Russia entry requirements for Canadian passport holders (2026): visa and passport validity
Visa (Government of Canada): Read the official visa text below
Passport validity (Government of Canada): Valid for at least 6 months beyond the date you expect to leave Russia. Official text
Official source: Government of Canada – Russia travel advice and advisories (travel.gc.ca), section “Entry and exit requirements” · page last updated 14 October 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026 · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
Whether Canadians need a visa for Russia and how long a Canadian passport must be valid, as published by the Government of Canada, quoted word for word with the date of the official page.
Other passports: British passport · Australian passport
Do Canadians need a visa for Russia?
We quote the official text word for word and do not summarise it. The official visa text does not match a wording we summarise.
Official text, “Visas”:
Tourist visa: required for stays in commercial accommodations (exceptions apply)
Guest visa: required for stays in private accommodations
Business visa: required
Student visa: required
Transit visa: required (exceptions apply)
Exit visa: required
You must submit your visa request online to the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Canada.
You must leave Russia once your visa expires. You can extend your visa by applying to the territorial units of the migration service before your active visa expires
Tourist visa
You need a tourist visa if you are staying at a hotel or other rented accommodations. Ensure that the hotel registers your visa when you check in.
You should book your travel through a travel agency, which will submit a tourist visa application on your behalf. Certain Canadian travel agencies work with Russian travel agencies or companies that act as sponsors for tourist visas.
In cases of expired tourist visas or lost or stolen Canadian passports, only the visa-sponsoring travel agency is authorized to apply for a new tourist visa on your behalf. Extensions are not issued. Holders of expired visas face heavy fines or detention upon departure.
Private visas
You need a private visa if you intend to stay in private accommodations.
Business visa
To get a business visa, you need to be sponsored by a Russian individual or organization (your host).
Exit visa
You must have a valid visa to be allowed to leave Russia. To avoid problems, including deportation, make sure your visa is valid beyond your intended departure date. For more information, confirm with the Embassy of Russia in Canada.
Visa exceptions
Contact your cruise company to find out if you need to apply for a Russian visa before your cruise starts.
Some Russian international airports have transit areas that allow for visa-free travel through Russia. If you plan to transit through Russia, check with your transportation carrier to see if transit visa exceptions apply to you.
Useful links
- Embassy of the Russian Federation
- Foreign diplomatic missions and consulates in Canada
Also in the official “Entry and exit requirements” section:
Land border crossings
Finnish authorities have closed border crossings along the land border with Russia. Since April 15, 2024, land and maritime border crossings are closed to vehicles and personal watercraft. Vehicles registered in Russia can no longer enter Finland, even if entering from a third country.
Polish authorities have closed certain border crossings with Russia (Kaliningrad). If you intend to travel from Russia to Poland, you must apply for a humanitarian permit. If you plan to cross from Poland to Russia, only the following border crossings remain open for cars and buses:
- Grzechotki/Mamonovo
- Bezledy/Bagrationovsk
Starting February 24, 2026, Estonian authorities will close the Luhamaa-Shumilkino and Koidula-Kunichina border crossings to all overnight traffic. The Narva-Ivangorod border crossing will remain open at all times.
Only local residents are allowed to travel by land from Russia to Belarus. This restriction applies to cars, tour buses and trains. If you intend to travel between Belarus and Russia, you must have visas for both countries and travel by air.
Useful links
- Contact information and hours of operation – Finnish Border Guard
- Entry to Poland through external borders – Polish Border Guard
- Border crossing information – State Border Committee of the Republic of Belarus
- Border crossing information – Estonian Police and Border Guard Board
Migration card
You should receive a migration card upon your arrival in Russia. These cards are usually distributed on flights and trains entering Russia or at points of entry, but sometimes they are not available, even at major international airports. Even if that’s the case, you are responsible to find a migration card and fill out a migration card. You must keep and carry the stamped part of the migration card throughout your stay. The card is required for hotel registration.
If the police request to see your migration card, you must comply. You must present it, your passport and your registered visa. You must also present the card to border officials upon departure.
