, UK, USA, Australia, Canada, Turkey and other non-Schengen countries | Tourist Visa | Study visa via Russian Federal Immigration | |
| Serbia, Montenegro, Thailand | Visa-free for up to 30 days, with no more than 90 days within six months | Study visa via Russian Federal Immigration | |
| Latin America (except for Mexico), Israel, Bosnia and Herzegovina | Visa-free for up to 90 days within six months | ||
| South Korea | Visa-free for up to 60 days, with no more than 90 days within six months | Study visa via Russian Federal Immigration | |
If you are a citizen of a Schengen country and your stay in Russia is not longer than 30 days, you may choose to travel with a student visa or a tourist visa. Shall you decide to get a tourist visa, we recommend that you use end-to-end visa support services of our partner Viselio.
Long-term student visa (up to 1 year) is available for those taking Russian Academy module. Please note that this module is only available in St.Petersburg.
Students who require a visa and did not receive sponsorship from Liden & Denz because they booked through another tour operator or facilitator will be subject to extra charges if they require assistance with visa registration from Liden & Denz. The fee is currently 40 Euros. Students do not have to pay the fee if they register their visa through another company.
Visa support provided by Liden & Denz includes an official letter of invitation, which allows students to apply for the appropriate visa, as well as visa registration upon arrival, which is compulsory for all visas. It typically takes two business days for the registration of a Russian visa.
On the first day of classes, Liden & Denz requires all students to turn in their passports and immigration cards to the front desk. An immigration card is a document that is filled in at the passport control zone upon arrival in Russia. You will keep your immigration card until you leave the country and give it to the official stamping your passport.
If you need assistance finding Russian embassies and consulates, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs MID offers an up-to-date database with their addresses and websites.
Study visa under simplified regime
Issued to citizen of Schengen countries only: A short-term study visa for Schengen citizens is valid for one entry and for maximum 90 days. The invitation letter is issued by Liden & Denz and sent to the student by email. The booking deadline is 3 weeks prior to arrival.
This visa is issued free of charge and usually a copy of the school’s letter of invitation is sufficient for the visa application (but please double check the policy of your nearest Russian Visa Center or Consulate).
Prolongation: this visa type cannot be prolonged!
Liden & Denz might allow some extra days for traveling. It is necessary to inform us about your special needs in advance,
once the visa is obtained – it can not be amended.
Study visa via Russian Federal Immigration
This procedure takes up to four weeks and courier costs apply as an original of the invitation letter is required for visa application. Bookings with all relevant data should reach us at least 8 weeks prior to arrival.
Apply nowTourist visa
For students outside the Schengen area, who wish to study four weeks or less, we will arrange a simple invitation which entitles the student to apply for a tourist visa. This invitation or tourist voucher will be sent by email to the student within 24 hours of a booking. The tourist visa is valid for one entry and for maximum 30 days and can not be prolonged. The booking deadline is 3 weeks prior to arrival.
Apply nowVisa for Russian Language Studies in Latvia
Being part of the Schengen Area, most students can travel to Latvia without a visa. Students who require a Schengen visa, which is valid for up to 90 days within six months, or a residence permit for longer stays, can receive support from Liden & Denz. We advise all students to consult their nearest Latvian consulate for visa policies and cost information.
| Place of Origin | Staying up to 90 days | Staying longer than 90 days |
| Schengen area | Visa-free | |
| UK, USA, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Montenegro, New Zealand, Serbia. | Visa-free for up to 90 days within six months | Residence permit |
| Other Countries | Tourist visa | Residence permit |
Residence permit
Even participants from countries not needing a visa for short-stays, have to obtain a residence permit for stays longer than 90 days. Liden & Denz will take care of all formalities, but students are obliged to book accommodation and insurance with us. The cost of insurance is EUR 10 / week.
Usually we initiate this procedure after arrival (it takes 8-12 weeks), but please be prepared that you will need to disclose your sources of income (proof documents are required in English).
Residence permit
If you plan to book a programme longer than 90 days, our booking deadline is 8 weeks prior to arrival. Students needing a Latvian residence permit are obliged to book accommodation and insurance with Liden & Denz. The cost of the insurance is EUR 10 / week. As procedures vary country by country, please get in touch with us by email for further details.
Tourist visa
The booking deadline is 4 weeks prior to arrival. Students needing a visa for Latvia are obliged to book accommodation and insurance with Liden & Denz. The cost of the insurance is EUR 10 / week. We will pass your details to the Immigration authorities and prepare a letter of invitation for the tourist visa after receiving a deposit. In order to apply for the visa in your nearest Latvian Embassy or Consulate you will need only its reference number.
Apply now