Glossary
Short definitions for the queries people type around insurance for Russia. Each term links to the full guide.
Travel medical insurance
A contract that can pay for emergency treatment, medical transport and repatriation while you travel.
Travel medical insurance for Russia is not the same as a visa, an invitation letter, or a medical-assistance-only contract. Cover, excess, waiting periods and exclusions are in the wording you accept. A visa stamp does not prove a later claim will be paid.
Assistance / assistance company
The 24/7 service named on the policy that coordinates hospitals, guarantees and medical transport.
Order support on this website cannot arrange treatment. In a life-threatening emergency in Russia, call 112 first, then the assistance number on your policy. Keep that number offline.
Russian e-visa
A single-entry electronic visa applied for on the official MFA portal, not through an invitation letter.
On the date this site last checked (25 Sep 2026), the unified e-visa is described as valid 120 days from issue with a stay of up to 30 days, and only at listed checkpoints. Older 60/16-day regional e-visa lists are obsolete. An e-visa does not replace travel medical cover.
Invitation letter (LOI)
A tourist invitation used for some ordinary Russian visas; not required for an e-visa.
iVisa issues visa invitations. Buying an invitation is not a step in every Russia trip and is not a substitute for insurance. Do not put passport numbers in referral URLs between the two sites.
Policy wording
The contract that decides what is covered, excluded, and how to claim.
Read the wording and exclusions before you pay. Sample PDFs on this DEMO site are watermarked and are not insurance. Live sales stay blocked until a confirmed insurer replaces the DemoProvider.
Excess (deductible)
The amount you may have to pay yourself before the insurer pays.
A high medical limit can still leave an excess, sub-limits for dental care, or unpaid bills if you did not contact assistance. Check the figure on your quote, not a marketing headline.
Waiting period
Hours or days after purchase or after cover start when some claims are not paid.
Waiting periods are common if you buy insurance after you are already in Russia. Tell the quote form if the trip has started. If the product cannot cover you, the correct result is a refusal.
Repatriation
Medical transport home, or in some wordings the return of remains.
Repatriation is typical in travel medical policies but is not automatic. It usually needs assistance approval. It is not the same as trip-cancellation cover.
Direct billing vs reimbursement
Whether the insurer pays the clinic, or you pay first and claim later.
Do not assume a Moscow hospital will invoice your insurer. Call assistance before non-emergency treatment. Keep receipts, diagnoses and passport copies for any reimbursement claim.
Pre-existing condition
A health problem you already had, often excluded unless the wording says otherwise.
“Worldwide medical cover” does not automatically include a condition you already treat. Ask the insurer in writing. Do not hide diagnoses in a quote form — eligibility checks come first.
Travel advisory
Official government advice about travelling to a country; some policies exclude travel against it.
On 25 Sep 2026 the UK FCDO advised against all travel to Russia. Other governments differ. Insurance does not override that advice. If you still travel, get written confirmation that your policy responds.
Migration card
The arrival slip used for migration registration in Russia.
Keep the card with your passport. Hotels often register guests; private stays need the host to register you. A policy PDF is not a migration document.
ruID
A Russian digital arrival experiment using an app; not a substitute for a visa or insurance.
Public sources checked on 25 Sep 2026 describe the experiment as extended to 31 December 2027. Confirm whether it applies to your entry category before you travel. Do not publish older end-dates.
Hosted checkout
Card details are entered on the payment provider’s page, not on insurance4russia.com.
Foreign Visa and Mastercard generally do not work in Russia’s domestic network. A hosted international checkout is a different channel and still depends on the partner, your bank and the card’s issuing country.