Russian Visa revisited

[frisquito]

We are going on an Azamara cruise that spends 3 days in St Petersburg. If we just spend the first day on a ship tour does that give us a Visa that we can use to tour on our own for the next 2 days. It sounds like a hassle to obtain a Visa through the Russian Embassy for independant travel.

 

Thanks for any suggestions

[Lair Bear]

We are going on an Azamara cruise that spends 3 days in St Petersburg. If we just spend the first day on a ship tour does that give us a Visa that we can use to tour on our own for the next 2 days. It sounds like a hassle to obtain a Visa through the Russian Embassy for independant travel.

 

Thanks for any suggestions

 

The answer is simply 'NO'. You always have to have a 'sponsor' if you don't have your own visa.

 

In fact, the term visa is perhaps not the correct term when you deal with a private or ship's tour company. They have some kind of agreement with their government that allows them to 'escort' you through parts of Russia. But it also means that they are responsible to see that you are always under their guard. Your passport will not have the 'visa' stamp, etc.

[sbhdmh]

To amplify Lair Bear's response the tour company will issue you a tour ticket for you to present to the Russian Immigration official when you arrive in St Petersburg. They will also submit your passport information to the Russian authorities and indicate the dates that you will be touring with them. If you go with the tour on July 1, for example, and then try to reenter the country on July 2 you will not have a sponsor. With no visa in your passport you will be sent back to the ship. The tour company cannot take responsibility for you on days that they are not escorting you. Make sense?

[vonder]

Has anyone gone on both ship tours and private tours on the same visit to St. Petersburg. We have a ship tour the first day and evening and a private tour the next 2 days. Have you had any visa problems?

[RachelG]

Has anyone gone on both ship tours and private tours on the same visit to St. Petersburg. We have a ship tour the first day and evening and a private tour the next 2 days. Have you had any visa problems?

You definitely can do this. The private company will email you some papers that you print off to use to get through customs on the day that you tour with them.

[toonye]

In fact, it does not make any difference wether you're visiting on a group tour with the cruiseline or private with a registered tour agency, both tours will allow you to enter Russia without a personal visa IF and ONLY IF you stay with your group and/or guide AT ANY TIME

 

which also means no free time AT ALL to wander around the city for some minutes/hours on your own, etc...

you'll have to be escorted at any time

 

This is what really made us feel uncomfortable and decided us to apply for visas so that we can enjoy some free time in the city, even if we'll probably take a guided tour as well

 

But visas are not expensive for us European citizens, it's "only" 35 eur pp

as for the required invitation letters, you can either buy them for about 20 eur or get them for free if you book some services through an agency (for example: transfers, car with driver, guided tour...)

 

we have a russian consulate near where we live, so we'll just have to go there twice

not much a hassle

 

Toonye

[SF Cfan]

Has anyone gone on both ship tours and private tours on the same visit to St. Petersburg. We have a ship tour the first day and evening and a private tour the next 2 days. Have you had any visa problems?

 

We did it last July, 10 of us: Ship's tour (HAL) on day 1 and with Alla on day 2. We had separate tour tickets for both days.

[rubens]

We did it last July, 10 of us: Ship's tour (HAL) on day 1 and with Alla on day 2. We had separate tour tickets for both days.

 

And what about : we have a three day tour with SPB and we want to add an evening tour with the ship - will the ship issue a separate tour ticket and the immigration allow us on the same day with 2 different TT ??

[Giantfan13]

And what about : we have a three day tour with SPB and we want to add an evening tour with the ship - will the ship issue a separate tour ticket and the immigration allow us on the same day with 2 different TT ??

 

I see no reason why you cannot do this. What you do with SPB tours has nothing to do with what you book thru the ship. As has been said several times already, you just cannot walk off the ship without some sort of escorted tour. If it is private or ship excursion, as long as you are part of that group, you will be fine.

 

Have you tried contacting Viktoria about doing a a night excrsion, they might be able to give you a better deal than the ship??

 

Cheers

 

Len