Travel to Russia

What is involved in planning a trip to Russia?

Travel to Russia can be an overwhelming idea at first but thousands of people travel there everyday. Your trip can be arranged with some effort and planning on your part. If you want to know more about rules and issues associated with traveling to Russia, go here.

The guides below will help you anticipate what you will need in advance so you are well informed before your trip.

The basic flow of events are:

Obtain Passport

Make Hotel Reservation

Apply for Russian Visa

Order Airline Tickets

Arrange Ground Transport

Take Trip

Border Entry & Customs

Return to US

Passport

The first part of International travel is to obtain or update your US passport. The process can take up to 45 days to complete unless you pay for express service. This is a very essential part of trip preparation as you will need your passport BEFORE you can apply for a Russian Visa. The first document needed to apply for a passport is your birth certificate. If you can't find yours or it is not available to you, don't worry You can order one from the state of your birth. Once you have your birth certificate, you can apply for your passport. Click here to find the government office closest to you where a passport can be requested.

NOTICE: As of January 23, 2007, all persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air will be required to present a valid passport to re-enter the country. A valid driver's license will no longer suffice for re-entry documentation.

Hotel Accommodations

The major cities in Russia all have nice hotels. The standards of room size and features can be a bit different than what you would see in an American Hotel. Usually the rooms are smaller and less corporate looking but the comfort level is roughly the same. For an idea of Hotel availability in the town you plan to visit, click here.

Tourist Visa:
There are two types of Russians Visas available for you to visit your girlfriend, Vacation and Home Stay.  For assistance in applying for a Visa, we recommend OSTWest as they manage bookings for complete travel arrangements including online Visa Applications.

A Tourist visa

Requires a hotel to confirm your presence in their establishment. The Tourist Visa is based on the premise that you will be staying at a hotel or on an organized tour. The Hotel you will be staying with will send you a confirmation of your stay which  you attach with your Visa application (meaning you book the hotel then apply for the visa).

A Home Stay Visa

This Visa requires your girlfriend to submit an invitation on your behalf, then send the approved application to you so you can apply for a Visa. The process is more lengthy than a vacation visa but it has extended benefits. Longer time periods are allowed, you can stay where you like as long as you check in at their Immigration offices once in a town, and you have more time to schedule the visit. If your fiancé has applied for you to stay with her, then you will attach this document (obtained by her from her local OVIR office) with your Visa application.

When completing the Visa application...

You will be asked very specific questions such as, when will you arrive, where will you stay and for how long? This completed paperwork will be sent, by you, the Russian Consulate. You will include your passport in the package so they can affix the Visa on one of the available pages in your passport.

Once you have the Visa paperwork figured out and your tickets purchased, you are ready to plan you trip to visit your girlfriend. There are many things to discuss and coordinate before you pack your suitcase. In all of this process, you will be able to decide places to see and visit.

Order Airline Tickets

The price of tickets to Russia can change depending on when you book your tickets and when you will take your trip. The farther ahead you book your flight the better. From May until August tickets are the most expensive, as this is the warm season. If you can make you trip outside the summer, your airfare will be reduced greatly.

Ground Transportation

This is usually needed upon departure form an Airport. If someone meets you at the airport, you will be able to negotiate a much better deal on a taxi. Your girlfriend will usually be experienced in negotiating with taxi drivers, it's best not to say much or reveal you are an American. Cab drivers are savvy enough to take advantage of international travelers who don't know local rates.

Travel by Train:

If your trip includes additional travel by train, you are in for a real treat. Russian Trains are very reliable and comfortable. If you can obtain a private car, you will find the accommodations very nice and relaxing. Most trains have dining cars and other amenities making them the best way to move about the country.

Airport Transfer

A taxi ride might be required if you will be switching airports to make additional connections to another city. This is very common in Moscow and the airports are very spread out. Be prepared for a lengthy, and somewhat costly ride in this case. A typical transfer can be as much as $75 since it may be an hour long drive through traffic. Russian cab drivers usually wait for your plane and dedicate a lot of time to your trip, so the service is more personal than an American cab who waits outside on the street.

  Border Entry & Customs

Border Entry: After you land you will have to enter the Russian Border.  Entrance is fairly simple, they will examine your Passport, Visa and a form you complete upon arrival which describes your travel plans. You will insert a portion of this form in your passport and will be asked for it when you leave. The border authority will expect it to be stamped either by the hotel you stayed at or the local OVIR office if you stayed with friends or your fiancée.

Customs: Once you pass through the Border, you will go through the Customs process. Typically this only takes a few minutes if you are declaring less than 10,000 in cash. For those carrying larger sums, more papers and questions will be asked. Be very cautious of your safety upon leaving the "over 10K" section of customs. It is very unsafe to travel alone in this condition as it is obvious you are in possession of large amount of cash or valuables. It is best to be met by someone to ensure you are accounted for. More about Customs >>

Returning Home

After obtaining your return flight's boarding pass, you will go through the border exit process. This is very similar to your arrival experience. They will ask for the form you were provided on arrival and will inspect the stamp from the hotel or OVIR office. If you loose this form, your exit from Russia could be delayed by days or weeks! There are also fines involved in some cases, so be sure to keep up with the arrival form.

Note: Remember to keep all your papers

Retain all your restaurant receipts, subway tickets, theater and tourism stubs for future use. These are great ways to prove your relationship and they look great on the "proof of relationship" portion of the K-1 package.

  Advice: Take a the Background Information form with you on your trip.

Your fiancé will need to sign this and help you fill it out. The K-1 requires both you and your fiancé to complete a background form.

Resources for Trip Planning:

There are several sites to help you get the most from your trip. We recommend OST-West based on their first hand experience with people who set up their own travel arrangements to Russia.