Will I need a double entry visa for Russia?

Question

My trip plan:-

• 6th October, 2013 - Leave from Mumbai via Delhi to Moscow (SVO) by Air India
• 16th Oct - Departure from Moscow (SVO) to Paris (CDG) - Ukraine Airline
• 20th Oct - Departure from Paris (CDG) to Moscow (SVO) - Ukraine Airline

The above two will be booked as a single round trip ticket.

Then finally back to Mumbai from Moscow (SVO) by Air India on 21st Oct.

So my question is do I need a double entry visa for Russia?

My flight from Paris will arrive in SVO Moscow at 4:30 local time and the Air India flight is from SVO but at around 19:00. If I don't plan to go out of the airport then do I need visa for that?

Will a single entry visa for Russia from 6th to 16th Oct be OK for my trip?

Answer 1

Russia have contracted out their visa processing to VFS, go to their 'ALL ABOUT YOUR VISAS' page for more info.

Your single entry visa will be used and no longer valid when you exit Russia on the 16th. Therefore your question is really 'do I need a visa to change flights in Moscow' and the answer is (probably) no, with some conditions:

A Transit Visa is not required if you remain in the transit zone of the airport in order to catch an onward or connecting flight within 24 hours of arrival. Transit visas are normally valid for maximum of 3 days if travelling by air and 10 if travelling by train.

Assuming your Mumbai flight is within 24 hours you'll be fine -- here's more about transit from the Moscow Airport page. Which also says you'll be able to pick up a transit visa in the airport if you really need to (although it advises you not to).

Having said that Ukraine Airline will check your Russian visa when you check-in in Paris, so you're going to need proof of your outbound flight then.