Last week, September 19, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced that citizens of the listed 53 countries, which includes the Philippines, have been confirmed free electronic visa (e-visa) entry to St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region of Russia stated below.
Austria, Andorra, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Vatican, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Denmark, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Italy, Qatar, Cyprus, China (including Taiwan), Korean People’s Democratic Republic, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San-Marino, Saudi Arabia, North Macedonia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, The Philippines, Finland, France, Croatia, The Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, Estonia, Japan.
Those who intend to take on this e-visa offer should take note of a few things before booking their trip.
1. Only those looking to travel for (a) tourism, (b) business, and (c) humanitarian reasons are eligible for the free e-visa.
2. The visa is only valid for stays in St. Petersburg and the surrounding Leningrad Region
3. The free e-visa is only valid for a maximum of 8 travel days
4. Entry and exit on an e-visa by means of rail transport is currently unavailable.
5. Applicants will not be charged a consular fee.
Electronic-visas looks to be a great advantage for Filipino travelers to Russia as the Russian foreign ministry pointed out that the e-visas will only take (4) four calendar days (including weekends and bank holidays) to issue and can be done online rather than through a visit to the Russian Embassy.
An online application form will soon be available on their website, and according to Russia Beyond, this should not be made no later than four and no later than 20 days before the expected date of entry.
There is no need for any invitations or confirmations. Just fill in the application form on the website, located here https://electronic-visa.kdmid.ru/spb_home_en.html
Why travel to St. Petersburg?
A product of the imagination—and iron will—of Peter the Great, the city is a busy tableau of architectural whimsies (Neoclassical colonnades, palaces of yellow and mint green). Peter envisioned his imperial capital as a window into Europe, and it has long been a center of culture and sophistication, with some of the world’s best art and ballet.On the Neva River, Saint Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia and arguably its most breathtaking. Founded by Tsar Peter the Great in 1703, St. Petersburg was the country's capital for a time. Today, it's home to 150 palaces of imperial Russia, the Hermitage, and more. To plan your travel to St. Petersburg, look no farther than our St. Petersburg travel guide.
Things Not to Miss in St. Petersburg
Visit St. Petersburg not only for its more than 200 museums (the artsy State Hermitage Museum being its crown jewel), but also its castles and White Nights in the summer.Hermitage Museum
The world's second largest museum after the French Louvre, stunning Hermitage is, indeed, a must-visit for all art enthusiasts from all over the world. The unique Hermitage collections are housed in 6 historic buildings nestled on the Palace Embankment in fairytale St. Petersburg. The Hermitage has over 3 million items in its collection ranging from Egyptian mummies to Impressionist masterpieces.Peterhof Palace
Peterhof Palace (or Peter's Court in German) served as Peter the Great’s personal landing during the later part of his reign as the Tsar of Russia. A cluster of breathtaking palaces, the biggest overlooking a lush French formal garden with numerous fountains and often referred to as the “Russian Versailles.”Situated on a 16-meter (55-foot) bluff overlooking Kotlin Island (today’s Kronstadt naval base), the site was selected by Peter in 1705 as a landing for ships that would take him on state excursions to Europe.
The Peter and Paul Fortress
The Peter and Paul Fortress was built to defend the city from naval attacks in the midst of Peter the Great’s war with Sweden. The original earth and log bastions were constructed in 1704 under the supervision of the Tsar and 5 of his closest associates.Fortunately, at the time of its construction, King Charles XII of Sweden remained tied up in a war with Augustus II of Poland and Saxony, and in 1706 Peter ordered the bastions rebuilt in stone by architect Domenico Trezzini and engineer Burchard Christophe von Mimnich.
In addition to the bastions he commissioned Trezzini to construct the St. Peter and Paul Cathedral inside the citadel. The fortress was completed in 1733 after more than two decades of work, and luckily no external enemy ever put it to the test, either before it was completed or after.
Yusupov Palace
Yusupov Palace stands on the embankment of the River Moyka in the very center of St. Petersburg, thus explaining its second name "Moyka Palace". This unassuming yellow building is not nearly as grand as other St. Petersburg palaces, but its past is far more sinister and haunting.Built in 1770, the palace didn't come into ownership by its namesake family until 1830. The first Yusupov resident was Prince Boris Nikolaievich, who moved in with his second wife and son. The Yusupov Palace served the noble family for five generations.
Descendants of the ancient Khan line, the Yusupovs became known for their extravagant wealth and dedicated philanthropy work, a respected trait among their contemporaries and subjects. The interior of the palace is unique in design. Since numerous architects were assigned to projects over the years, Yusupov Palace became a mishmash of different styles, creations and décor. Nevertheless it retains much of its original structures, including the warmth of the Yusupov family’s private chambers.
