Electronic visa for St. Petersburg

Great news for Philippine passport holders! Starting from October 1, citizens whose countries were confirmed with a free electronic visa are now eligible to visit Saint Petersburg, as per Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announcement on Thursday, and the Philippines included.

The list of countries was published on Friday morning. It is the same 53 for which a similar scheme was introduced on 1 July 2019 for Russia’s Far East and Kaliningrad Oblast. All EU countries except the United Kingdom are included on the list.

Last July, Russian President Vladimir Putin had already signed a decree to allow travel to Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast with an electronic visa from 1 October but had not specified which countries would be given access. The visa is valid for stays in St Petersburg and the surrounding Leningrad Region for up to eight days. The purpose of travel can be tourism, business, or humanitarian reasons.

Russia’s ministry of foreign affairs states some its advantage compare to regular sticker visas. An e-visa is issued within 4 calendar days, including weekends and bank holidays. You can now skip the visit at a consular agency during its business hours – and all you need to do is fill out the application form on the website. Plus! You do not need to pay for anything to obtain an e-visa.

Here is the complete list of the confirmed 53 countries:

1. Austria

2. Andorra

3. Bahrain

4. Belgium

5. Bulgaria

6. Vatican

7. Hungary

8. Germany

9. Greece

10. Denmark

11. India

12. Indonesia

13. Iran

14. Ireland

15. Iceland

16. Spain

17. Italy

18. Qatar

19. Cyprus

20. China (including Taiwan)

21. Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

22. Kuwait

23. Latvia

24. Lithuania

25. Liechtenstein

26. Luxembourg

27. Malaysia

28. Malta

29. Mexico

30. Monaco

31. Netherlands

32. Norway

33. Oman

34. Poland

35. Portugal

36. Romania

37. San Marino

38. Saudi Arabia

39. Northern Macedonia

40. Serbia

41. Singapore

42. Slovakia

43. Slovenia

44. Turkey

45. Philippines

46. Finland

47. France

48. Croatia

49. Czech Republic

50. Switzerland

51. Sweden

52. Estonia

53. Japan

Searching for best hotels and affordable flights? Check out our complete list of affordable hotels and resorts via Agoda or you may also see available Airbnb properties in the city.

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