{"id":418,"date":"2020-02-09T01:00:30","date_gmt":"2020-02-09T01:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/russiable.com\/?p=418"},"modified":"2024-01-06T11:41:37","modified_gmt":"2024-01-06T11:41:37","slug":"travel-russia-without-visa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/russiable.com\/travel-russia-without-visa\/","title":{"rendered":"Is it possible to travel to Russia Visa-Free? Who does not need a visa?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong><em>There are around 60 nationalities which are not required to have a visa to enter Russia (visa waiver). If you are not a citizen of any of these countries (and you don\u2019t have a diplomatic passport), then you need to apply for a visa to Russia before departure. However, there are some minor exceptions to this general rule, for example, travelers arriving to Russian ports in a cruise or those attending certain international sporting events. In addition, there is also a simplified electronic visa procedure.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rusalia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Visa-Free-Viajar-sin-visado-a-Rusia.jpg\" alt=\"visa-free - travel without visa to russia\" class=\"wp-image-8331\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. COUNTRIES WITH VISA-FREE travel to Russia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"s1\">The vast majority of foreigners traveling to Russia require a visa to enter the country, however, there are about 60 nationalities which are not required to have a visa to enter Russia.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"s1\">Mainly it is about the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (former countries of the USSR) and countries of South and Central America, although there are also some European, Asian, African and Oceanian countries that do not require a visa. In this map you can see in a summarized way:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-1281\" src=\"https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Visa_policy_of_Russia-1024x449.png\" alt=\"Visa policy to travel Russia - World map\" width=\"1024\" height=\"449\" srcset=\"https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Visa_policy_of_Russia-1024x449.png 1024w, https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Visa_policy_of_Russia-300x132.png 300w, https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Visa_policy_of_Russia-768x337.png 768w, https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Visa_policy_of_Russia.png 1425w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>The list of countries that do not need a visa is a list that may vary<span class=\"s1\">, since the Russian government can reach bilateral or multilateral agreements with other countries or economic areas. For this reason, it is best to consult <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kdmid.ru\/info.aspx?lst=info_wiki&amp;it=\/Spisok_stran_s_uproshchennym_poryadkom_vyezda.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class=\"s3\">the list of countries with specific exemptions<\/span><\/a> on the official website of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The site is in Russian but you can use the automatic translator)<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"s1\">A) Countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Except the citizens of Belarus and South Ossetia, who can enter Russia without a time limit, citizens of most of these countries can stay in Russia for a maximum of 90 days within a period of 180 days::<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Abkhazia<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Armenia<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Azerbaijan<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kazakhstan<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kyrgyzstan<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Moldova<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tajikistan<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ukraine<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Uzbekistan<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This group does not include the 3 Baltic states, <strong>Estonia<\/strong>, <strong>Latvia<\/strong> and <strong>Lithuania<\/strong>, which are currently members of the EU, nor <strong>Georgia<\/strong> or <strong>Turkmenistan<\/strong>, which are no longer part of the CIS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">B) Countries of South America and Central America<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A total of 25 countries in South and Central America do not require a visa for <strong>stays of up to 90 days<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Antigua and Barbuda<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rusalia.com\/rusia-sin-visado-argentina\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Argentina<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bolivia<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Brazil<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rusalia.com\/rusia-sin-visado-chile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chile<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rusalia.com\/rusia-sin-visado-colombia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Colombia<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Commonwealth of Dominica<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Costa Rica<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rusalia.com\/rusia-sin-visado-cuba\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cuba<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dominican Republic<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rusalia.com\/rusia-sin-visado-ecuador\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ecuador<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>El Salvador<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Grenada<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Guatemala<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Guyana<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Honduras<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/russiable.com\/visa-free-travel-russia-jamaica\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jamaica<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nicaragua<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Panama<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Paraguay<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rusalia.com\/rusia-sin-visado-peru\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Peru<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Saint Kitts and Nevis<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>St. Vincent and the Grenadines<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Uruguay<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rusalia.com\/rusia-sin-visado-venezuela\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Venezuela<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">C) Balkan countries<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Some Balkan countries do not need a visa under certain conditions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Bosnia and Herzegovina<\/strong>. They do not need a visa for up to 30 days for ordinary passports.