Destination > Russia! 20 Questions and Opinions
Question 21 - Where is the best destination in Russia to visit? (Sochi, Sevastopol, Moscow, Saint Petersburg) > The photo may or may not be the answer depending on your perspective.
Is visiting Russia possible?
>Yes! If one really desires to visit Russia by successfully completely the steps to achieve the goal of obtaining a Russian visa, then one will be able to visit and enjoy Russia.
Is visiting Russia worthwhile?
>Yes! Always worthwhile if one loves Russia. Moscow is the historical heart of Russia and Saint Petersburg is the “Venice of the North”. The rural areas like Murom (Муром) is the soul of the Russian spirit.
Is traveling to/from Russia easy?
> No. The unilateral, illegal western sanctions make traveling to/from Russia very difficult. The unilateral, illegal western sanctions have shut down gateways from USA, Canada, EU, UK, Japan and many other countries. Aeroflot Russian Airlines are unfairly targeted by restricting airspace flights over countries and by restricting entry to airport cities. The freedom of movement has been violated by unilateral, illegal western sanctions. However there still remains limited gateways to/from Russia with the main access through Turkey (July 2022 current conditions).
Are there any current (July 2022) restrictions?
>Yes. Only 1 restriction for foreigners only. → The PCR test negative result taken within 72 hours upon entry. (Russians can travel freely WITHOUT PCR test.) Yes, the realization is known to be a serious barrier for entry for people (like me) who honestly believe what the PCR test inventor Kary Mullis stated> “The PCR test does NOT test for disease/illness.” For proof, please watch Kary Mullis speak on bitchute, > https://www.bitchute.com/video/Dg0XFFaDyjEC/ Also, the PCR test was adopted by the World Health Organization in February 2020 after the mysterious death of Kary Mullis in August 2019 and immediately after German Christian Drosten wrote a very inaccurate research paper about the PCR test. (Please note that the USA and Canada have a much more extreme barrier restriction with a very harsh vaccination injection requirement for foreigners.)
What are the steps to obtain a Russian visa (a mandatory requirement to visit Russia)?
>A) 2 passport photos. B) Tourist voucher containing very important tourist voucher number and reference number. C) On-Line VISA Application Form completed on-line and then printed out. D) Round trip airline tickets. E) Hotel reservations or travel agency guided tour information. Please note a very helpful website is https://russiable.com/getting-russian-visa-usa-canada/
What information is required to complete the on-line visa application?
>A) Personal details like passport information B) Previous trips abroad going back 10 years C) Last 2 places of work addresses D) University/college education institution address. The on-line visa application can be found at visa.kdmid.ru and it is important to remember the application ID number and your password for retrieval in order to input continued/updated information.
What is the longest possible visa available for tourists?
>Common tourist multi-entry for 3 years.
How is a tourist voucher obtained?
>Contacting a reliable tourist travel agency in your country or in Russia that specializes in Russia tourism for foreigners. (TravelBound tourist travel agency for example.) Travel agency service cost for obtaining the Russian tourist voucher is approximately $70.
Is it possible to make a direct tourist visa application appointment at the Russian embassy in person?
>No. Appointments can ONLY be scheduled on-line via the Russian embassy’s website in your respective country. Please note that there is at least a 2-week waiting list for tourist visa appointments. The tourist should check on Russian embassy appointment availability calendar daily with your given security code and application ID numbers sent to your personal e-mail address. Once the appointment day/time is confirmed on-line, then an in-person visit to the Russian embassy/consulate is made to turn in ALL required documents (noted in question 5).
Why does obtaining an on-line appointment at the Russian embassy take so long?
>Unilateral, illegal western sanctions have cut the working staff at Russian embassies worldwide. Also Russian embassies/consulates are maximizing appointments for helping their own Russian citizens as first priority while minimizing tourist visa appointments. Please note that unilateral, illegal western sanctions have very unfairly created very difficult hardships on ordinary Russian citizens and the Russian embassy is dedicated to help their own citizens first.
Is it possible to find a visa application service agent to submit your application as an alternative to a personal appointment at the Russian embassy?
>Yes, the hope is certainly so that the visa application service agent remains free to operate and is NOT intimidated by unilateral, illegal western sanctions. (Invisa Logistic Services in Washington DC for example.) Please note that this service (that submits your tourist visa application to the Russian embassy for you) costs over $200.
How long does a Russian visa application take to be processed?
>Once the the visa tourist application is filed with the Russian embassy, the processing time takes about 1 week.
How much does the Russian visa application cost?
>Less than $100.
What is the purpose and process of a migration card?
>The purpose of a migration card is to track the entry/exit dates to/from the Russian Federation. The process starts with the airline handing out the migration card to passengers. The tourist passenger then hands the migration card to airport immigration control officers upon entry and also exit.
Is registration at a local Interior Ministry registration office required?
>Yes. As soon as possible within 7 days. The purpose of registration is to confirm the tourist’s residency at the respective vacation spot. If on a multi destination tour, then the tour operator should register the tourist. Please note that the local Interior Ministry offices are open Monday through Friday and closed on weekends/holidays.
Is it possible for foreigners to enter Russia via all land border crossings?
>NO! Land border crossings (via train for example from Belarus) are forbidden for foreigners. The land border between Russia and Belarus does NOT have international checkpoints because Russia and Belarus are a union state. Foreigners can ONLY cross land borders that have official international checkpoints (example is Russia<>China). Foreigners are responsible for pre-travel official international checkpoint entry confirmation. The Russian Federation border guards are strong, firm, fair, and friendly professionals that strictly enforce Russian Federation law. Any violation of Russian Federation law will result in detainment and deportation.
Is a health insurance certificate/document a requirement for tourists?
> Possibly (yes or no) as determined by respective country agreements with the Russian Federation.
Are there any current (July 2022) health mandates for tourists?
>No! No injection (vaccination) mandates. No QR code green passes. No mask mandates. Please note that Russia is a federation where different regions may apply restrictions abruptly because of the World Health Organization.
What is the best mode of travel from international Sheremetyevo airport to Moscow?
>The Aeroexpress train that directly runs from the Sheremetyevo airport to the Belorusskaya metro subway station in Moscow. The cost is 450 Russian rubles and the one way destination time is approximately 1 hour until the new fast track railway line is built. Please note current July exchange rate is 57 rubles per 1 dollar. https://aeroexpress.ru/en/
What is the most cost effective way to travel around Moscow?
>The metro (underground subway) “тройка” card that is prepaid for the self desired number of metro entries and can be reused at any future time by payment replenishment. The current July 2022 cost of one metro entry using this card is 46 Russian rubles.