Russia - Visa free visit possible with ferry from Helsinki?

This would be for an American citizen. It's my understanding that travelers on the St. Peter line Ferry are visa exempt if you take the tour associated with the ferry link. http://www.stpeterline.com/en/goodtoknow.html

Obviously, this is only a solution for short term restricted visit. But it sounds like fun if you're in Helsinki and want a quick visit to Russia. Has anyone ever tried this ferry or have any experience on it?

This would be for an American citizen. It's my understanding that travelers on the St. Peter line Ferry are visa exempt if you take the tour associated with the ferry link. http://www.stpeterline.com/en/goodtoknow.html

Obviously, this is only a solution for short term restricted visit. But it sounds like fun if you're in Helsinki and want a quick visit to Russia. Has anyone ever tried this ferry or have any experience on it?

Free visa for an American to Russia is always a nice thing and rare as well.

You'll probably have to stick with the tour group the whole time. I'd find out what type of tours they do... some of the bridge tours are 12 plus hours long and last throughout the night.

Anyone have any more information or actual experience with this?

I'll be in Helsinki next week and see if I can drag up some info when I take the ferry to Estonia.

BTW, your link above is dead.

Obviously, this is only a solution for short term restricted visit. But it sounds like fun if you're in Helsinki and want a quick visit to Russia. Has anyone ever tried this ferry or have any experience on it?

I've heard of this from Stockholm to St. P, and it looks fine. Once you get there from what I can read, there is a bus that goes into the city and then you're free to explore the city. You also won't be able to leave the country if you don't have a valid visa, so I don't think they're concerned about you running off that much.

I would not deviate too far.

Bear in mind you need a visa to leave the Russian Federation, that needs to valid, so presumably, you would need to leave on the boat that you came on.

Also - how would you check into a hotel? The front desk staff are obliged to check your visa validity and registration.

Eeh. Has anyone actually gone on this ship before?

BTW, your link above is dead.

Here is the active link concerning the Visa Free Rule:

http://www.stpeterline.com/en/Goodtoknow/Visafreerule.aspx

Bear in mind you need a visa to leave the Russian Federation, that needs to valid, so presumably, you would need to leave on the boat that you came on.

That is correct. You better be on the boat, or you'll have some bad times.

There seems to be some misinformation on this thread so I thought I'd post my experience using this ferry.

First some things you need to know:

You can stay in St.Petersburg for up to 72 hours, this means up to two nights in a hotel
If you stay overnight, you need to have a hotel/hostel reservation
Russia is visa free, but if you need a visa to the Schengen countries, it has to be multiple entry in order for you to get back to Finland
You also need to book the 20 euro harbour transfer in order to not need a visa
Harbour transfer goes to and picks you from the St.Isaac's church or some hotels
The last bus back currently leaves at 6:45 pm as the ferry currently leaves at 8pm, I'd recommend to leave back earlier, e.g. 5:45
You don't have to take a tour, nor do you have to actually use the harbour transfer (although it is convenient for the sights)
Just make sure you have the whole trip booked and that you make it back to your ferry in time (latest 1 hour before departure)
In Helsinki the ferry leaves from the central South harbour
In St.Petersburg it leaves from Morskoy harbour (make sure you identify the correct location as the harbour is big)
In St.Petersburg, unless you are travelling by car, you have to climb some rather steep steps to the ferry


The ferry itself is big, Finnish built, and has a 4 restaurants, a cafeteria, two bars, a disco and a nightclub, a sauna and a pool, tax-free shops and a Casino (for those who look for "exciting" ways of loosing money). In the summer, additional bars will open up on the deck. On my trip there was a reasonable quality show in the nightclub. The disco filled up on Saturday night but was more like a bar on Sunday.

St.Petersburg is impressive with its grand old buildings and best to visit in the summer. At other times of the year I would suggest to plan some activities ahead of time, like visiting the Opera and some museums like the Hermitage etc. etc.

You don't have to take a tourYou're wrong. The by-law on terms of visa concession for passengers of cruise sea ships (http://base.garant.ru/195505/#1000) specifically defines that this concession is solely applicable to 'participants of touristic groups' who travel on a 'group touristic programme'.

That means you may not check in into a hotel, rent a car, take a bus etc. on your own under this concession. The mere detaching from your touristic group is prohibited, though the restriction is hardly enforceable.

You're wrong. The by-law on terms of visa concession for passengers of cruise sea ships (http://base.garant.ru/195505/#1000) specifically defines that this concession is solely applicable to 'participants of touristic groups' who travel on a 'group touristic programme'.

That means you may not check in into a hotel, rent a car, take a bus etc. on your own under this concession. The mere detaching from your touristic group is prohibited, though the restriction is hardly enforceable.You either don't know what you are talking about, or are trying to give a wrong impression of how things work. Have you taken this trip? I have. There is absolutely no need to take any tour. The interpretation of the law goes so that you nominally have to book the city transfer and pre-arrange the hotel/hostel if you are staying over night. What you do when you get to St.Petersburg is free for you to decide for all of your 72 hours. Starting from this November, you may even bring your own car on the ferry and drive around (normal insurance and other regulations apply). You should stay in the vicinity of St.Petersburg, though.

You don't know what you are talking about. Have you taken this trip? I have.The law is clear about the matter. Some of us do break laws, the others 'overlook' (for a bribe), that's why you have done it the way you did. What has worked for you has every reason to fail to work for someone else.

The law is clear about the matter. Some of us do break laws, the others 'overlook' (for a bribe), that's why you have done it the way you did. What has worked for you has every reason to fail to work for someone else.
What an outrageous insinuation!

