Russia Launches Experimental Visas for West Tourists

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, February 02, 2002

Russia Launches Experimental Visas for West Tourists

Russia began a year-long experiment to issue 72-hour visas for Western tourists on Friday in a bid to "boost tourism business development," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

Russia began a year-long experiment to issue 72-hour visas for Western tourists on Friday in a bid to "boost tourism business development," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Under the new entry regime, citizens from the countries of the Schengen agreement, Great Britain, Switzerland and Japan are issued such short-term visas directly at the international airport Sheremetjevo-2 in Moscow, Pulkovo-2 airport in St. Petersburg.

The visas can also be issued at the Russian border check points Brusnichnoye and Torpfyanovka in the Leningrad region, as well as at the towns of Bagrationovsk and Mamonovo in the Kaliningrad region, Russia's western enclave.

Spokesman for the St. Petersburg department of the Russian Foreign Ministry Oleg Davtyan told Russian media that 29 travel companies are taking part in the visa experiment. The visa, which costs approximately 35 dollars, is valid for 72 hours during which foreign citizens are authorized to stay on the Russian territory.

In order to issue a visa, a travel agency participating in the experiment shall apply to consular service of the Russian Foreign Ministry. The visa in question is not an ordinary travel visa issued to tourists, but a standard visa issued observing all the existing regulations.

The visa experiment has been planned for one year. The problem of distributing quotas between travel agencies will be resolved in accordance with the real capacity and technical possibilities at border check points, which have been stipulated in Foreign Ministry's instructions.

In order to get such a visa, an application must be submitted at least 48 hours prior to crossing the border via a tourist agency that organizes a three-day visit to Russia.

Tourist visas for groups will not be issued, every application will be considered individually. The Foreign Ministry or its offices will notify individuals on the result of the application in 24 hours after its submission by a tourist agency.

The new rule will mostly cause a rise of the number of weekend tourists to the Kaliningrad region from Germany to the Leningrad region from Finland and to the Far East from Japan.

Questions?Comments? Click here