Entry restrictions due to COVID-19
To contain the coronavirus, entry of foreigners was severely restricted from March 18 to May 1, 2020. Only a few groups of people are still allowed to enter: people with permanent residence permits, official delegations, employees of embassies and transit travelers. On April 29, the entry restrictions on foreigners were indefinitely extended.
The air traffic in the EU and Germany is heavily restricted Service. German citizens who have a permanent residence permit for Russia can still enter and leave the country. The Russian Interior Ministry has announced that visas for foreigners due to the coronavirus – pandemic on their validity addition to 15 September 2020 extended can be.
Air traffic to and from Russia has been resumed since August 1st. The borders were initially opened to three countries: Turkey (Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya, Bodrum and Dalaman), Great Britain (London) and Tanzania (Zanzibar). Entry and exit from 16 countries is currently possible. It has not yet been determined when flights to and from Germany will be possible. Russia is currently negotiating with 30 countries about an early border opening.
When entering the Russian Federation, foreigners must present a negative corona test, which must not be older than 72 hours.
Entry and residence
According to internetsailors, the entry to Russia carried out with a valid visa, which must be applied in a consular representative of the Russian Federation before the trip. Transit visas are also not issued at the border, but must be applied for from the responsible consular mission before starting the journey. The passport must be valid for six months after the trip and the original must be presented.
Foreign tourists and business people from 53 countries, including Germany, can apply for an e-visa to enter St. Petersburg, the Leningrad Region and the Kaliningrad Region. The 30-day visa is issued free of charge by Russian diplomatic missions abroad. The length of stay may not exceed 8 days.
Health insurance is compulsory when traveling to Russia. An insurance policy must be presented when applying for a visa. A list of accepted insurance companies is available from Russian diplomatic missions abroad. As the entry requirements can change at short notice, it is advisable to inquire with the Russian diplomatic missions in good time.
After entering Russia there is a registration requirement. Registration must take place within seven working days at the responsible migration authority via the inviter / host (e.g. the Russian partner of the German travel agency) who obtained the visa. The invitee must fill out a special form and complete it with photocopies of the passport and the migration cardof the foreigner to the responsible office of the migration authority within seven working days or send it by post. If you settle in a hotel or holiday home, the hotel management is considered to be the invitation / host and is therefore responsible for the registration itself. For work stays, the registered address can be the seat of the Russian company / organization.
Travel and traffic
The international airports in Russia are Moscow Sheremetyevo (SVO), Moscow Domodedovo (DME), Moscow Vnukovo (VKO), Moscow Zhukovsky (ZIA), Kaliningrad Khrabrowo (KGD), Saint Petersburg Pulkovo (LED), Novosibirsk Tomachevo (OVB), Krasnoyarsk Jemeljanowo (KJA), Irkutsk (IKT), Ufa (AFA), Krasnodar (KRR) and Sotchi (AER).
The national airline Aeroflot Russian Airlines dominates international traffic and flies to 159 destinations in 54 countries. Aviation plays a very important role in domestic traffic. In addition to Aeroflot, Rossiya, S7 and Ural Airlines are the market leaders in domestic transport. The four Moscow airports are the hub of the national flight network: flights depart from Moscow to all the capitals of the Russian regions.
The Russian railway maintains the second largest railway network in the world and transports around one billion passengers a year. The Trans-Siberian Railway begins in Moscow and travels to the Siberian Pacific coast. Another route runs through Mongolia to Beijing. The trains run daily. In 2009, the Sapsan high-speed train began regular operations between Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod. The inner-Russian train timetables are based on Moscow time.
German citizens who are temporarily in Russia can drive with a German or international driver’s license. However, a foreign driver’s license loses its validity 60 days after a permanent residence permit for the Russian Federation has been issued. It is therefore advisable to apply for a Russian driver’s license as soon as possible. The transfer takes place after passing a theoretical examination. The maximum speed in built-up areas is 60 km / h, on country roads 90 km / h and on highways 100 km / h. Drinking and driving is prohibited. In the event of an accident, the traffic police and an insurance expert should be called.
Renting a car is in the big cities is not a problem, the increasing traffic density and congestion can drive, however, make it difficult. Petrol is relatively cheap in Russia and only costs about half the prices in Western Europe.
Large cities usually have several types of public transport: subway (metro), buses, trolleybuses, minibus line taxis (marshrutka), taxis and trams. There are subways in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk and Samara, for example.
