Russian border procedure
 

Hi
We're crossing the border to Russia from Estonia at Narva, we need motorcycle insurance and any helpful tips and tricks at the border.
Thanks in advance, Dave

I have not been at this particular border, but usually you get insurance at the border ( sometimes before Russia - more expensive, and after the border )

As far as I know you need to do an online appointment for the border procedure on some Estonian borders.

Rest is eays, and Russians are usually helpful when you dont know how to fill out the papers

I can't help you with the insurance, as we already had ours from a previous entry into Russia.

But the border crossing procedure at Narva is quite the special one. First of all, you need to make an (online) reservation for your crossing. Then you are expected to ride to a waiting area outside the city and register your arrival there. After that you wait for your license plate to be shown on the big screen and proceed to the border in teh city center. There's traffic lights where you queue. They give you a green light one at a time. We rode our bikes through together. After the green light the gate is opened and you're in the customs area where they'll deal with your paperwork just like at any other border.

If you don't make a reservation you'll be waiting at the traffic lights for a very long time until a border guard takes pity and hands you a flyer explaining the above procedure.

Yup - the Narva border crossing is in the center of the city, but the bridge is super-congested, so you have to go to the staging area out of town, and only leave it when it's your turn. Otherwise the city would be clogged with stopped traffic, people pissing in the street, etc.

This is the website for the reservation: https://www.eestipiir.ee/yphis/index...uest_locale=en Note: the border queue can fill up quickly, but technically there are 10 minutes set aside in every hour for motorcycles, so you can usually get in even if the car and truck slots are full.

You can also cross south of Lake Peipus, at Koidula/Pechory or at Luhamaa on the Riga-Pskov highway. Those two are far less congested, although not convenient for St Petersburg.

As for insurance, there will be kiosks there to sell you Russian insurance.

Great advice, thanks, the insurance kiosks are they in English ? and is the insurance fixed price ?

You should be able to communicate more or less. But in general, don't expect great English in Russia, even in the service sector. ;)

Not sure whether it's fixed price, but I don't believe the prices are vastly different from provider to provider.

Is there any information about the Russian-Ukrainian border ... is it always open or how does it work?

It is open as usual. You will not be able to get to the border in occupied parts of Ukraine without permission to cross the front line. Outside the occupied areas border crossings operate as usual.

EO