Last Updated on January 29, 2020

For those of you out of the loop, back in July, the Russian President announced that a new e-visa program would be implemented for tourists traveling to St. Petersburg. This new policy would allow tourists with passports from over 50 countries to enjoy everything that St. Petersburg has to offer without going through the lengthy and expensive Russian visa process. Until now, the list of qualifying countries has been a big mystery.

Below we outline who qualifies for this new e-visa and exactly how to apply for it.

Please keep in mind that this policy goes into effect on October 1st, 2019 and that may only apply for an e-visa after this date. Also note that the e-visa may not be used for travel to St. Petersburg by rail.

Who Qualifies for the St. Petersburg e-Visa?

Here is the full list of countries who qualify for the e-visa to St Petersburg:

Austria, Andorra, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Vatican, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Denmark, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Italy, Qatar, Cyprus, China (including Taiwan), The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Northern Macedonia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Philippines, Finland, France, Croatia, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, Estonia, Japan

Is your country excluded from the new policy? You can still avoid dealing with applying for a Russian visa by arriving on cruise ship and booking a tour with us, all of our tours include tour tickets (which act as visa waivers).

How much does it cost?

The e-visa application is completely free of charge.

Do I need to make hotel reservations, book flights, etc. before applying?

There’s no need to make reservations. The application will ask you about where you intend to stay, but there is no obligation to stay there.

How do I apply for an e-Visa?

Please note that this policy goes into effect on October 1st, 2019.

If you qualify for the new e-visa, you can head over to this website: http://electronic-visa.kdmid.ru/spb_home_en.html and click on the “Fill in an e-visa application form” button.

This will bring you to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ application page. From there, follow the instructions to apply for your St. Petersburg e-visa.

How long does it take to receive the visa?

The consular department will send you the e-visa within four calendar days of submitting your application. After receiving it, simply print it out and take it with you on your trip to St. Petersburg.

Have additional questions?

As always, we are available in case you have any questions. Our contact information may be found on this page: https://exptours.co/contact-us/