Are Letters of Invitation (LOI) required if visiting Russia with an APEC Business Travel Card?
Spinning off from this more specific question:
Russian visa bureaucracy is infamous, and one of the quirkier bits is the requirement to have a letter of invitation (LOI) for virtually all visa types, including tourism visas, although then it's called a "tourist confirmation" instead.
However, as far as I can tell, if you have APEC Business Travel Card, you're eligible to enter Russia without a separate visa or a letter of invitation -- as long as you're visiting for business. If this is the case, how can you prove that you're visiting for business? Or are you best off bringing an LOI anyway?
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Can I enter Russia with APEC card?
Russia has officially joined the APEC Business Travel Card scheme, allowing a greater number of businesspeople to travel faster and more easily within the Asia-Pacific region. As a fully participating member, Russia will now permit ABTC card-holders from other APEC economies to enter its borders without a visa.Do you need a letter of invitation to visit Russia?
All nationalities who need a Russian Tourist or Business Visa to travel to Russia will also need the Invitation Letter. To enter the country, every traveler must have health insurance and a negative PCR test issued within 72 hours of arrival. Applying for the Russian Invitation Letter is easy and fast with iVisa.com.Do I need visa if I have APEC card?
ABTC holders granted preclearance by an APEC economy do not need to make a separate application for a visa or entry permit when traveling to that economy.How do I get an invitation letter for Russian visa?
The required document for obtaining Russian visa is a Russian Visa Invitation Letter (or simply Invitation for Russian Visa). An invitation letter for visa might be issued by a Russian organization that has a special reference-number and accreditation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.I have arranged a business trip to Russia Do I need an invitation letter
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