Russian Visa Information

No Visa Required
for cruise ship passengers
Visa Required
for other tourists

Cruise Passengers: No Visa Required

Article 25.11 of the Federal Law N7-FZ "On Entry to the Russian Federation and Departure from the Russian Federation" (as amended on January 10, 2003 and further on November 21, 2008), gives all cruise ship and ferry passengers the right to enter Russia with no visas provided the following conditions are met:

  • Arrive by and overnight on a cruise ship or ferry
  • Participate in an organized tour and present a valid tour ticket & photo ID to the immigration officials at point of entry
  • Maximum stay of 72 hours

You do not need a visa to go on our tours! - Regardless of what your cruise line may be telling you (read Cruise Ship Propaganda).

Prior to your arrival in Russia, we will handle all necessary paperwork on your behalf to arrange visa-free disembarkation in St. Petersburg. We will also send you an official Tour Ticket that you will use in lieu of visa to leave your ship.

To arrange visa-free disembarkation we will need to receive the following information:

  • Full names of all guests exactly as they appear in passports
  • Dates of birth
  • Citizenship
  • Passport numbers
  • Name of cruise line and cruise ship
  • Dates in Russia

IMPORTANT:

  • It takes a minimum of 10 business days to process all paperwork.
  • At point of entry you must present the same passport whose details you sent to us earlier. In case of multiple citizenships, please make sure to bring along the passport we know about!
  • All passports must be valid during the dates of your stay in Russia

Other Tourists: Visa Required

Tourist in need of the visa must first obtain it from the Russian Embassy located in their area before traveling to Russia. Travelers without passport or entry visa may be subject to fines, days of processing backlogs, and/or immediate deportation by route of entry (at their own expense).

To get a tourist visa to Russia, you will need to submit the following to the Russan Embassy:

  • Filled out and signed visa application form
  • Valid original passport (your visa will be stamped here)
  • Tourist Confirmation Letter and Travel Voucher (we will send you these for free)
  • Photos
  • Consular fee

In most cases a single-entry tourist visa is sufficient for traveling to Russia for a short (up to 30 days) period of time. If your tour itinerary requires multiple entries to Russia, please indicate so on the application questionnaire.

To issue our Tourist Confirmation Letter and Travel Voucher we will need to receive the following information:

  • Full names of all guests exactly as they appear in passports
  • Dates of birth
  • Citizenship
  • Passport numbers
  • Your address while in Russia (hotel, B&B, etc.)
  • Dates in Russia
Thank you for your inquiry

You will receive a response from us within 24 hours of your initial request.