TREATIES AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL ACTS SERIES 12-909 

________________________________________________________________________ 

VISAS 

 Agreement Between the 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 

and the RUSSIAN FEDERATION 

Effected by Exchange of Notes at 

Moscow and Washington 

November 1 and 19, 2011 
 NOTE BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

 Pursuant to Public Law 89—497, approved July 8, 1966 

(80 Stat. 271; 1 U.S.C. 113)—

“. . .the Treaties and Other International Acts Series issued 

under the authority of the Secretary of State shall be competent 

 evidence . . . of the treaties, international agreements other than 

treaties, and proclamations by the President of such treaties and 

international agreements other than treaties, as the case may be, 

therein contained, in all the courts of law and equity and of maritime 

jurisdiction, and in all the tribunals and public offices of the 

United States, and of the several States, without any further proof 

or authentication thereof.” 
RUSSIAN FEDERATION 

Visas 

 Agreement effected by exchange of notes at 

 Moscow and Washington 

 November 1 and 19, 2011; 

 Entered into force September 9, 2012. 




DEPARTMENT OF STATE

WASHINGTON

The Department of State of the United States of America acknowledges

receipt of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation's note No.

46197 /KD, dated November I, 2011, which reads as follows:

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation presents

its compliments to the Department of State of the United States of

America and, for the purpose of developing relations between the two

States on the basis of friendship, mutual understanding and

reciprocity, and being guided by the desire to strengthen reciprocal

economic, scientific, technical and cultural ties and to promote

freedom of movement of citizens of both States, has the honor to

propose on behalf of the Russian Federation that the Russian

Federation and the United States of America, hereinafter referred to as

the Parties, conclude the following Agreement on the terms

concerning issuance of: by the Russian Federation — business, private,

humanitarian and tourist visas; by the United States of America —

B I /B2 visas; and by both Parties — visas for short-term official travel.

DIPLOMATIC NOTE
I. Nationals of each Party shall enter (transit, leave, stay) in the

territory of the other Party on the basis of valid passports for crossing

the border (hereinafter referred to as the "passports") and valid visas,

except for cases where they are exempt from the need to obtain a visa

in accordance with the domestic law of the State of entry.

2. The diplomatic missions and consular posts of each Party shall

make decisions on visa applications, as a rule, within 15 calendar days

from the date of the initiation of their processing. The period of time

for making a decision on a visa application may be extended in

individual cases, in particular when further scrutiny of the application

is needed. The period of time for making a decision on a visa

application may be reduced to 3 working days or fewer in urgent

cases.

3. Nationals of each Party shall as a rule be issued multiple-entry

visas for a stay of no more than 6 months starting from the date of

each entry that are valid for 36 months from the date of issue as long

as reciprocity is maintained: by the Russian Federation — business,

private, humanitarian and tourist visas, and by the United States of

America — B I /B2 visas.
3

4. the visas referred to in paragraph 3 of this Agreement shall be

issued to the nationals of each Party without submission of

documents, required in accordance with the domestic law of the State

of entry.

However, diplomatic missions and consular posts of each Party may

require, while considering a visa request, besides the visa application

form, information regarding the confirmation of the purpose of travel

and the availability of funds sufficient to stay in the territory of the

respective State. The joint indicative list of the documents for

providing such information shall be established by the Parties through

diplomatic channels.

5. For short-term official travel, nationals of each Party shall as a

rule be issued multiple-entry visas for a stay of no more than 3 months

starting from the date of each entry that are valid for 12 months from

the date of issue, as long as reciprocity is maintained.

6. Nationals of each Party who have lost their passports during a

stay in the territory of the other Party may depart from it without a

visa or other permit on the basis of valid identification documents

issued by diplomatic missions or consular posts of the State of which

they are citizens.
4

7. Nationals of each Party may, on the conditions set forth in this

Agreement, apply for a visa at diplomatic missions or consular posts

of the other Party that are located in the territory of third states.

8. The provisions set forth herein shall not and are not intended to

restrict the authority of the competent authorities of each Party to

refuse or revoke a visa, refuse entry or departure, or limit the stay in

its territory of nationals of the other Party in accordance with its

domestic law.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation further

proposes, on behalf of the Russian Federation, that if the

aforementioned proposal is acceptable to the United States of

America, this diplomatic note and the Department of State's

affirmative note in reply will constitute an Agreement between the

Russian Federation and the United States of America on the

simplification of visa formalities for nationals of the Russian

Federation and nationals of the United States of America. This

Agreement will enter into force 30 days after the receipt through

diplomatic channels of the last written notification in which the

Parties inform each other that the national legal requirements for the

entry into force of this Agreement have been met. Either Party may
terminate this Agreement at any time and shall provide 90 days

advance written notice to the other Party through diplomatic channels

of its intention to terminate the Agreement.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation avails itself

of this opportunity to renew to the Department of State of the United

States of America the assurances of its high consideration."

The Department of State of the United States of America confirms that the

above proposal is acceptable to the Government of the United States of America

and agrees that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation's note

and this reply shall constitute an agreement between the United States of America

and the Russian Federation that will enter into force 30 days after receipt through

the diplomatic channels of the last written notification in which Parties inform each

other that the national legal requirements for the entry into force of the agreement

have been met.

Department of State,

Washington, . November 19, 2011

C.