Visa St. Petersburg

The historic St. Petersburg, alongside Moscow, is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and impressive cities in Russia. To go on an exploration tour in the world's northernmost million city, foreign visitors need a valid visa.

Only tourists who reach St. Petersburg via a cruise across the Gulf of Finland have the opportunity to visit the city without a visa for a short trip. However, there are restrictions for visa-free shore visits and a time limit of 72 hours. Air travelers and all individuals traveling overland (train, car, bus, motorhome, motorcycle etc.) to St. Petersburg are required to apply for a Russia visa before starting their journey. With this travel permit in their pocket, travelers are not only free to take a city trip to the baroque metropolis of St. Petersburg. Visa holders are also allowed to make excursions to other cities or regions of Russia.

Your flight to St. Petersburg is already booked, you are planning a road trip to the metropolis, or you might be interested in a railway journey with the world-famous Trans-Siberian Railway? The visa for entry into the Russian Federation is issued by the Russian foreign representations, i.e., the Russian embassy and the consulates general in your home country. For the visa application, you need personal documents such as your passport, a valid international health insurance, proof of your intention to return, and an invitation from the host country. For a tourist trip to St. Petersburg, the invitation letter, also called Visa Support Letter, is usually provided by the hotel or the accommodation where you stay. For further visa information, please navigate to the Tourist visa for Russia or a type of visa that corresponds to your travel purpose.

• Arrival and/or departure by plane, ship, train, bus, car, motorhome, motorcycle etc.
• Overnight stays in the city: in a hotel, motorhome etc.
• Maximum stay of 90 days (with a tourist visa)
• Individual and flexible travel planning (explore St. Petersburg alone or participate in guided tours)

If you approach St. Petersburg as part of a cruise, you have the opportunity under certain conditions to go ashore for up to 72 hours without a visa and discover the attractions of the city. However, you are not allowed to go ashore alone. Entry into St. Petersburg is only allowed as part of a guided tour, an excursion, or a tour with a licensed tour guide. For a stay without a visa, a tour ticket is usually necessary, which is valid for a program in St. Petersburg determined before the start of the journey. Times and places of the city tour can usually not be changed afterwards. Your tour guide will pick you up or your travel group directly at the ship. At the border crossing, you present your passport and the printed tour ticket as a substitute for a visa. Showing your documents is required every time you disembark and when returning to the ship. You spend the nights in your cabin, staying overnight in the city is not allowed.

• Arrival and departure only by ship
• Overnight stay exclusively in ship cabins (not on land!)
• Stay up to a maximum of 72 hours
• only for guided tours (fixed times and places)
• no excursions outside St. Petersburg
• does not apply to individual travelers

Applying for a visa to travel to St. Petersburg is a good decision. Numerous tourists use the Moscow – St. Petersburg railway or visit the metropolises as part of a tour through Russia. St. Petersburg can also be reached via Pulkovo Airport or by car or by sea – provided a valid visa is available. The historic city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and impresses with more than 2,000 palaces, castles, and ceremonial buildings. Please contact our staff for a personalized offer for your stay in St. Petersburg. We wish you a lot of fun in St. Petersburg!