Now Visas For Up To 72-hour Stay In Russia Can Be Issued At Frontier

Starting from February 1, visas for less-than-72-hour stay in the Russian Federation can be issued straight on the border -- at Sheremetyevo (Moscow region) and Pulkovo (near St.Petersburg) airports and at the four checkpoints on the foreign borders of the Kaliningrad (Russia's westernmost tip) and Leningrad regions. A visa will cost 35 dollars and be glued into the tourist passport immediately on the border. In order to get a visa straight on the border a tourist willing to visit Russia has to apply for it 48 hours before the desired trip to a Russian tourist firm, or a hotel, and buy the tour, or book a hotel room. An entitled hotel, or a tourist firm, sends information on a tourist buying a tour, or reserving a hotel room, to the checkpoint through which the tourist is going to cross the border. Within 24 hours the tourist-related information will be verified. If everything is OK, the tourist will arrive in Russia and the visa will be glued into his passport on the border.