Russia introduces e-visas for foreign tourists coming to St. Petersburg

Russia’s President Putin signed a decree extending the electronic visa regime to the territory of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. The relevant document was posted on the legal information website.

“To establish that from October 1, 2019 entrance to the Russian Federation and departure from the Russian Federation for foreign citizens via the checkpoints of the state border of the Russian Federation located in the territories of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region can be made on the basis of regular single-entry business, tourist and humanitarian visas in the form of electronic documents,” the decree reads.

“No consular fee is collected for the issuance of electronic visas,” the document states. “Foreign citizens arriving in the Russian Federation via checkpoints on the basis of electronic visas have the right to freedom of movement within the territories of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region,” the decree states. The period of authorized stay in Russia for e-visa holders will be up to eight days.

The President tasked the government “to determine particularities of electronic visas’ issuance for foreign citizens and their entry into the Russian Federation via checkpoints on the basis of electronic visas; approve the list of foreign countries, whose nationals can enter the Russian Federation and depart from the Russian Federation via checkpoints on the basis of electronic visas by October 1, 2019.”

In March 2017, Putin signed a law on the simplified visa regime in the territory of the Vladivostok Free Port. The electronic visa is valid for 30 days from its issue with the authorized period of stay in Russia of up to 8 days. Citizens of 18 states are eligible. Simplified visa issue conditions in the Far East came into force on August 1, 2018.

(etn)