TRAVELLING to St. Petersburg is set to get simpler and cheaper following to a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin allowing private and business tourists to visit with free electronic visas from October 1 onwards. Using this visa, visitors can spend eight days in and around the northern Russian port, which has a population of almost five million.
The free visa must be applied for no later than four days before the start of the trip. The countries for which it will apply are still to be determined.
However, it’s expected to apply to most European countries, with many cruise visitors being able to enter without a visa for three days. Last year the city, which also hosted the football World Cup, welcomed more than 8 million tourists from all over the world. This number is expected to grow 10 per cent in 2019.
Visitors from many countries can also already make use of a free electronic visa to travel to the Russian enclave Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea. For the rest of Russia, however, most tourists will still need a visa. – dpa
