Before you visit St. Petersburg read these
essentials that can help you prepare your trip. Traveling
to Russia can be a little bit different from traveling to
another European country. It’s always good to know about
visa requirements, when to go, and other things ahead of time.
When to Go
Today Russia’s two largest cities, St.
Petersburg and Moscow, are of great tourist interest. Late
spring to early autumn is high tourist season. During the
summer, all hotels increase rates considerably and sometime
it’s difficult to find a free room at affordable cost.
If a main purpose of your visit is sightseeing and walking
through the city, summer is the best time to go though. To
avoid crowds, you can also choose late spring and early autumn.
Winter can be quite cold, but if you are not afraid of being
cold, your trip in winter can be quite fascinating as well.
If you like museums and theaters, perhaps, winter will be
the best time to visit.
Entry Requirements
A Russian travel visa is required to enter
Russia. There are several types of visa you can apply for,
including tourist and business. You can obtain your Russian
visa from the Russian Consulate General in your country. Travel
agencies can help by issuing tourist invitations. Visa processing
takes at least three weeks. To obtain a visa, you will have
to submit a visa application form, photos and consulate fees.
Customs Regulations
No customs duty is required for personal
use items, including clothing, perfume, sports equipment,
and other goods for a total price up to 2,000 USD. You can
bring duty-free the following items: 1,000 cigarettes or 1
kg of tobacco products, 1,5l of spirits or 2l of wines, gifts
at the total price not more than 10,000 USD. You can also
bring your own car for the period of stay in Russia.
It’s advisable to declare all valuable items on your
customs form when you pass through customs in Russia. Fill
the form with the amount of currency you bring, computer equipments,
video equipment, and jewelry. Remember that you cannot take
home more than 3,000 USD without special permission. Money
in Travelers’ Checks shouldn’t be declared at the
Russian customs. Remember that the declaration form should
be retained before your departure.
It’s prohibited to import weapons, explosives, narcotics,
materials directed against the Russian Federation. One mustn’t
import into Russia plants and live animals without special
permission.
Cultural valuables (works of arts, precious metals, manuscripts,
audio and video archives) cannot be taken out of Russia without
permit issued by the Committee of Culture. Most souvenir and
gift items don’t fall into this category. Before making
a purchase a valuable item in art gallery, ask for all the
necessary arrangements and formalities.
Russian customs regulations may change. So we recommend you
to contact the Consulate for more information before you go
on your trip.
Tourist Information
There are not many tourist information centers
even in large cities like St. Petersburg. The only tourist
center in St. Petersburg is located at 41 Nevsky Prospect.
For more information on our city, check out websites like
TravelPetersburg.com
