What the Russian e-visa is
The Russian e-visa is an electronic visa that lets eligible travellers visit Russia for a short stay without going to an embassy or a consulate. You fill in the Russian visa form online, upload a digital photo and a scan of your passport, pay the fee and receive the visa by email. According to the official Russian e-visa portal, the list of eligible countries and the regions you can enter can change, so always check the portal before you plan your trip. The photo is one of the few documents you prepare yourself, so it is worth getting it right before you start the form.
Russia e-visa photo size explained
The Russian e-visa photo is a digital file, so its size is measured in pixels, not in millimetres. Our template makes the photo 450 pixels wide and 600 pixels high. The portal accepts a photo up to 900 × 1200 pixels, and the file size must not exceed 35 KB. The head takes about 77% of the photo height from chin to crown, with a small margin of about 7% between the top of the hair and the top edge of the photo. These proportions keep your face large and centred, so it is easy to recognise in the photo.
Some guides quote a 3.5 × 4.5 cm size for a Russian visa photo. That size is for a printed photo glued to a paper Russian visa application at a consulate (see our Russia visa photo page). For the e-visa there is no paper form and nothing to print: you upload the photo file online, and the portal checks the pixel size and the file size of the photo.
Russian visa photo: e-visa or consulate?
Before you make a photo for your Russian visa, check which application you are filling in. The e-visa is for short trips and is applied for online, so it needs a small digital photo file. A regular Russian visa issued by a consulate uses a printed photo of a fixed paper size. The two photos look alike, with the same neutral face and plain background, but a printed photo cannot be uploaded and a 35 KB file is too small to print. If you are not sure, read the instructions on the application form: the e-visa form always asks you to upload the photo online.
Why the 35 KB file size matters
A photo straight from a phone camera is usually several megabytes. The Russian e-visa portal will not accept a photo that large, and simply resizing it in an editor can make the face blurry or leave the wrong proportions. Our online photo maker crops the photo to 450 × 600 pixels, places your head at the right height and compresses the file below 35 KB while keeping your face sharp. You download a ready e-visa photo and upload it to the e-visa application as it is.
To see the size of a photo on your computer, open its file properties: you will find the width and height in pixels and the file size in KB. On a phone, most gallery apps show the same details under the photo info. If either number is above the limit, make the photo again with our tool instead of compressing it many times, because each new compression makes the face less sharp.
Background and lighting
The background behind you should be plain and light, with no shadows, patterns or objects. Our template uses a light grey background (#EEEEEE), and plain white also fits the portal rules. You don't need a photo studio or a white wall: the AI removes the room behind you and replaces it with an even light background. What the AI cannot fix well is a face in deep shadow, so take the photo in soft daylight facing a window. Turn off the flash, since it often leaves a shine on the forehead and a shadow behind the head in the photo.
Russian visa photo checklist
- Correct photo size: 450 × 600 pixels, no larger than 900 × 1200 pixels.
- File size under 35 KB.
- Head about 77% of the photo height, with a small margin above the hair.
- Plain light grey or white background, no shadows or patterns.
- Recent photo with a neutral expression, mouth closed, both eyes open.
- Head straight and centred; your full face stays inside the frame.
- No filters or heavy editing; glasses off is safest, as lenses can reflect light.
What else you need for the Russian e-visa
Besides the photo, the Russian visa application form asks for a passport valid for at least six months from your entry date and a scanned copy of its personal data page, your exact dates of entry and exit, accommodation details such as a hotel booking, a valid email address and proof of travel medical insurance that covers your stay in Russia. The Russian visa fee depends on your nationality and is paid online by card. Approval usually arrives by email within 4–7 business days, so apply at least 10 days before your trip and carry a printed copy of your e-visa and your insurance policy.
How to apply for the Russian e-visa step by step
- Open the official Russian e-visa portal and start a new application online.
- Fill in your personal details, passport information and travel dates.
- Upload your e-visa photo and the scan of your passport data page.
- Pay the Russian visa fee online with a credit or debit card.
- Wait for the approval email, then print the e-visa and take it with you.
Double-check every detail before you submit: a typo in your name or passport number, or a photo that does not match your passport, can delay the Russian visa or lead to a rejection.
How long the Russian e-visa is valid
The Russian e-visa is a single-entry visa. It is valid for up to 60 days from the date of issue, and the stay itself is limited to 16 days with no extension. It covers tourism, business, humanitarian and cultural visits, as well as visits to family in the regions where the e-visa applies. The e-visa is valid only in designated regions; entry to other regions of Russia needs a separate visa. If you need a longer stay, several entries or a different purpose, you apply for a regular Russian visa through a consulate instead, and that path uses a printed photo. Because the rules are set by the Russian authorities and can change, check the current terms on the official portal before you apply.