If you hold a multiple-entry visa, you must fill out a new migration card every time you enter Russia.
Failure to present this card upon departure may result in fines, serious delays or imprisonment.
Registration
All foreign visitors staying for more than 7 days in Russia must register their arrival within 72 hours of entering the country (excluding weekends and national holidays). If you are staying at a hotel for your entire trip, the hotel will take care of registering your stay with the authorities. You should confirm with hotel staff that they registered your stay as soon as you arrive.
Visitors staying in private accommodations must register with the territorial office of the Federal Migration Service. Any Russian citizen with a resident registration (“propiska”) can register a foreigner staying at their home at a local police station or any post office. A small registration fee may apply. The visitor’s Russian host must be present during the process.
Violation of the rules of migration registration may result in a fine. In some cases, visitors may face expulsion from Russia and a ban from re-entering of up to 5 years.
Customs declaration form
Upon arrival in Russia, you must fill out a customs declaration form, then go through the red customs line and have the form stamped by a customs official. Without the stamp, any undeclared currency and valuables, including items that could be considered antique, may be confiscated upon departure.
You must declare amounts of currency exceeding US$10,000 at border crossings. You may also be required to provide information on the origin of the money and its intended use. Any amount not declared on the form will be confiscated if you have not obtained an official bank receipt authorizing the clearance of these sums. You must keep your declaration form until you leave the country.
You must fill out a second customs declaration form when you leave the country and present the two forms to a customs official. You must declare any amount greater than RUB 3,000. If you fail to declare in writing the amount of currency in your possession, the undeclared currency and valuables may be confiscated and you may be detained and charged with criminal offence, which may result in imprisonment.
Special permits and restricted areas
Travel to and residency in several Russian cities and regions is restricted. You must obtain permission from local authorities prior to entering a restricted city or region. Failure to do so may result in arrest, fines and/or deportation. Attach an itinerary to your visa application to avoid delays. Some areas must be specifically indicated in the visa, and you may have to pay an extra fee to include them.
Entry ban on vehicles with Russian license plates
In September 2023, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Finland announced a ban on vehicles with Russian license plates entering their respective territories. The ban is enforced at the border as a result of existing European Union sanctions on the Russian Federation. Lithuania allows an exception for travellers able to prove transiting Lithuania to and from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
Other countries from the EU or the Schengen area have introduced similar bans. You should confirm with local authorities before travelling to the EU or Schengen area.
More from the official “Entry and exit requirements” section (other requirements)
Health entry requirements
If you are planning to remain in Russia for more than 3 months, you must provide a medical certificate of a negative test for HIV infection. The certificate must be valid for 3 months from the date of testing and include:
- passport details (full name, date of birth, passport number and country of residence)
- HIV test information (date of test, test results and signatures of the doctor who performed the test and the person examined)
- the length of your intended stay in Russia
Other tests (such as for tuberculosis and leprosy) may be required for individuals staying in Russia for more than 3 months.
Official source: Government of Canada – Russia travel advice and advisories (travel.gc.ca), section “Visas” · page last updated 14 October 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026 · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
How long must my Canadian passport be valid for Russia?
In short: Valid for at least 6 months beyond the date you expect to leave Russia.
Our one-line summary of the official sentence below, which matches a wording we recognise. Your airline may apply stricter rules.
Official text, “Regular Canadian passport”:
Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the date you expect to leave Russia.
Official source: Government of Canada – Russia travel advice and advisories (travel.gc.ca), section “Regular Canadian passport” · page last updated 14 October 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026 · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
For Canadian passport holders. These rules are published by the Government of Canada (Global Affairs Canada) for Canadian citizens travelling on a regular Canadian passport. Before You Fly is an independent site: it is not a Government of Canada site and is not endorsed by the Government of Canada. The airline and the border officials of the destination decide whether you can travel or enter: this site is information, not legal advice. British passport? See the UK (FCDO) rules.
Read the full official travel advice for Russia (safety, health, local laws) before you travel.
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