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Macedonia<\/strong>. They do not need a visa for up to 30 days, if they have a <a href=\"https:\/\/russiable.com\/visa-support\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">tourist invitation<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Montenegro<\/strong>. They do not need a visa for up to 30 days for ordinary passports.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/russiable.com\/visa-free-travel-russia-serbia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Serbia<\/a>. The holders biometric civil passports do not need a visa for up to 30 days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Please note that citizens of <strong>Turkey<\/strong> no longer have visa-free from January 1, 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">D) Asian countries<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The citizens of some Asian countries do not need a visa under certain conditions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Brunei Darussalam<\/strong>. No visa for all types of passports for stays of up to 14 days.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Laos<\/strong>. No visa for all types of passports for stays up to 30 days.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Maldives<\/strong>. Without visa for ordinary passports and stays up to 90 days.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mongolia<\/strong>. No visa for all types of passports for stays up to 30 days.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>South Korea<\/strong>. No visa for regular civil passports up to 60 days.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/russiable.com\/visa-free-travel-russia-hong-kong\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hong Kong<\/a>. No visas of up to 14 days for permanent residents of Hong Kong with a valid passport.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Macao<\/strong>. No visa for stays of up to 30 days for permanent residents of Macao with valid passport.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/russiable.com\/visa-free-travel-russia-thailand\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Thailand<\/a>. Without visa for ordinary passports and stays up to 30 days.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Israel<\/strong>. Without visa for ordinary passports and stays up to 90 days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally add that citizens of the<strong> People&#8217;s Republic of China<\/strong> can enter Russia without a visa for up to 15 days in tourist groups of 5 to 50 people, according to the certified lists and confirmations of Russian tourist organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">E) Countries of Oceania<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Some small countries in Oceania can also travel to Russia without a visa:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Fiji<\/strong>. No visa for all types of passports for stays up to 90 days.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Nauru<\/strong>. No visa for all types of passports for stays of up to 14 days.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Palau<\/strong>. No visa for all types of passports for stays of up to 30 days.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Samoa<\/strong>. No visa for all types of passports for stays up to 60 days.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Vanuatu<\/strong>. No visa for all types of passports for stays up to 90 days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">F) African countries<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Few African countries are on the list of countries that do not need a visa to travel to Russia:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Botswana<\/strong>. No visa for all types of passports for stays up to 90 days.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mauricio<\/strong>. No visa for all types of passports for stays up to 60 days.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Seychelles<\/strong> No visa for all types of passports for stays up to 30 days.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/russiable.com\/visa-free-travel-russia-south-africa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">South Africa<\/a>. No visa for all types of passports for stays up to 90 days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"s1\">2. Visa exemption for CRUISE PASSENGERS worldwide<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"s1\">If you are not a citizen of any of the countries that have visa exemption (and you don\u2019t have a diplomatic passport and you are not part of the ship or aircraft crew), then you need to apply for a visa to Russia before departure, though there are some <b>minor exceptions to this rule<\/b> and some additional conditions that must be met:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"s1\">If you traveling in a cruise to St. Petersburg (or other Russian ports)<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span class=\"s1\">If you are traveling by ferry from Helsinki, Tallinn and Stockholm (with a stop in Helsinki) to St. Petersburg with <a href=\"https:\/\/stpeterline.com\/\"><span class=\"s3\">St. Peter Line<\/span><\/a> company or from Lappeenranta to Saint Petersburg or Vyborg with the company <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.saimaatravel.fi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class=\"s4\">Saimaa Travel<\/span><\/a><span class=\"s1\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">CASE 1: Boat cruise to St. Petersburg (or other ports of Russia)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"s1\">Around half a million tourists visit St. Petersburg by cruise every year. So, if you are travelling on a boat cruise and St. Petersburg it is one of the stops on this cruise, then you do not need a visa to enter Russia if you meet the following conditions:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"s1\">If you&#8217;re going to be in town for a maximum period of 72 hours and you are spending the night on the boat.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span class=\"s1\">If you are visiting the city with an authorized guided tour, who will accompany you at all times on your visit to the city. This means that from the moment you leave the boat in the morning (usually around 8) until you return to it (about 17 hours), you have to follow the scheduled time and you won\u2019t have the opportunity to visit the city on your own.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"s1\">This rule also applies if you arrive to Russia through the ports of Anadyr, Arkhangelsk, Kaliningrad, Korsakov, Novorossiysk, Murmansk, Sebastopol, Sochi, Vladivostok, Vyborg and Zarubino.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"567\" src=\"https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Passenger-Port-of-St.