I see you are based in Moscow. Maybe that explains your ignorance and lack of knowledge about visa free cruises to St.Petersburg. It's a big country after all.

I, and the rest of the ship's passengers did not break any law but followed it and all the instructions given by authorities and the shipping company to the last letter. There are no bribes involved and these tours, which have continued like this since April, are both legal and fully accepted and backed by all relevant local authorities. I don't even know who you think you could bribe and for what?

In fact, this is the practice the vast majority of people (up to 1639 passengers on each departure) without a visa follows on these cruises. The only prerequisite for the visa exception is that you book e.g. the city transfer so that you have fulfilled the letter of the law and pre-booked "a tour".

See this link of the shipping company for details. (http://anastasia.stpeterline.com/en/Goodtoknow/Visafreerule.aspx)

Btw. how do you explain that you are allowed to bring your own car on these visa free cruises? Or that there are no "tours" or tour groups for a visit longer than a day. FYI the knowledge of the existence of these cruises seems to have spread well. There were at least Americans, Indians and even some Brazilians on the boat.

What an outrageous insinuation!Don't be so touchy, I am not talking about you.

Of course, you did it in violation of the law, but you did so because you were deceived. Probably everyone has been in such a situation.I see you are based in Moscow. Maybe that explains your ignorance and lack of knowledge about visa free cruises to St.Petersburg. It's a big country after all.Well, I now live in Moscow, but I come from Vladivostok which is also a designated port under visa concession, and my cousin still works at the port's customs... But who cares?

I posted a link to the by-law defining the conditions of visa concession. The wordings are absolutely clear and leave no room for misinterpretation.I, and the rest of the ship's passengers did not break any law but followed it and all the instructions given by authorities and the shipping company to the last letter.Unfortunately, I have to admit a very sad fact that in my country, following instructions given by the authorities may lead you to breaking the law. Most often it isn't even because of intent to deceive you or something, but rather because of most officials' being ridiculously ignorant in terms of law.There are no bribes involved and these toursAgain, I am not saying you bribed someone. But your cruise company might have done so.

Not necessarily, btw. It might be simply the semi-official policy not to enforce the law in order to attract more tourists which is profitable for local budgets. What I do not like in this sort of arrangements is that they have the tendency to suddenly get ceased.Btw. how do you explain that you are allowed to bring your own car on these visa free cruises?Ah, this is perfectly explainable. There is no contradiction with the letter of the law, there is no restriction on the sort of touristic programme. It may involve driving. You might go fishing, or camping in the country-side, or diving, or nonsense-doing, or whatever.There were at least Americans, Indians and even some Brazilians on the boat.Why not. I myself went to do a cruise in South America, so why couldn't a South-American come to my part of the world to do the same?

Of course, you did it in violation of the law, but you did so because you were deceived.
This is utter nonsense. The law requires you to book some kind of tour activity, it does not require you to actually take the tour. Thus no law was broken. In fact I took the 10 minute long city transfer on the minibus one way, although I did partly walk it back.
Probably everyone has been in such a situation.Well, I now live in Moscow, but I come from Vladivostok which is also a designated port under visa concession, and my cousin still works at the port's customs... But who cares?That explains your interest in this issue, but does not make you an expert in the interpretation of the law which is made by the respective authorities.
I posted a link to the by-law defining the conditions of visa concession. The wordings are absolutely clear and leave no room for misinterpretation.Your link looks outdated as the last changes are from 2009.
Ah, this is perfectly explainable. There is no contradiction with the letter of the law, there is no restriction on the sort of touristic programme. It may involve driving. You might go fishing, or camping in the country-side, or diving, or nonsense-doing, or whatever.
Exactly. And there you have it: no law is being broken, neither by me nor anyone else taking these tours.
Why not. I myself went to do a cruise in South America, so why couldn't a South-American come to my part of the world to do the same?No, and they can. I only took them as an example that this is how you can visit St.Petersburg visa free and these people know and take advantage of it.

This is utter nonsense. The law requires you to book some kind of tour activity, it does not require you to actually take the tour. Thus no law was broken.The laws on the topic never mention the word 'booking'. They however contain the following clauses:Participant of a cruise having no visa may only move within the area designated for visiting by the group touristic programme. (for cruise ships)

and

Participant of a tourist group having no visa may only move within the area designated by the group touristic programme. (for ferries)So of course you are not obliged to take the tour, but you are certainly not supposed to move around freely on your own.That explains your interest in this issueFrankly speaking, it doesn't. My interest is a completely schizoid thingy, I just have interest (unexplainable from practical point of view) in certain areas, in particular in visa regimes.Your link looks outdated as the last changes are from 2009.Garant is the Russia's most authoritative legal database. If there were an amended version of the by-law, there would surely be a link to that version. Sometimes they only provide some texts to subscribers, but in such cases they explicitly state that. And hmm... may I point out that the link is from 2009.taking these tours.Exactly: taking the organized group tours, and not just going on your own.I only took them as an example that this is how you can visit St.Petersburg visa free and these people know and take advantage of it.Americans and Indians, yes. Brazilians can travel all around the country without visas so they take ferries when they feel like floating.

So of course you are not obliged to take the tour, but you are certainly not supposed to move around freely on your own.
Sure you are. The shortest "tour" you have to book - but not take -takes all of 10 minutes.Exactly: taking the organized group tours, and not just going on your own.You still don't get it. The ferry company does not organize any "guided car tours", yet you are free to take your own car and drive in the vicinity of St.P - without a visa!