Russia Travel Tips

Now that Russia is no longer a communist nation, the country is much more accessible to Americans. Travelling to Russia requires some upfront planning and below are some great Russia Travel Tips. First, realize that Russia is diverse in terms of socioeconomic terms. One area can be very affluent, safe, and visitor friendly. Other areas are not so safe either riddled by civil war such as the Caucasus peninsula. Travel is not recommended to the country of Chechnya due to bloody wars, kidnappings, and terrorist attacks.



Entry and Exit Requirements For Russia: The Russian government has some very restrictive and complicated visa regime for foreign travelers who visit, transit, or reside in the Russian Federation. The Russian visa system requires sponsorship, entry/exit visas, migration cards and complete registration. Americans with Rusian Passports will face some additional and especiall cumbersome restrictions. There is still a bit of skepticism in Russia going back to the Cold War Era. If you are an American in Russia, do not try to travel without your Passport in hand at all times. Keep a photocopy of your passport in a second location just in case you lose your passport. To gain entry into Russia, you will need a visa well in advance of your planned trip. You cannot gain entrance to Russia as if you were travelling to most of Europe where you can gain access to the country by passing through customs at the airport. Your Russia Visa will have two specific dates on it. Your entry date and your exit date are hard rules. A visa in Russia may be issued for as few as four days and is quite common. Longer stays will require additional paperwork and level of sponsorship.

The most important thing to know about visiting Russia is that you need to plan ahead to make sure that you have the documents neeed for your intended purpose. Obtaining these documents may take weeks to months so do not wait until the last minute to inquire about a Russia visa.

There are two types of Vissas in Russia. One type is called a 'guest' visa and the other is a 'tourist' visa. A Russian Guest Visa is when an individual Russian Citizen is your sponsor. The Russian Tourist Visa is issued when a hotel or tour group sponsors your visa. When departing Russia, you must have your visa on you. Should you lose it, a photo copy, while a good idea, will not suffice. You will need to obtain a visa from the US Embassy office in Russia. An American who misses a departure date on the visa will have long delays leaving the country and will have difficulty even finding accomodations. Your sponsor will need to intervene in order to help you exit the country. Hopefully you can plead with your sponsor to stay with them while your visa issue is resolved.

For additional information concerning entry and exit requirements, travelers may contact:

Embassy of the Russian Federation
Consular Section
2641 Tunlaw Rd., NW
Washington, DC 20007
Telephone (202) 939-8907

Or the following Consulates:
Houston (tel. 713-337-3300)
New York (tel. 212-348-0926)
San Francisco (tel. 415-928-6878, 415-202-9800/)
Seattle (tel. 206-728-1910)

Comments have not yet been received by users on this website.You can be the first person to add your comments! Share your thoughts, opinions, and views by using the form below to add comments to this website.

Name: You Live In: Comment Rating: Positive Negative Neutral Your Comments: (Max 1000 Chars) Verification Code: Enter the Code:   I have read and agree to the Terms of Posting