"During the consideration of the issue of issuing a visa to a foreign citizen in order to further verify the accuracy of information confirming the purpose of the trip to the Russian Federation and the conditions of stay in the territory of the Russian Federation, an employee of the authorized state body conducts a personal interview with a foreign citizen," the document says.

In addition, according to the new rules, in a state of which he is not a citizen, a foreigner can obtain a visa only if "he has a document confirming a residence permit in this country for more than 180 days." A foreign citizen can still obtain a transit visa in a third country without having the appropriate residence permit, reports Interfax.ru.

In the previous version of the regulation, in order to apply for a visa in a third country, a foreigner needed "a permit for continuous stay in this country for more than 90 days."