DOCUMENTS REQUIRED TO CROSS RUSSIAN BORDERS:

1. Passport which shall be valid for 6 months from the visa expiration date.
2. Valid Russian visa (for countries with visa entry).
3. Return Air tickets.
4. Medical insurance valid in the territory of the Russian Federation.
5. Tourist voucher (one original copy may be required).

A VISA IS REQUIRED FOR ALL FOREIGN CITIZENS, WHO ARRIVE TO RUSSIA, EXCEPT FOR:

PASSENGERS OF CRUISE LINERS

• In case the liner stays in the port for no longer than 72 hours and the passengers return aboard for the night.
• If Saint Petersburg is the only port on the cruise route in Russia.
• Passengers may leave the ship with an organized tour.
• A passenger may be prohibited to leave the cruise liner, if their passport is expired or they have no tourist voucher from the host party.
• Foreign citizens, who do not take part in the tour, have to get Russian visa to stay outside the port. 

CHILDREN, WHO HAS NOT REACHED THE AGE OF 16 YEARS

• If the child is recorded in the parents’ passport and accompanied by them while travelling.
• If the child’s name is not recorded to the parents’/guardians’ passport or if they do not accompany them, the child needs to get Russian visa. In this case the parents have to provide a notarial consent for the child’s trip. 
• If children and parents have different surnames, the child’s birth certificate has to be provided together with the visa.

CITIZENS OF THE FOLLOWING STATES, FOR WHICH VISA-FREE REGIME IS INTRODUCED:

• Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kirghizia, Moldova, Tadzhikistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine (CIS countries).
• Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro (upon the availability of the Invitation, tourist voucher, "poslovno", "podelovno" ("поделовно") mark).
• China (for tourists groups of 5 people and more headed by a representative of the arranging organization, which is on the relevant list), South Korea.
• Antigua, Cuba (up to 30 days).
• Abkhazia, Angola, Bolivia, Brazil, Syria, Chili, the Philippines, Turkey, Thailand, Argentina, Venezuela, Israel, Guatemala (up to 90 days).
• Mongolia (upon the availability of thesupporting documents: invitation of the Embassy or Consulate, invitation, issued as required by Russian law).

VISA

• Our company is officially registered with Russian Federal Agency for Tourism (registration number МВТ 017731), which gives us the right to lend assistance in getting visas.
• In order to get a visa in the Russian Federation you need to contact your tour agent or the nearest Consulate of the Russian Federation for more details.
• A visa may be issued only in Russian consular departments and institutions.
• Tourist visas may be single or double entry with validity period up to 30 days.
• The following documents are required to receive a visa: valid passport, duly filled visa application, photo, tourist voucher, valid medical insurance.

TOURIST VOUCHER

• Voucher of “SKAZKA TOURS” Ltd. is issued on a company's letter head is a document, which confirms booking and payment of tourist services.
• After you have paid for the tour, a tourist voucher will be sent to the e-mail given by you. In case the original documents are required, we will send them by post.
• Voucher is issued on the grounds of details filled in the application form, please check all your data when you receive the voucher.
• The voucher has to be printed in one copy.

INSURANCE

• Issue of a certificate of insurance, valid in the territory of the Russian Federation, is included in the price of the tour.
• The certificate of insurance will be sent to your e-mail.
• Amount of insurance: 30,000 EURO/USD.

In order to cross the Russian border, stick to the following instructions:

ENTRY TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

1. Make sure that you have all documents, required to cross the Russian border (see cl.1).
2. Make sure that the employee of the border control authority has put all the necessary entry records to your passport and has issued you a migration card, when passing migration control.
3. NOTE! You must keep the migration card until you leave the Russian Federation.
4. Claim your luggage and pass through the customs. If you have any goods, which are subject to customs declaration or amount in cash exceeding 10,000$, you have to fill in the declaration and then pass through the red channel, where your declaration will be stamped, this means that you may take the goods and money from the country when leaving.If you have no such goods choose the green channel.
5. When you leave the customs area, a representative of “SKAZKA TOURS” Ltd. will meet you at the arrival lounge.
6. Give him/her your surname and name.
7. The “SKAZKA TOURS” Ltd. representative will give you necessary information regarding further actions and the gathering point for tourists. 
8. If the guests are traveling in a group, the bus departs after gathering of all the tourists.