Catherine’s Palace
In the 1600s, before the rise of Peter the Great, there were many fortified manors on the land around present-day St. Petersburg. Among them was Saari, which in Finnish meant “High Ground” or “Island”. When Peter the Great finally took Ingria he gave Saari over to his new wife, Catherine, in 1708.Nearly a decade later, in 1717, Catherine had German architect Johann Friedrich Braunstein created a new Summer Palace at Saari (renamed Tsarskoye Selo or Tsar’s Village), for “her pleasure.” The resulting structure served Catherine and her niece Anna during their reigns in the first half of the 18th century, yet Elizabeth, daughter of Peter the Great and Catherine I, found the original building not to her liking, and had it destroyed. The royal home was replaced with a new Rococo-style palace designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli, with extravagant exteriors gilded with over 100 kilograms of gold, disproportionate shapes, and long, heavy architectural elements.
St. Isaac’s Cathedral
The golden dome of the iconic St. Isaac’s Cathedral inspired the dome on the U.S. Capitol Building and is similar to that of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.The dome of St Isaac's has dominated in St. Petersburg's skyline for around 150 years. Its elaborate mosaics make it one of the most impressive Russian cathedrals. The upper levels host a museum and a panoramic view that is sure to blow away any view-loving guest.
When to Visit St. Petersburg
Russian winters are notorious for below-freezing temperatures, and St. Petersburg is no exception. Avoid February because it's the coldest month of the year. St. Petersburg summers are sunny and pleasant. Late June and early July are the best months for St. Petersburg travel because of the White Nights, an international arts festival of outstanding opera and ballet performances by the Mariinsky Theatre.Apply for your FREE e-visa now!
https://electronic-visa.kdmid.ru/spb_home_en.html
Super exciting! When I first heard about this, I was like waaaaaaaaaaah i'm gonna celebrate my 25th in Russia but I just read that Feb is not a good time :((( thanks for this. Will do more planning :)
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome considering the cost of visa application is also expensive. But now it will be FREE!!!
DeleteWow! Great to know about this. sana makarating din ako dito one day. Ang ganda ganda!
ReplyDeleteThis is a huge step na! Originally, travel visa to Russia is already expensive, so making this big move is an awesome deal :D
DeleteThis is really helpful - we really want to visit Russia soon so thank you for sharing all this info!
ReplyDeleteThat is awesome! See you soon in St Petersburg!
DeleteI've seen this on FB and even re-posted it and a lot of my followers were really excited knowing about this cause this is really WOW, not all country will give such opportunity.
ReplyDeleteYeah, most of the country not given are the "powerful" like France, USA, and others.
DeleteThanks for sharing. Should I decide to visit and live out my Anastasia fantasy, at least the visa will be pretty hassle-free.
ReplyDeleteThat is true! Or even have that Anna Karenina travel :D
DeleteI saw this news on the feed and immediately at the back of my mind to give it a thought of traveling. It would be fun!
ReplyDeleteRemember, even Americans doesn't have this privileged, so grab na!
DeleteThis is a great information for the first timer.
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome. I really have to consider of fixing my passport now. 8 days wouldn't be so bad. Sa dami ng nice places to visit
ReplyDeleteThat is true! St. Petersburg pa lang pero okay na okay na :D
DeleteThis sounds awesome!!! And it's only for Leningrad? What happens if I fly to Moscow from there?
ReplyDeleteIf you are going to Moscow, then you need to apply a separate travel visa. This free travel e-visa privilege is only for St Petersburg and Leningrad region travel only.
DeleteWow!!! I learned a lot from this!
ReplyDeleteThis is my first time to get some info about how Russia looks like. It's an interesting country.
ReplyDeleteTrue. And it houses many royalties too like Europe :D
DeleteWoWow. This is amazing. Now, all I need is money to pay for the olane ticket to russia. Lol. It sure does have a rich history. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteFingers-crossed and hope PAL would offer a direct flight to St. Petersburg!
DeleteThis is a very good news!!! Sobrang ganda sa Brazil. Sana marami pang susunod na bansa na maging visa free para sa mga Pilipino
ReplyDeleteAy iha, wrong channel ka. RUSSIA ito!
DeleteCan’t wait to visit!! So much to see and do!
ReplyDeleteAd very historical! Let's study the czars :D
DeleteThis is super awesome! Another country to wander, less the hassle and cost of visa applications.
ReplyDeleteThat is true. Now next to follow are the available cheaper flights to Russia :D
DeleteWow, such beautiful photos!
ReplyDeleteI haven't really thought about exploring Russia. Now that it's visa free, I'm tempted! All those pictures are very inviting!
ReplyDeleteWonderful! More places to visit and more stamps to collect :D
Deletethis is great news. our travel consideration always include visa processing and visa fee which sometimes are very expensive.
ReplyDeleteI loved this! It makes me even more excited to visit these places witout worrying about my visa! Russia is really one of my travel lists!
ReplyDeleteMore castles to explore in Russia!
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