United States visa requirements for Russian citizens
Russian citizens need a visa for the United States and must apply for it before the trip at a consulate or embassy.
- Consular fee
- 185 USD
- Minimum passport validity
- 6 months beyond the stay, with exemptions
Why is this passport validity required? →
Last verified: 8 September 2026
How this visa is processed
A U.S. embassy or consulate in a third country (there are no visa services in Russia)
Since 2021 the U.S. Embassy in Moscow has not provided visa services (a consequence of the Russian government's ban on hiring local staff) and the U.S. consulates in Russia are closed. A Russian citizen who wants a tourist or business visa (B1/B2) must book an appointment and do the interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate in another country. Washington designated Warsaw and Astana (Kazakhstan) as posts for Russian applicants, but in practice Warsaw only handles humanitarian cases or people already resident in the EU, so many apply in Astana, Almaty, Yerevan (Armenia), Tbilisi (Georgia) or Belgrade (Serbia). The application can be started in the online system from Russia, but the interview and biometrics are in person in the third country. Separately, since January 2026 there is a suspension of immigrant visa issuance to Russian nationals; non-immigrant visas (tourism, business, study) remain possible but with these obstacles. This situation changes often: check the status on ru.usembassy.gov and travel.state.gov before arranging anything.
Official application site →Application details verified on 8 September 2026. Sources: ru.usembassy.gov/visas (the U.S. Embassy in Moscow does not provide visa services; applications in third countries) and travel.state.gov (suspension of immigrant visas to Russian nationals since January 2026; designated posts Warsaw and Astana). Volatile situation, checked 8 September 2026.
Verified practical details
You'll need to apply for a visa at a consulate or embassy before travelling. Here are the practical details we've verified:
Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands: different entry rules
Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands have their own visa waiver programme, the G-CNMI VWP, with a list of eligible nationalities that is not the ESTA list. Since 30 November 2024, anyone travelling under that programme needs its own electronic authorisation, the G-CNMI-eTA, which replaced the paper form I-736 and is checked before boarding. Travellers entering under the general visa waiver programme still use their ESTA.
Source: cbp.gov, Carrier Liaison Program, publicación 3923-1124 de 25/11/2024 (comprobado 18/09/2026)
Fee
185 USD
Application (MRV) fee for the B1/B2 nonimmigrant tourist or business visa, according to the Department of State. Depending on nationality, a reciprocity issuance fee may be added, and the July 2025 budget law added a USD 250 visa integrity fee on issuance, still unevenly applied.
Required documents
- A passport valid for at least six months beyond your intended period of stay. If your nationality is on CBP's exemption list, it need only cover the stay itself (CBP, Carrier Liaison Program, 18 December 2025)
- A valid nonimmigrant visa or, if your country takes part in the Visa Waiver Program, an approved ESTA authorisation before you board
- To travel under the Visa Waiver Program your passport must be an e-Passport: embedded chip, machine-readable zone and a printed digital photograph. The programme covers stays of up to 90 days for tourism or business (DHS)
- An approved ESTA does not guarantee you entry: CBP states plainly that the authorisation does not determine admissibility, which the officer decides at the port of entry
Health insurance
Not mandatory for this destination.
When travel insurance is mandatory → Travel insurance policies ↓Transit rules
The United States has no visa-free transit, and it is the misunderstanding that costs travellers most: there is no international transit zone where you can wait without entering the country. Since 2 August 2003, anyone transiting the United States needs a C-category nonimmigrant visa. Nationals of Visa Waiver Program countries need an ESTA or a visa to transit as well. In practice, even if you are only changing planes you must clear immigration and customs, and collect and re-check your baggage.
More United States rules
They don't depend on your passport, so they are on the United States page:
Official portal: https://travel.state.gov. Destination data verified on 10 August 2026. Sources: usa.gov/visa-waiver-esta and esta.cbp.dhs.gov (ESTA); dhs.gov/visa-waiver-program (list of the 42 programme countries); Federal Register 2025-20304, 19 November 2025 (ESTA fee of 40.27 USD from 1 January 2026); usa.gov/visa-waiver-esta (up to 72 hours to learn the outcome); cbp.gov press release "CBP Reminds Travelers to Allow 72 Hours for ESTA" (apply at least 72 hours before the flight); cbp.gov, "Money and Other Monetary Instruments" (cash declaration); 19 CFR 148.43 (alcohol and tobacco exemptions for non-residents); 8 U.S.C. 1187(a)(7), on govinfo.gov (exclusion from the programme after breaching a previous admission); uscis.gov, "Unlawful Presence and Inadmissibility" (3-year, 10-year and permanent bars) (checked 29 September 2026).
Travel insurance for the United States
It isn't listed as mandatory for this entry, but without insurance, medical care during the trip can get expensive.
See IATI's international site →IATI sells its policies according to the country you live in. Where do you live?
If your country isn't listed, try IATI's international site.
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Things to see and do in the United States
Tours, skip-the-line tickets and day trips, most with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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This pair in context
In the other direction, citizens of the United States need a visa to enter Russia. See the United States → Russia page.
Of the 10 passports from Eastern Europe that VisaRadar tracks, for travel to the United States 4 need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival and 6 need a visa. Same result as Russia: Belarus, Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania and Ukraine.
A passport from Russia ranks 81 of 199 in the VisaRadar passport ranking and reaches 110 of 198 destinations without applying for a visa in advance.
Counts from the same requirements matrix behind this page's verdict, using the UN M49 subregions.
Frequently asked questions
Do Russian citizens need a visa for the United States?
Yes. You must apply for the visa in advance at the relevant consulate or embassy.
What minimum passport validity is required?
A passport valid for at least six months beyond your intended period of stay. If your nationality is on CBP's exemption list, it need only cover the stay itself (CBP, Carrier Liaison Program, 18 December 2025)
What currency is used in the United States?
US Dollar (USD).
Can I apply for the US visa in Moscow?
No. Since 2021 there are no U.S. visa services in Russia. You must apply at a U.S. embassy or consulate in a third country (Astana, Almaty, Yerevan, Tbilisi, Belgrade, and Warsaw for specific cases).
Can I do the whole process remotely?
No. The application starts online, but the interview and fingerprints are in person in the third country where you book the appointment.
Related pages
See United States requirements for other passports →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.