Dummy ticket (flight reservation) for Russia visa: what the e-Visa does and does not need

What the Russia checklist asks for

• No flight booking, hotel booking or invitation is needed for the unified e-Visa.
• One entry, and a stay of up to 30 days, within the e-Visa’s 120-day validity.
• No e-Visa fee for children under six.
• For a sticker tourist visa instead: a confirmation from a Russian tour operator is reported to be required; confirm the current list with the mission.

The unified e-Visa after the August 2025 change

Russia’s unified e-Visa is the simplest way in for Indian tourists. You apply online at evisa.kdmid.ru, the e-Visa is issued within up to four days, and it allows a single entry. Since 23 August 2025 the permitted stay has been 30 days, up from 16, within a validity of 120 days. The fee is about US$50 to 52, and children under six are free.

The Russian foreign ministry’s announcement, as reported in India, said no invitation, hotel booking or other supporting documents are needed. Some guides published in 2026 still say 16 days, so check the portal before you plan a longer trip.

When a held reservation is still worth having

Because the e-Visa asks for no bookings, most travellers need no reservation at all. A reservation earns its place in a few situations: when your employer wants dated travel plans before approving leave, when several family members need their dates aligned before one person buys everyone’s tickets, or when Russia is one leg of a longer route, such as Moscow and Tashkent, where another country’s rules ask for an onward ticket.

It is not a substitute for anything Russia asks for, and it should not be presented as one. If nobody has asked you for an itinerary, you do not need to send one.

Flights from India and the Gulf

Aeroflot has flown to Moscow Sheremetyevo from Delhi and from Goa; we could not confirm the 2026 timetable, so check the current schedule. From the UAE, Emirates, flydubai, Aeroflot and Air Arabia fly to Moscow, which suits Indians living in the Gulf and travellers connecting through Dubai or Sharjah.

Whichever route you choose, make sure your entry date falls inside the e-Visa’s validity and your exit is no more than 30 days after entry. The e-Visa itself arrives within days of applying.

Visa-free group tours: not yet

India and Russia have been negotiating visa-free travel for tourist groups, reported as groups of about 3 to 50 people staying up to 21 days. As of March 2026 the arrangement was still under negotiation, and we found no signed launch. Until it is announced officially, both individual travellers and groups need a visa, and a tour operator who says otherwise should be able to show you the official notice. If you travel with a group today, each member applies for their own e-Visa, so make sure every application carries the same entry and exit dates.

Flying from India to Russia

Your reservation should follow a route you could realistically fly. These are common options; schedules change, so the desk confirms what is bookable for your dates.

Mistakes to avoid with a Russia application

• Going by an old guide that says the e-Visa allows 16 days; since August 2025 it is 30.
• Planning two entries on a single-entry e-Visa, for example a side trip to another country mid-stay.
• Entering a travel date on the form that falls outside the e-Visa’s validity window.
• Booking a group tour on the assumption that visa-free group travel has started; it had not been signed as of March 2026.
• Paying an agent for a hotel booking or invitation the e-Visa does not ask for.

Dummy ticket and hotel bookings, matched to your itinerary

We do not send one loose document. The desk matches the flight reservation and every hotel booking to your itinerary: the same dates, the same cities, and no night left uncovered. These are the real documents of one order for a Switzerland visa file, issued on 5 November 2026: one flight reservation and four hotel bookings that cover all 9 nights between the two flights. Personal details are blacked out; everything else is as issued.

• Flight reservationEtihad, Hyderabad (HYD) to Zurich (ZRH), status Confirmed
• Hotel booking, ZurichMEININGER Hotel Zürich Greencity, 3 nights
• Hotel booking, GenevaB&B HOTEL Geneva Airport, 3 nights
• Hotel booking, LucerneSeminarhotel Romerohaus, 2 nights
• Hotel booking, Zurich AirportLeonardo Hotel Zurich Airport, 1 night

Open the full documents and the day-by-day table: flight and hotels matched date by date

How to get your Russia flight reservation

Russia questions, answered