Russia e-Visa for Pakistanis: Pakistan Is Not on the 64-Country List, and What to Do Instead
Pakistan is not on Russia's 64-country e-visa list, so Pakistanis need an embassy visa. See the 120 day rules, who qualifies and how to spot a fake e-visa site.
Pakistanis cannot get a Russia e-visa on a Pakistani passport: Pakistan is not among the 64 countries whose nationals Russia's Foreign Ministry lets apply for one. A Pakistani passport holder needs a regular paper visa from a Russian embassy or consulate instead. Any website that offers a "Russia e-visa" to a Pakistani passport is not using the official system.
That is the short answer, and it saves people money, because lookalike sites take payment first and explain nothing. Below is the official list, the rules that apply to those who do qualify, what changed in August 2025, and what a Pakistani with a second nationality can do. We read the e-visa pages of the Consular Department of Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 28 October 2026.
Pakistan is missing from Russia's 64-country e-visa list
The Consular Department's country page names every state whose nationals can apply for an e-visa. We read all 64 names. Pakistan is not one of them, so the e-visa route is closed to Pakistani passports, whatever an agent or a search advert says.
Several of Pakistan's neighbours and Gulf hosts are on the list, which is why the question comes up so often. India, Iran, China and Turkey are listed. So are Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain. The UAE, Qatar and Afghanistan are not.
| Country | On Russia's e-visa list? |
|---|---|
| Pakistan | No |
| India | Yes |
| Iran | Yes |
| China | Yes |
| Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain | Yes |
| UAE, Qatar | No |
| Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands | Yes |
| United Kingdom, United States, Canada | No |
Living in a listed country does not help. The list is about the nationals of a state, so a Pakistani resident in Saudi Arabia is still applying as a Pakistani.
The e-visa rules changed on 23 August 2025
For those who do qualify, a Russian e-visa issued on or after 23 August 2025 is valid for 120 days, and the holder can stay up to 30 days from entry. Earlier e-visas were valid for 60 days with a 16 day stay. Processing takes 4 calendar days.
The FAQ adds several conditions worth knowing even if you only plan to apply on a second passport:
- Purposes allowed: guest or business visits, tourism, and scientific, cultural, social, economic or sports events. Transit cannot be chosen.
- Anything else: for other purposes, such as study or work, the FAQ says to apply for a paper visa at a Russian diplomatic mission or consulate.
- Payment: the invoice is in dirhams or yuan, paid by a card issued outside Russia. The fee is not refunded, whatever the result.
- Children: each child needs a separate application and a separate e-visa.
- Entry points: entry and exit only through the approved checkpoints.
- Registration: hotels register guests. Otherwise a notice of arrival is due within 7 working days.
How a Pakistani can still travel to Russia
The working route is a paper visa from a Russian mission. The e-visa FAQ itself says any purpose outside its list goes through a diplomatic mission or consulate. For Pakistani students and workers, that is the only route the official pages describe.
- Decide the purpose first: tourism, business, study or work. Each has its own visa type.
- Collect the invitation or confirmation your Russian host provides, if your visa type needs one.
- Contact the Russian Embassy in Islamabad or a Russian consulate for the current document list and fee.
- Apply in person or through the centre the mission names, and keep every receipt.
- Before you fly, check the visa against your passport details and dates, the way the FIA checks a foreign visa at the airport.
We tried to open the Russian Embassy in Pakistan's website on 28 October 2026, and it refused the connection. So we cannot list its fee or document checklist here, and we do not repeat figures from other sites that we could not confirm.
A second passport from a listed country changes the answer
The e-visa is decided by the nationality of the passport you apply with. A Pakistani who also holds the passport of a listed country, such as Germany or Italy, can apply as a national of that country, on that passport.
Two cautions apply. Travel on the same passport you used to apply. And the FAQ does not address dual nationals directly, so confirm with the consular department by email at evisa_info@kdmid.ru before paying. The United Kingdom is not on the list, so a British passport does not open the e-visa either.
Spot a fake Russia e-visa offer before you pay
The official application form is at evisa.kdmid.ru and status checks run at evisacheck.kdmid.ru. Both sit under the kdmid.ru domain of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Consular Department. A site that accepts a Pakistani passport for an e-visa is not that system.
- Check the address bar. The official pages end in kdmid.ru.
- Be wary of anyone who promises a Russian e-visa for a Pakistani passport in "4 days". That speed applies only to listed nationals.
- Never send your passport scan and card details to an agent who cannot name the visa type.
The warning signs used to check study abroad agents in Pakistan apply here as well. If you are comparing destinations, Azerbaijan's visa for Pakistanis is one of the nearby options that does run online.
Common questions
Can Pakistanis apply for a Russia e-visa?
No. Pakistan is not on the Russian Foreign Ministry's list of 64 countries whose nationals can apply for an e-visa.
How long is a Russian e-visa valid for those who qualify?
An e-visa issued from 23 August 2025 is valid for 120 days, with a stay of up to 30 days from entry.
Can a Pakistani living in Saudi Arabia get a Russia e-visa?
Not on a Pakistani passport. The list is based on nationality, not on the country where you live.
Is a Russia e-visa fee refundable?
No. The FAQ says fees are not refunded whatever the outcome, and an application cannot be withdrawn.
Where do Pakistani students get a Russian visa?
From a Russian diplomatic mission or consulate, since study is not an e-visa purpose. Contact the Russian Embassy in Islamabad for the current rules.
What is the official Russia e-visa website?
Applications are at evisa.kdmid.ru and status checks at evisacheck.kdmid.ru, both run by the Russian Foreign Ministry's Consular Department.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 28 October 2026. We read the Consular Department's e-visa home page, the country list and the FAQ at electronic-visa.kdmid.ru on that date. The 64-country count is the site's own figure, and we read every name on the list. The Russian Embassy in Pakistan's website refused our connection, so its fees, documents and appointment process are not verified here. The FAQ does not state the e-visa fee amount or cover dual nationals.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