-Petersburg-Marine-Facade-1024x567.jpg\" alt=\"Passenger Poft of St Petersberg Marina Facade - Visa Free\" class=\"wp-image-1282\" srcset=\"https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Passenger-Port-of-St.-Petersburg-Marine-Facade-1024x567.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Passenger-Port-of-St.-Petersburg-Marine-Facade-300x166.jpg 300w, https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Passenger-Port-of-St.-Petersburg-Marine-Facade-768x425.jpg 768w, https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Passenger-Port-of-St.-Petersburg-Marine-Facade.jpg 1310w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"s1\">The question is: <b>What guided tours can I hire in St. Petersburg to make this visit without a visa?<\/b> Well, there are two possibilities:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><b>Hire the guided tour offered by your cruise<\/b>. This is the easiest option, but note that the tours offered by cruises are significantly more expensive than those you can hire independently on your own count with any company in St. Petersburg.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><b>Hire a guided tour independently<\/b>. The tours offered by cruises are not the only ones authorized to make visits to the city without a visa. On the contrary, there are a variety of tourist agencies in St. Petersburg which also have authorization to offer tours to their customers without a visa. The advantage of this option is that you have a variety of companies and tours to choose from with many different schedules (not only the most common, those usually offered by cruises). In addition, these companies also offer the opportunity to design their own itinerary and are usually more economic. Some guided tours that I recommend for travelers arriving on cruise ships:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getyourguide.com\/st-petersburg-l43\/st-petersburg-1-day-visa-free-shore-tour-t62753\/?partner_id=R5HVTJ4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">St. Petersburg 1-Day Visa-Free Shore Excursion<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.civitatis.com\/en\/st-petersburg\/shore-excursion\/?aid=1395\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2 Day St Petersburg Shore Excursion<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rusalia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Visa-free-San-Petersburgo-Visita-guiada-GetYourGuide-1024x933.jpg\" alt=\"visa-free-saitn-petersburg-guided-visit-getyourguide\" class=\"wp-image-8337\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"s1\"><b>Is it worthwhile to make a guided tour or is it better to apply for a tourist visa to visit the city independently?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"s1\">It depends. The easiest way is to hire a guided tour; however, if you want to be completely free to move around St. Petersburg, enjoy the city at night (especially during the time of white nights) or the Sapsan train to reach Moscow in 4 hours and visit the Russian capital, the best option is to apply for a visa before taking the cruise, which will probably mean a lower expense than hiring guided tours (in this <a href=\"https:\/\/russiable.com\/getting-russian-visa-usa-canada\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class=\"s2\">article<\/span><\/a> I explain you how to do it and how to gather all documentation in 1 hour).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"s1\">If you plan to visit the city at night, it is advisable to book accommodation in St. Petersburg, since it is likely that there are restrictions on returning to the ship from certain times in the afternoon.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, citizens of 53 countries (European countries included) can already apply for an <a href=\"https:\/\/russiable.com\/e-visa-russian-electronic-visa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">electronic visa<\/a>. Americans, Canadians, Britons and Australians cannot apply for an electronic visa (section 5 of this article).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">CASE 2: Travel by ferry to St. Petersburg and Vyborg<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"s1\">From Helsinki, Tallinn and Stockholm<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"s1\">If you are traveling by ferry from Helsinki, Tallinn and Stockholm (with a stop in Helsinki) to St. Petersburg with <a href=\"https:\/\/stpeterline.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class=\"s2\">St. Peter Line<\/span><\/a> Company, you can also enter St. Petersburg without a visa for a maximum period of 72 hours.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rusalia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/ST-PETER-LINE-\u2013-Crucero-sin-visado-1024x637.jpg\" alt=\"st-peter-line-cruiser-without-visa\" class=\"wp-image-8334\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"s1\">The ferry ride is also considered a cruise and to enter the city without a visa, you are required to book a guided tour bus via St. Peter Line. This is a shuttle that runs along the journey from Vassilevskiy Island to the city center, in which you can make stops. On this map you can see the path that it makes:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rusalia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Mapa-ruta-st-peter-line-lanzadera.jpg\" alt=\"Map route - st-peter-line-minibus\" class=\"wp-image-8333\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"s1\">Unlike cruise passengers who are forced to spend the night on the boat, if they want to enter the city without a visa, St. Peter Line\u2019s passengers need to book a hotel or apartment during their stay.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"s1\">From Lappeenranta<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"s1\">Besides St. Peter Line, it is also possible to enter without a visa in St. Petersburg or Vyborg, making the trip from Lappeenranta with the Finnish company <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.saimaatravel.fi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class=\"s2\">Saimaa Travel<\/span><\/a><span class=\"s1\">, and hiring some of their guided tours.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rusalia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Saimaa-Travel-Cruceros-sin-visado-a-Rusia-1024x759.jpg\" alt=\"saimaa-travel-cruises to travel Russia without visa\" class=\"wp-image-8335\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><span class=\"s1\"><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">CASE 3: Travel on the Allegro train to St. Petersburg<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"s1\">Finally, it has arose the matter of whether it would be a good idea to remove the visa for travelers that are going from Helsinki to St. Petersburg on the Allegro train, though to current date these travelers still need visa. We&#8217;ll see if in the future it is possible to enter without a visa by train from Finland.