Processing time and planning your trip
Standard processing takes about 4–7 business days, and the approval comes by email. Where an expedited option is offered, it takes 1–3 business days for an additional fee. Even so, it is wise to submit everything at least 10 days before your departure: if the authorities ask you to correct a detail or replace a document, you still have time to do it without changing your tickets.
Most delays come from small inconsistencies rather than from the trip itself. The name on the form must match your passport letter for letter, the passport number must be typed without mistakes, and the travel dates must fit the period of validity. Read the whole application once more before you pay, and keep the confirmation email until you return home.
Who can apply and where the Russian visa is valid
The e-visa is open to travellers from a list of eligible countries, which includes EU countries, GCC countries and several Asian nations. The regions it covers vary; they commonly include St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad and the Far Eastern Federal District. Travellers from countries that are not on the list, or applicants with incomplete documents, cannot get this type of Russian visa and need to apply through a consulate. The list is updated by the Russian authorities, so check it on the official portal before you pay the fee or book tickets.
Plan your route around these limits. The Russian visa issued online lets you enter once and stay in the designated regions only, so a trip that crosses into other parts of the country needs a different visa. Keep your hotel booking or invitation, your insurance policy and a printed copy of the approval with you while you travel.
Uploading the Russian visa photo to the form
On the portal, the photo upload is part of the online application form, together with the passport scan. Upload the e-visa photo you downloaded from our photo maker without editing it again: cropping, filters or saving it in another app can change the pixel size or the file size. Before you submit, look at the preview on the form and make sure the whole face is visible, the background is even and the photo is not stretched. If the portal rejects the photo, run it through our online check again and fix the problem it reports.
Russian visa photos for children
If a child travels with you, check on the official portal how to include them in the Russian e-visa application. A baby or toddler photo follows the same size and background rules. The child should look at the camera with eyes open and no hands or toys in the frame. The easiest way is to lay a baby on a plain light sheet and take the photo from above; the AI will crop it and even out the background. Take several photos in a row and pick the one where the child looks straight at the camera.
Can I reuse an old Russian visa photo?
The e-visa asks for a recent photo that shows how you look today. A photo from a previous Russian visa, a scan of a printed photo or a cropped picture from social media will rarely meet the size and quality rules. A scan of a print is not the same as a digital photo: it often has a visible paper texture, uneven colour and the wrong proportions. Take a new photo for each application, it only takes a minute with your phone and our online maker.
How to take a good e-visa photo, step by step
You can take a good visa photo at home in a few minutes. Stand about half a metre from a plain wall, or anywhere with light in front of you, since the background will be replaced anyway. Hold the phone at eye level, or better, ask a friend to take the photo from about a metre away, so your face is not distorted by a wide-angle lens close up. Keep your shoulders square to the camera and your head straight, not tilted up, down or to the side.
Take three or four photos in a row and choose the sharpest one, with both eyes open and your mouth closed. Upload that photo to our online maker. The AI finds your face, crops the photo to 450 × 600 pixels with the head at the right height, sets a light background and saves a small file ready for the e-visa photo upload. If anything is wrong, such as a shadow, a tilted head or closed eyes, the check tells you what to fix so you can retake the photo.
Glasses, hair and clothing in the visa photo
The simplest rule for a visa photo is to show your face clearly, as it appears in your passport. Take off glasses, because lenses reflect light and frames can cover your eyes. Keep your hair away from your eyes and face, so the whole face from chin to forehead is visible in the photo. Wear everyday clothes in a colour that differs from the background: a light grey or white top can blend into a light grey background and make the photo look flat. Avoid hats, sunglasses and headphones in your e-visa photo.
How our AI checks your e-visa photo
After you upload a photo, our online tool runs the same checks a visa officer would make by eye. It measures the size of the photo and the position of the head, checks that the face is centred and straight, looks for shadows on the face and on the background, and checks expression, open eyes and sharpness. It also makes sure the final e-visa photo file is under 35 KB and no larger than the maximum pixel size. You see the result before you download the photo, so you only upload an e-visa photo that has already passed the check.
The basic digital photo and the online check are free. If your photo fails because of uneven light or shadows, you can order an optional retouch for $5.99: it fixes the lighting and background while keeping your face unchanged, so the visa photo still looks like you.
Keep a copy of your e-visa photo
Save the photo file on your phone or computer after you download it. If the portal asks you to correct the application, or a family member applies later from the same account, you already have a ready visa photo with the correct size. Keep in mind that the photo should stay recent: for a new trip, a fresh photo is the safer choice.
