Please note!

Here we do not consider special cases, for example, the possibility of visa-free entry for cruise passengers (we will discuss this later). At this stage, we give an answer (yes or no) whether you can come to St. Petersburg without a visa, without fulfilling any additional conditions.

TRAVELDOC - is a special database in which visa restrictions are checked by almost all airlines at check-in. For check indicate the country of the start of the trip (origin) and destination (Russia), the date of entry and exit (departure/return), transit countries (multisegment), your citizenship and the validity of your travel passport.

Just in case, you can check the information on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry*
Please, pay attention to the types of passports (general, diplomatic, others) that are subject to certain rules and restrictions.

* - Link above this is a translated page. Here is the original page in Russian

Dear travelers!

At the time of entry to Russia, you must have a medical insurance policy valid for the entire stay in Russia!

Highly likely, the border guard will check only three documents - passport, visa and migration card, but you must have and present an insurance policy upon request. If you cannot provide a valid insurance, you will be denied entry to Russia.

You should know that EMERGENCY medical aid in Russia is absolutely free, regardless of your citizenship, available ID or insurance. But, if for medical reasons it is necessary to continue treatment in-hospital, then you need a valid health insurance policy or ... a lot of money.

How to call an ambulance in Russia without knowledge of Russian. Very important information

You can buy an insurance policy in your company or choose a Russian heath insurance policy. In this case, you can be absolutely sure that Russian hospitals will accept it.

To not forgot about it in your holiday bustle before the trip, it is best buy a policy online now, only in 2 min from a reliable Russian company for only a couple of euros.

Please note!

The following transliteration and pronunciation is given for the classical Latin alphabet and does not match with the rules of orthography and pronunciation of English.

Therefore do not pronounce Russian words how to you like represent sounds in English.

For example:
The Latin letter U should not be pronounced as the English word you.
U = YOU = OO

If you doubt the correct pronunciation, click on the live audio link in Russian
(Link to sound )

MANDATORY SHORE TOURS
HOW TO GET MORE AND PAY LESS

First buy a cheap shore visa-free (!) excursion from GetYouGuide or Viator (a member of TripAdvisor). Why exactly from them? The fact is that these websites offer guided tours of all the famous coastal agencies at the same prices as the agencies themselves. It is very convenient for you and looks like searching for cheap tickets through e.g. Skyscanner, where you immediately see the prices and conditions of all airlines.

Take a look and make sure! Here is an excursion from TJ Travel agency, on the example of which we showed that returning to the ship late at night is possible (subject to the purchase of an additional service) and does not disagree the rules. And here is the same tour on Viator. As you can see, there are no differences either in the program or in the price.

Of course, you can find a coastal agency on your own, but, in any case, please, do not forget to comply with the requirements of the authorities for mandatory shore excursions! Namely, the agency must be licensed for visa-free tours and provide a special visa-replacement voucher. Tour purchase must be completed no later than 4 days before the ship arrives at the port.

Before trip or after going ashore, tell the guide about your wishes and what you want to get. Maybe you want to exclude for yourself some part of the tour in order to get free time or/and add an additional service to the purchased tour in order to use it for free movement. Necessarily approve when and how (independently or the guide will arrange a transfer to harbor for you) you will return to the ship!

Please remember that formally you have no right to move around the city yourself. Therefore, it should be understood that your guide takes risks by allowing you to 'swim freely'. It would be wise to offer a gratuity for services (incl for silence), if you don't use part of the tour, but return to the ship together with a group. And of course, you should pay for the service and for secrecy if you plan to return to the ship later than the common group.

There is no exact percentage of tip - each time it is the result of conversations. In any case, it will be much cheaper than a full-day tour or special night tour. Since all these actions are not entirely legal, avoid the 'ears of strangers'. Send letters only to the direct e-mail address of the agency (in no case do this through intermediaries, such as Viator). If you negotiate after going ashore, then let no one be near. Just in case.

How to notify your guide of returning to the ship?
Here, for example, is one of the possible scripts, if you come back yourself:

After the excursion, you go to a restaurant, walk, etc and then return by taxi to the pier. While boarding, after immigration procedure (attention, it is forbidden to photograph the passport control zone!!!), take a selfie photo by smartphone and send it via WhatsApp to your guide no later than a certain time. If you do not, your supervisor informs the police about the violation of the visa-free regime.

How everything will actually, be up to you, but one way or another, the coastal staff must be sure that you have returned and left St. Petersburg on time!
However, if you are not a backpacker, if you are such an honest person that you do not have a single penalty for incorrect parking, love comfort on schedule, but you want to take a walk, then your option is here

Find the best tour on

MANDATORY SHORE TOURS
HOW TO GET MORE AND PAY LESS

Many travelers often make the same mistake. They try during a short time to be in absolutely everywhere and even somewhere else. An even worse mistake is to buy such a tour, which they then write about on TripAdvisor or LonelyPlanet forums "we were driven like a herd of cows".

