Starting October 1, 2019, tourists can visit Russia’s cultural capital and the surrounding region by e-visa, with no consular fees.
E-visa can be obtained by the citizens of 53 countries, including Austria, Andorra, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Vatican, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Denmark, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Italy, Qatar, Cyprus, China, North Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Northern Macedonia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Philippines, Finland, France, Croatia, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, Estonia and Japan.
Applicants need to fill out a form on the website of the consular department of the Russian Foreign Ministry (https://evisa.kdmid.ru) and upload a photograph; there is no consular fee. The visa is valid for stays in St Petersburg and the surrounding Leningrad Region for up to eight days. The purpose of travel can be tourism, business, or humanitarian reasons.
In early July, e-visas were also introduced for trips to Kaliningrad and the Kaliningrad region. A similar scheme is in operation for Vladivostok and airports across the whole of Russia’s Far Eastern Federal District.
In addition, we remind you that tourists who visit Russia on cruise ships do not need visas when ordering shore excursions in St. Petersburg.
