Do France passport holders need a visa to visit RU?

French ordinary passport holders need a visa for Russia, but for a short tourist trip they can use the convenient Russian unified e-visa instead of a consular visa. It is applied for fully online at the official Russian MFA portal (evisa.kdmid.ru), costs about USD 52, is processed within 4 calendar days, and allows a single entry with a stay of up to 30 days. France is one of the 64 nationalities eligible for Russia's unified electronic visa, making it the simplest route for tourism, business, guest, or short cultural/sports visits. The e-visa is single-entry, valid for 120 days from the date of issue, and permits a stay of up to 30 days from the date of entry (rules upgraded from 16 to 30 days effective 23 August 2025, with validity extended to 120 days). The application is entirely online at the official Consular Department of the Russian MFA portal (evisa.kdmid.ru): you upload a passport-style photo and a copy of your passport (valid at least 6 months), pay a consular fee of approximately USD 52, and wait no more than 4 calendar days. No invitation letter, hotel booking, or flight tickets are required. Travel medical insurance valid in Russia for the entire stay is mandatory and may be checked on entry. The e-visa is only valid for entering and exiting through approved border checkpoints (major airports such as Moscow Sheremetyevo/Domodedovo/Vnukovo, St. Petersburg Pulkovo, Sochi, plus selected land and sea crossings). A practical complication for French applicants since 2022 is payment: the consular fee is processed through platforms accepting Chinese yuan (CNY) or UAE dirhams (AED) because Western payment cards are not accepted. For stays over 30 days, multiple entries, work, study, or transit not covered by the e-visa, a regular consular visa (via the VFS Global / Russian consulate process in France) is required instead. Russia is not in the Schengen area, so Schengen 90/180 rules and ETIAS do not apply.