Visa for St Petersburg?

[HappyInVan]

Hi All,

 

First time to Russia. I'm on the April cruise to Baltics with 2D in St Petersburg.

 

Do I need a visa for the two days? Alternately, I could stay on board and not need a visa. Just looks very annoying to get a visa in Ottawa.

 

??

 

Thanks,

 

Jim

 

 

[kazu]

3 minutes ago, HappyInVan said:

Hi All,

 

First time to Russia. I'm on the April cruise to Baltics with 2D in St Petersburg.

 

Do I need a visa for the two days? Alternately, I could stay on board and not need a visa. Just looks very annoying to get a visa in Ottawa.

 

??

 

Thanks,

 

Jim

 

 

 

If you are doing a private tour with the reputable guides who state they arrange the tourist visas, you don't need a visa.  Don't worry about the emails or notices you may get.  The reputable companies arrange them just as the ship's tours do. You will need to give them your passport info normally.

 

If you do a ships' tour you don't need a visa.

 

If you are going to travel independently off the ship, you do need a visa.  Frankly, I don't recommend it.  

 

There are several wonderful private companies that do St. Petersburg.  If you visit the ports boards you will see them discussed often.

[ontheweb]

7 minutes ago, HappyInVan said:

Hi All,

 

First time to Russia. I'm on the April cruise to Baltics with 2D in St Petersburg.

 

Do I need a visa for the two days? Alternately, I could stay on board and not need a visa. Just looks very annoying to get a visa in Ottawa.

 

??

 

Thanks,

 

Jim

 

 

If you either take a ship excursion or an excursion with one of the approved tour companies, you go on their group visa. No need to get one on your own if you do either of those two things.

[HappyInVan]

2 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

If you are doing a private tour with the reputable guides who state they arrange the tourist visas, you don't need a visa.  Don't worry about the emails or notices you may get.  The reputable companies arrange them just as the ship's tours do. You will need to give them your passport info normally.

 

If you do a ships' tour you don't need a visa.

 

If you are going to travel independently off the ship, you do need a visa.  Frankly, I don't recommend it.  

 

There are several wonderful private companies that do St. Petersburg.  If you visit the ports boards you will see them discussed often.

Thanks. I spoke to HAL operator and he said that I need a visa. I'll call again and clarify.

[kazu]

Just now, HappyInVan said:

Thanks. I spoke to HAL operator and he said that I need a visa. I'll call again and clarify.

 

They like to tell you that you need a ship's tour to avoid the visa requirement.

 

It's not true IF you are on a private tour with the operators that arrange them (and many of them do).

[HappyInVan]

Thanks guys. You're rite. The second HAL operator said that ship excursions don't need visas.

[taxmantoo]

Basically, everyone who goes ashore in Russia needs a visa.

There are several ways of complying:

1) You can arrange for your own through the embassy or a visa service before leaving Canada (more expensive and complicated but you are free to go wherever you want whenever you want without accompaniment)

2) You can book a HAL shore excursion and be covered by their group visa but must always stay with the group.

3) You can book a private tour and have the tour operator arrange the visa for you but you must always stay with the group.

[Heartgrove]

Make certain that on the first day you receive one piece of a two-piece card from the Immigration Officer when your passport is stamped. You will need that to return to the ship. Some of the morning officers neglect to provide that. It happened to my wife as she was detained for about fifteen minutes and two phone calls while it was sorted out.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, HappyInVan said:

Thanks guys. You're rite. The second HAL operator said that ship excursions don't need visas.

Well that's better information, but they still didn't tell you that you also do not need to obtain a visa if you go on a private excursion. And I doubt any of their representatives will tell you that fact.

[resistk]

I've done this twice.  Once with a private tour and once with a visa.  You don't need a visa for the private tour but they really won't let you go off on your own either; you have to stay with the guide and their itinerary.  If you get the tourist visa, good for three years, you can go when and where you please.  Taxis are available at the port.  Hardly anyone gets the visa though unless you are planning to return to Russia on a later date because of the cost involved.  But if you don't speak a little Russian and have no firends in petersburg and don't have any immediate plans to return; go with the private tour.  We had friends pick us up at the port, so the visa worked great.

[resistk]

55 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Well that's better information, but they still didn't tell you that you also do not need to obtain a visa if you go on a private excursion. And I doubt any of their representatives will tell you that fact.

 

They won't tell you you can take the private tour, but you can.   These guys can answer all your questions:

 

https://itravelspb.com/

[HELENPSL]

3 hours ago, HappyInVan said:

Hi All,

 

First time to Russia. I'm on the April cruise to Baltics with 2D in St Petersburg.

 

Do I need a visa for the two days? Alternately, I could stay on board and not need a visa. Just looks very annoying to get a visa in Ottawa.

 

??

 

Thanks,

 

Jim

 

 

I would also suggest that you don't go floating around Russia on your own.  I was looking at a street sign while there and realized that I couldn't read their alphabet and would have no way of explaining to anyone where I was if I got lost.  We used a private tour company and it was very easy.  Actually, we booked 5 tours with them throughout our Baltics cruise.  As previously stated, we went into Russia under their visa and all was well.  Don't know if I can mention the name of the company but I'm sure you'll see it prominently referenced on the ports board.

Helen

[HappyInVan]

5 hours ago, taxmantoo said:

Basically, everyone who goes ashore in Russia needs a visa.

There are several ways of complying:

1) You can arrange for your own through the embassy or a visa service before leaving Canada (more expensive and complicated but you are free to go wherever you want whenever you want without accompaniment)

2) You can book a HAL shore excursion and be covered by their group visa but must always stay with the group.

3) You can book a private tour and have the tour operator arrange the visa for you but you must always stay with the group.

Thanks. Good to know.

[HappyInVan]

4 hours ago, Heartgrove said:

Make certain that on the first day you receive one piece of a two-piece card from the Immigration Officer when your passport is stamped. You will need that to return to the ship. Some of the morning officers neglect to provide that. It happened to my wife as she was detained for about fifteen minutes and two phone calls while it was sorted out.

Thank You. Will do that.