Alas, almost all cruise passengers are like that. But, you're not like that? Right? That is why, we advise YOU not to run from one museum to another, but to choose one or two really interesting attractions per day. And it's better to spend free time for local cuisine restaurants and just for a walk.

All this is very easy to do when you have a Russian visa, including a simplified E-Visa or you are a citizen of a country for which no visa is needed. But what if you need a visa and you need to buy a special tour to go ashore? Indeed, in this case, the rules prohibit moving around the city without a live guide!

There is a saying in Russia - 'The severity of the law is offset by the non-very strictly enforcement.' It`s this opportunity that cruise visa-free passengers use. But only smart passengers! How to get a lot of adventures for relatively little money, we told here

But you are a solid person, why do you need these experiments? Fortunately, Russia is not a very expensive country and you can increase the level of service to the first class or even VIP is much cheaper than in many other country.

So. Almost all coastal agencies sell so-called 'custom tours'. What it is? Everything is very simple. Write a free-form letter to any company and tell what exactly you want to get. Be sure to indicate that you would like to have free time for walking without a guide and are ready to pay for this service by disguising it as one of the points o the shore tourist program. That's all!

Based on your wishes, a travel company will organize an individual coastal tour program for you. Thus, you can visit really interesting attractions along with a guide at a relaxing pace, get free time and pay much less than for full-day private tour. We know cases where on paper the tour was eventful and expensive, but in fact the traveler paid only for a transfer from the harbor and back and, of course, for the silence and secrecy of the contract.

Which company you entrust your vacation is up to you. We show you only a list of agencies that you can really trust.

LIST OF BEST COASTAL AGENCIES

You can verify the reliability and hospitality of coastal travel companies by reading the reviews and

Checking the ratings on

НЕ НА ПАРОМ !

MAIN CRUISE PORT 'MARINE FACADE' in StP
ADDRESS FOR PICK-UP A TAXI ON THE STREET

Please show this address in Russian to the driver and say
MARSKOY FASAD (Marine Facade) + pier number (optional)

If you are in a hurry and take a taxi right on the street, remember our warnings about illegal taxi drivers. Never, NEVER use their services even if you are late! On the street, choose only branded cars! A car without a company logo and with a sign in English on window 'Taxi Vacant' is a 100 percent SCAMMER!

Even from far areas of St. Petersburg, a fair tariff is unlikely to exceed 1 000 rubles

НЕ на паром, НЕ морской фасад !

CRUISE PIER at L-t SHMIDT Emb. in StP
ADDRESS FOR PICK-UP A TAXI ON THE STREET

Please show this address in Russian to the driver and/or say
LEITENANTA SHMIDTA TRITSAT DEVYAT

If you are in a hurry and take a taxi right on the street, remember our warnings about illegal taxi drivers. Never, NEVER use their services even if you are late! On the street, choose only branded cars! A car without a company logo and with a sign in English on window 'Taxi Vacant' is a 100 percent SCAMMER!

Even from far areas of St. Petersburg, a fair tariff is unlikely to exceed 1 000 rubles

НЕ на паром, НЕ морской фасад !

CRUISE PIER at ENGLISH Emb. in StP
ADDRESS FOR PICK-UP A TAXI ON THE STREET

Please show this address in Russian to the driver and/or say
ANGLIYSKAYA NABEREZHNAYA PYAT`DESYAT SHEST

If you are in a hurry and take a taxi right on the street, remember our warnings about illegal taxi drivers. Never, NEVER use their services even if you are late! On the street, choose only branded cars! A car without a company logo and with a sign in English on window 'Taxi Vacant' is a 100 percent SCAMMER!

Even from far areas of St. Petersburg, a fair tariff is unlikely to exceed 1 000 rubles

Private transfer to main cruise port
'MARINE FACADE'
Show on the map

ⓘ Specify exact address at 2-nd step of booking (copy/paste)
Берег Невской Губы, 1

ORDER NOW
_________________________________

Private transfer to the cruise pier
at 'ENGLISH EMBANKMENT'
Show on the map

ⓘ Specify exact address at 2-nd step of booking (copy/paste)
Английская Набережная, 56

ORDER NOW
_________________________________

Private transfer to the cruise pier
at 'LT SHMIDT EMBANKMENT'
Show on the map

ⓘ Specify exact address at 2-nd step of booking (copy/paste)
Наб. Лейтенанта Шмидта, 39

ORDER NOW

Ordering a taxi to main cruise port
'MARINE FACADE'
Show on the map

ORDER NOW
_________________________________

Ordering a taxi to the cruise pier
at 'ENGLISH EMBANKMENT'
Show on the map

ORDER NOW
_________________________________

Ordering a taxi to the cruise pier
at 'LT SHMIDT EMBANKMENT'
Show on the map

ORDER NOW