Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
RUSSIAN VISAS
One of Russia's most beautiful cities feels tantalisingly close to Helsinki, but for most vis-
its, including on the fast trains, you'll need a Russian visa. At the time of writing, the ex-
ception to this was the overnight Helsinki-St Petersburg ferry run by St Peter Line, which
allowed you a 72-hour visa-free stay in the city.
Applying in your home country for a Russian visa is the easiest option. If you want to
apply in Finland, it's simpler to do it via a travel agent such as
Russian Expert
(
which is also helpful with visas for other former Soviet states - or
Venäjän Viisum-
9am-5pm Mon-Fri). Depending on nationality, it'll cost €60 to €100 for the normal seven
to eight working days processing time, plus a hefty fee for express processing (three to
four working days).
If you want to do it yourself, applications in Helsinki should be submitted in person to
Urho Kekkosenkatu 7B; 9am-4pm Mon-Fri, applications until 3pm). Save time by completing
the form online first (visa.kdmid.ru) and printing it out.
In all cases, you'll need a passport with more than six months' validity, two free pages, a
couple of photos, and 'visa support', namely an invitation document, typically either is-
sued by accommodation you've booked in Russia (even hostels), or by an authorised tour
agent. Travel agencies can also organise this for you, and there are reliable set-ups that
Visa to Russia
(
www.visatorussia.com
). These cost about US$30.
Thankfully, once you've got the paperwork sorted, it's easy to jump on a train, bus or
boat and head east.
