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Hey guys, I’ve been waiting for this for ages and now it’s finally confirmed – you can visit St. Petersburg with an E-Visa. Since last year, citizens of circa 20 countries were able to visit Vladivostok and the Far East on an electronic visa to Russia and since the 1st of July this year, people can visit Kaliningrad the same way. However, since the 1st of October 2019, citizens of over 53 countries including the entire EU can get an e-visa to St. Petersburg, Russia.
Honestly, it’s a game-changer. Let me explain why.
So about 3 years ago, I wrote a post about getting a visa to Russia and also described how to visit Russia visa-free by entering Saint Petersburg via a ferry from Helsinki for 72 hours. It wasn’t an easy way and it meant that you had to go to Helsinki and you could also only stay 72 hours in the city. But it was better than nothing.
To get a “normal” visa to Russia, you had to go to a visa centre or the embassy and also buy a weird travel agency voucher (that nobody ever used, but it was a rule). Now visiting Russia is easier than ever! The reason why I am so excited about the e-visa to Saint Petersburg is that St. Petersburg is my hometown and I lived there for the first 22 years of my life. I wrote a lot of posts about St. Petersburg, so if you’re interested, give them a read (I’ll appreciate). Also, people generally say that they are very useful, and it’s the best compliment for me.
Read my posts about St. Petersburg in the Russia category >>>
E-Visa to St. Petersburg, how does the electronic visa to Russia work? Who is eligible?
Let me explain to you how does the e-visa to Russia work, how much is the e-visa to Russia and who is eligible. Let’s start with the application process and processing times. The e-visa is definitely the easiest way to visit Russia.
How to apply for the e-visa to St. Petersburg, Russia?
To apply for the e-visa to St. Petersburg, you need to fill out the form on this website (https://evisa.kdmid.ru/) no earlier than 20 days before your trip and no later than 4 days before the trip. 4 days in nothing, so prepare for amazing last-minute trips to Russia from now.
You need to choose your nationality and after that, you will see the list of regions you can apply to. Pick St. Petersburg.
Please note that the website hasn’t been updated yet, as the news only came through 2 days ago (the list of the countries eligible for the e-visa to St. Petersburg was only announced 2 days ago), so it will take a couple of days or weeks to update the system. UPDATE: the website has now been updated!
After that, you will need to fill out the form, which is pretty straightforward and after the form, if you scroll down, you can see a lot of explanation regarding each question in the form.
How long can you stay in St. Petersburg with an e-visa?
If you’re wondering, how long you can stay in St. Petersburg with an e-visa, you can stay up to 8 days, which is enough to see the city. If you’re wondering about the best things to do in St. Petersburg, you can read my post.
The e-visa will, however, be valid for 30 days, so you can’t apply for the visa and go to Russia 2 months later, you will need to reapply.
How much is the e-visa to St. Petersburg?
I’ve got great news for you, the e-visa to St. Petersburg is free. You don’t need to pay the consular fee to get this visa, which is pretty incredible. However, a couple of months ago, St. Petersburg introduced a tourist tax that is 100 Rub per day, which is around 1.4 EUR per day (doesn’t break the bank for sure).
Read my post about 12+ desserts to try in Russia >>>
Who is eligible for the e-visa to St. Petersburg?
2 days ago, Dmitry Medvedev signed a document that confirmed, that citizens of 53 countries will be eligible for the e-Visa to St. Petersburg. Among these nations is the entire EU (except for the UK). Other eligible countries include Mexico, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and Turkey.
If you’re not on a list, that’s unfortunate! However, perhaps you don’t need a visa to Russia at all? Most of the countries of SE Asia and South America don’t require a visa to Russia.
It is really easy, isn’t it? Now there also great news that WizzAir is expanding its network and there will be more cheap flights to Saint Petersburg. Check the prices and availability on the website of WizzAir. Alternatively, there are a lot of flights with regular airlines and they are often cheaper than you think. You can find the best prices on Skyscanner.
Check my post about the best things to do in St. Petersburg in winter >>>
What is there to do in St. Petersburg?
St. Petersburg is a gorgeous city. If you’re wondering about the best things to do and see in St. Petersburg, you can find them here. In this post, you can find the best areas to stay in St. Petersburg. Curious, how expensive is St. Petersburg and Russia in general? You can find all the information in this post about the prices in Russia. Here’s my ultimate guide to St. Petersburg as well.
Some other posts that you might find useful:
Best bars in St. Petersburg according to a local
How to get to Peterhof palace – the gem of St. Petersburg
The best tours in St. Petersburg for any taste
How to get from St. Petersburg to Moscow easily
Where to watch ballet in St. Petersburg?
15 best museums in St. Petersburg
Best cities to visit in Russia
10 best Russian dishes that you need to try
Tips for travelling to Russia for the first time
The most beautiful metro stations in St. Petersburg
Moscow in 2 days: what to see?
Where to eat in St. Petersburg on a budget
72 hours in St. Petersburg, what to see? The detailed itinerary
As you can see, I wrote a lot about Russia and if there’s something you would like to know, don’t hesitate to ask me on Instagram (you can find me as @lizatripsget). I hope you enjoyed this post about the easiest way to visit Russia with an e-visa to St. Petersburg!
