Is it possible to camp in Russia on a tourist visa?
I'm interested in crossing the border from Norway to Russia at Storskog, via car. We thought about driving to Murmansk or even not so far - Zapolyarny for instance.
We will have a tent with us and ideally we'd like to camp. I'm pretty sure that there's no "freedom to roam" in Russia i.e. we can't just camp anywhere we'd like.
I'd like to find a campsite where we pay some money and camp there and have access to some facilities.
However, I'm not sure if we'll be able to plan in advance where we're going to stay.
When you apply for a Russian visa it seems as though you have to list a hotel or a person you will be staying with. Is there any way to get a visa without having an exact prior plan for where you will be staying? And if so, is a campsite considered an acceptable place of residence to list?
Best Answer
My company Russian Connections specializes in travel to Russia for people from the United States. I looked over all of the responses and have some extra information for you. Rules with Russian change all the time.
REGISTRATION: Currently you only need to register yourself only if you plan to stay more than 7 working days in Russia. I agree with the other that hostel and hotel registration is the best solution. If they are nice, they may register you for your whole stay in Russia. If you plan to move around a lot and will stay in Russia more than 7 working days, I recommend that you register at least in one city in Russia. That way if you run into any problems you can show that you did register at one city and then moved a round the country.
based on information on the russian consulate web site
CITIES: The cities that you list on your application are entered into a computer system and Russian officials can check that list. I recommend you list the 5-6 cities that you plan to stay more than 48-72 hours in. Better to list more than less.
If you have more question, I will do my best to answer them.
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Can you camp anywhere in Russia?
Wild camping is officially allowed in Russia. It is even allowed to make campfires, except during the summer months and times with an increased risk of forest fires. However, you should keep a few points in mind to avoid trouble. Staying overnight on private property is only allowed with the owner's permission.How long can I stay in Russia on a tourist visa?
A tourist Russian visa is single-entry or double-entry only and can be valid for the period up to 30 days. If you are a US citizen, you can get a tourist visa to Russia valid for 3 years, and you can stay every 90 out of every 180 days on that type of visa.Can I enter Russia with a tourist visa?
Multi-entry tourist visa holders may remain in Russia for up to 90 cumulative days out of the 180 days of visa validity period. From 1 September 2021, British nationals, who have Russian nationals as their immediate family members, can apply for multi-entry private visas to Russia for up to one year.How long can foreigners stay in Russia?
For visas with shorter periods of validity, unless that visa specifically authorizes employment or study, a foreigner may stay in Russia only 90 days in any 180-day period. This applies to business, tourist, humanitarian and cultural visas, among other categories.How to convert your visit visa to TRP in Russia.
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Answer 2
As @Mark said, you must get an invitation to enter Russia. This is a legacy of the USSR, and though our politicians are trying to change it, it's very hard to do because of safety problems with immigrants from former USSR republics. But if you are going for a weekend, you don't have to register in Murmansk at arrival - the invitation with visa will be enough (as it is less than 3 days).
As for the camping - yes, @Mark is right - you can camp everywhere you can go on your own. You can even camp near lakes, rivers, roads and forests. You must only be careful with nature (don't leave your stuff behind, don't make a big fire, and so on).
Restricted areas are properly marked, so you wouldn't have any problems with that.
Update:
You must register in every city or village, if you are staying there for more than 3 days (without weekends and national holidays).
Proof link (In Russian)
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