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"s1\">3. Attendees to certain international SPORTS EVENTS<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"s1\">In the past, at some <strong>international sporting events<\/strong>, the Russian government has allowed assistance without a visa:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>2020 UEFA Euro Cup (St. Petersburg)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span class=\"s1\">World Cup in 2018<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span class=\"s1\">2017 FIFA Confederations Cup<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Olympic Winter Games in Sochi in 2014<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"545\" src=\"https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Fan-ID-2018-Russia-World-Cup-1.jpg\" alt=\"Fan ID 2018 Russia World Cup 1\" class=\"wp-image-704\" srcset=\"https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Fan-ID-2018-Russia-World-Cup-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Fan-ID-2018-Russia-World-Cup-1-300x160.jpg 300w, https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Fan-ID-2018-Russia-World-Cup-1-768x409.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"s1\">4. TRANSIT through Russian airports<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/russiable.com\/russian-airports-immigration-card-customs-formalities\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Passengers that make stops at international airports<\/a> in Russia to continue their journey to another destination outside Russia don\u2019t need a visa if they remain for less than 24 hours and don\u2019t leave the international area of the airport, and don\u2019t cross the passport control, either.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"s1\">Just 5 Russian airports have an international transit area:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"s1\">Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO). Terminals D, E and F.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span class=\"s1\">Moscow Domodedovo International Airport (DME)<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span class=\"s1\">International Airport of Vnukovo (VKO) in Moscow. Terminal A.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span class=\"s1\">Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg (LED)<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span class=\"s1\">International Koltsovo Airport (SVX).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"s1\">When you make a plane trip with a stopover in a Russian airport, I recommend to always contact the airline, so they expressly inform you if you need transit visa for the journey.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"s1\">It is also useful to consult the <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.skyteam.com\/en\/flights-and-destinations\/visa-and-health\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class=\"s3\">Timaticweb system<\/span><\/a><span class=\"s1\"> to find the specific visa requirements.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"467\" src=\"https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Flight-scale-in-Moscow-Transit-visa.jpg\" alt=\"Flight scale in Moscow - Transit visa\" class=\"wp-image-1283\" srcset=\"https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Flight-scale-in-Moscow-Transit-visa.jpg 800w, https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Flight-scale-in-Moscow-Transit-visa-300x175.jpg 300w, https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Flight-scale-in-Moscow-Transit-visa-768x448.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"s1\">5. Electronic visa to Russia (e-visa)<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Russian Government has already implemented the electronic visa application (e-visa). It is not a visa exemption, but it is a procedure that allows you to obtain an e-visa to Russia very easily and quickly: you will only need your passport, a digital photo and medical travel insurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the e-visa can only be requested by some nationalities and at the moment it is only available to visit the regions of Leningrad (St. Petersburg), Kaliningrad and the Far Eastern Federal District. The electronic visa is not valid to travel to Moscow, Kazan or Sochi or to carry out the Trans-Siberian route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More info in this article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/russiable.com\/e-visa-russian-electronic-visa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to obtain the Russian electronic visa (e-visa)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1121\" height=\"1021\" src=\"https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/e-visa-Russia-Example-Featured-image-Russiable.com_.jpg\" alt=\"e-visa Russia Example - Featured image - Russiable.com\" class=\"wp-image-1504\" srcset=\"https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/e-visa-Russia-Example-Featured-image-Russiable.com_.jpg 1121w, https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/e-visa-Russia-Example-Featured-image-Russiable.com_-300x273.jpg 300w, https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/e-visa-Russia-Example-Featured-image-Russiable.com_-768x699.jpg 768w, https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/e-visa-Russia-Example-Featured-image-Russiable.com_-1024x933.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1121px) 100vw, 1121px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong><em>Have you traveled to Russia without a visa? Below you can leave your comments<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are around 60 nationalities which are not required to have a visa to enter Russia (visa waiver). If you are not a citizen of any of these countries (and you don\u2019t have a diplomatic passport), then you need to apply for a visa to Russia before departure. However, there are some minor exceptions to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1286,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[],"modified_by":"Irena Domingo","featured_image_src":"https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Traveling-to-Russia-Visa-Free-Featured-Image.jpg","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Traveling-to-Russia-Visa-Free-Featured-Image.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Irena Domingo","author_link":"https:\/\/russiable.com\/author\/irena-domingo\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/418"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=418"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/418\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2682,"href":"https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/418\/revisions\/2682"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1286"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=418"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=418"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/russiable.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=418"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}