8

I am a EU citizen planning to travel to the Baltic republics this summer and was wondering if I can visit St Petersburg too (I found multiple companies offering bus services between Tallin and St Petersburg). The website https://www.e-visa-russia.com/st-petersburg seems active, stating

In order to ensure state security, to protect public health and not to spread the new coronavirus infection in the Russian Federation, from March 18, 2020 to May 31, 2020 the issuance of electronic visas for visiting the Far Eastern Federal District, Kaliningrad Oblast, Saint‑Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast has been suspended.

Could anyone in the community please confirm if it's possible to obtain a St Petersburg e-visa ? I am aware Russia scrapped the unified e-visa :https://electronic-visa.kdmid.ru/index_en.html.

Dimitri Vulis
  • 2,391
  • 8
  • 17
StatArb
  • 131
  • 3

2 Answers2

11

Russian Ministry of International Affairs just issued news piece that e-visas will make a comeback starting from August 1, 2023.

From August 1, 2023, a practical launch of the system for issuing unified electronic visas to foreign citizens valid throughout the territory of the Russian Federation will be carried out. At the same time, the list of foreign countries whose citizens are issued such a visa will be preserved and expanded, which currently includes 52 countries.

That makes it a "yes", though the web site of e-visa still does not work.

Update Sep 2023: The website is now live, and it promises that:

FAST An e-visa is issued within 4 calendar days, including week-ends and bank holidays.

EASY There is no need for any invitations or confirmations. Just fill in the application form on the website.

CONVENIENT There is no need to waste your free time or working hours to visit the consular agency during its business hours. The website works 24/7.

Looks like it would now be country-wide and not restricted to SPb region.

With regards to country list, as per 2023 there are most of EU, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, but neither USA nor Canada. Latin America, Thailand and South Korea are not on the list, but I believe they have visa waiver when travelling to Russia.

alamar
  • 12,563
  • 2
  • 36
  • 60
5

No, it is still suspended .

The embassy of Russia in France states :

POUR DES RAISONS SANITAIRES, LES VISAS ÉLECTRONIQUES NE SONT PAS DÉLIVRÉS.

For sanitary reasons, electronic visas aren't supplied

The link given by the embassy for that visa kind now is a 404

Midavalo
  • 12,795
  • 7
  • 51
  • 115
Nicolas Formichella
  • 28,570
  • 4
  • 57
  • 117