Entering Russia on tourist visa with BlaBlaCar or hitchiking

Entering Russia on tourist visa with BlaBlaCar or hitchiking - Man and Woman Statue Near Brown Concrete Building

I'm a Canadian with a tourist visa. Someone has offered me a ride from Riga to Moscow from BlaBlaCar and I wonder if I would be denied entry into Russia due to trying to enter from a private car rather than from an official bus company.

If the driver were my friend, perhaps it would be better, but this driver is a stranger and my tourist via invitation came from a tourist company, not from a friend, so I'm not on a "visiting friends visa". I'm just using this stranger for the ride, which I will be paying for through agreement on BlaBlaCar.

I do not speak any Russian, but I have downloaded the "English -> Russian" Google Translate dictionary on my phone for off-line usage.



Best Answer

I can't guarantee that there will be no problems but I don't believe there would.

It's a busy checkpoint since the bulk of traffic between Latvia and Russia goes through it, and they are accustomized to all kinds of strangers there: the Baltics are known for low cost flights and Russia isn't, hence the traffic.




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Entering Russia on tourist visa with BlaBlaCar or hitchiking - People Walking Near St Basil's Cathedral In Moscow



Do you have to be invited to go to Russia?

If you want to travel to Russia, you need a Russian visa. In order to get the visa, you must first get a visa invitation letter (also known as visa support). After you obtain the invitation, you can submit your Russian visa application to one of the processing centers authorized by your nearest Russian consulate.

Can you go to Russia as a tourist?

To enter Russia for any purpose, a U.S. citizen must possess a valid U.S. passport and a bona fide visa issued by a Russian Embassy or Consulate. It is impossible to obtain an entry visa upon arrival, so travelers must apply for their visas well in advance.

How do you get a Russian tourist invitation?

The required document for obtaining Russian visa is a Russian Visa Invitation Letter (or simply Invitation for Russian Visa). An invitation letter for visa might be issued by a Russian organization that has a special reference-number and accreditation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Is Russia issuing tourist visas?

But in accordance with the simplified visa formalities agreement between the Russian Federation and the United States, US citizens are now able to obtain either a 3-year Multi-Entry Tourist visa upon request which exceed the 30 day stay limit.



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