DEPARTURE FROM THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

1. If the guests are traveling in a group, gathering of the whole group is organized by “SKAZKA TOURS” Ltd.
2. You will receive the detailed information regarding the time and point of gathering from the representative of “SKAZKA TOURS” Ltd.
3. Make sure that you have all the documents, required to cross Russian borders:

1. Passport with a valid visa.
2. Migration card.
3. Return tickets.

4. NOTE! When passing through the customs you will have to fill in a declaration, if you have an amount of money exceeding $10,000, as well as if you have purchased: 

• Goods of extrinsic value, including jewelry, art treasures and antiques;
• Musical Instruments;
• Goods, the price of which exceeds 2,000 euro and which weigh more than 35 kg;
• Weapons;
• More than 2 liters of alcoholic drinks;
• Tobacco (more than 50 cigars, 100 cigarillos, 200 cigarettes, 250gm of tobacco)

5. In order to export icons, samovars, carpets etc. you need to get a certificate that they have no historic value.
6. Those tourists who have came through the red channel during custom clearance, have to go through the red channel again when leaving and demonstrate the filled in declaration for the declared goods. 
7. After registration you have to go through the passport control, where your migration card will be taken away and a stamp will be put into your passport.

ON ARRIVAL TO THE HOTEL

1. You haveto fill in a registration card on arrival to the hotel. Registration may be carried out only upon the availability of the migration card and passport.
2. Check in is at 14:00 - 15:00. If there are any accommodation problems, please contact a “SKAZKA TOURS” Ltd. representative.
3. After the check in look through the information, provided by the hotel. Note which services are chargeable and how much they cost.

DURING YOUR STAY

• Before using services ask for their prices. In case of a conflict situation with the administration of the hotel or a restaurant (denial to pay for the services, for example), a representative of the administration has the right to act in accordance with the Russian rules and laws.
• If there is conflict of interest in any issue, immediately contact a “SKAZKA TOURS” Ltd. representative.
• Comply with the rules and regulations of stay in the hotel and other places of accommodation and stay.
• Smoking in common premises of hotels, such as halls, restaurants and bars, is prohibited. Most hotels have non-smoking rooms.

WHEN DEPARTING FROM THE HOTEL

1. Make sure that you have paid the bills for additional services in the hotel: phone calls, use of mini-bar, laundry services, dry cleaning and etc.
2. Time of your return flight, time of transfers and excursions, are in local Moscow time (UTC/GMT+4). Do not forget about the time difference.
3. Usually you have to leave the room in the hotel by 12:00 noon on the departure day. Return the keys at the reception before the stated time. You may keep your luggage in the locker room of the hotel.
4. To avoid any difficulties we beg you not be late and come to transfer 10-15mins before the stated time.

1. Be careful, take care of your personal belongings (wallets, bags, documents, photo and video cameras), there may be pickpockets in crowded places.
2. Do not exchange currency at suspicious places and with suspicious people, who offer you such services. You may exchange currency in a bank. For more details contact a “SKAZKA TOURS” Ltd. representative. You may pay with your credit/debit card almost in all the places. It is not recommended to obtain cash from a credit card in street ATMs. It is illegal to pay for goods and services in any foreign currency.
3. Mobile phone calls: 
   Calls to Russia: + 7 – city code (812 St. Petersburg, 495/499 Moscow)/mobile network operator code - subscriber's number.
   Calls from Russia: + country code - subscriber's number.
4. Shops are open on every day. Some shops and pharmacies are open 24/7. There are no lunch breaks.
5. Opening hours of museums, cathedrals and churches may change on public holidays. You need to learn this information additionally. When visiting cathedrals women should preferably cover their heads with a shawl and be dressed in the clothes which cover knees and shoulders, men have to put their head wears off.
6. Transport: there is metro in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Metro open hours: 05:45 - 00:00. Metro coins in Saint Petersburg cost 45 rubles; Metro tickets in Moscow cost 55 rubles. You may also purchase a travel ticket for a few trips in metro or for both metro and overland transport together. Information is given on stands of the city metro. Tickets for trams, trolley buses and buses are sold directly in transport. The prices are from 30 rubles to 60rubles.
7. You always may get a taxi as well. Contact the reception of your hotel to call a taxi. Prices of the taxies, parked near the metro, railroad stations, airport are always much higher than the market prices.
8. In the summer period, please make sure of the bridge opening times for independent walks in Saint Petersburg.
9. Tips system covers services of waiters in bars and restaurants, maids in hotels, guides and drivers, it is 5-10% of the price of your order. You do not have to pay tips, but if a client is satisfied with the services, giving tips is seen as a sign of satisfaction/appreciation.
10. In case of any emergency, please contact our representative immediately.
11. In case you lose your passport, flight ticket or luggage, please, inform our representative immediately, he/she will guide you in solving the problem.