Russian Transit Visa, for specific borders or open?

[Lovetheworld]

If at some point I would have to resort to a transit visa (hopefully not), I have the following question.

When getting a Transit visa you have to specify the journey overland together with dates, and they divide the trip by 500km per day, maximum 10 days.
However, are the entry and exit towns/borders/countries specified on the transit visa? Or are you free to choose where you go?
If it is already printed on the visa sticker, then you cannot change plans along the way.

[motoreiter]

I've never heard of anyone using a transit visa to go through Russia. If someone is advising you to do so, they are probably misinformed.

[Lovetheworld]

Nobody is advising me to do so, and that wasn't the question. I will arrange a visa before I go but it may not be long enough.

Transit visas can be used, also for overland travel, and are sometimes the only thing you can get, depending on country/embassy and your nationality. I have read about multiple occasions where people used them. Either because they couldn't get a tourist visa at that embassy, or because transit was cheaper for them or had the option to get it the same day.

Anyway, I'm just wandering if entry and exit border crossings are mentioned. All the other stuff is discussion for other topics.

[klausmong1]

I know definitely from 2 different people who traveled from Mongolia back to Europe with transit visa.

They had the towns on the route fixed where they had to go, bud I did not see the visa and I do not know if it is written in there, but it might be.

[Bartosz]

I was in Russia many times using transit visa.
There are many types of info writing on visa. Sometimes I had towns, sometimes only destianatons (like Mongolia, Kazachstan), sometimes I had nothing written exept info TR2 (which mean double transit).
Note that transit is usualy giving for 30 days. It is mean that you have to exit Russia in 30 days. It could be to short time when you want to see Mongolia, Japan or "stans".
Also you can arrange visa in consulates in any other countries. I did my visa in Osh (Kirgistan).
The best option is bussines visa: 2 entries and valid for 3 months. I used it every time now.

[Lovetheworld]

Hi Bartosz, thank you for the info. But do you mean the same transit visa? I have read about transit visas for overland travel, and they have a maximum of 10 days with fixed entry and exit dates. And if you give a route of 1500km you only get three days ( because of 500km per day )
You mean that you get 30 days validity to enter and exit Russia? And maybe less than 30 days, like 10 days to be inside Russia?

My goal is to get a 6 months multiple entry visa, and if I cannot get that I will get a 3 months double entry visa like you used. Then I will need to get one on the road, possibly another tourist visa.

Anyway, I hope I don't need the transit visa but I'm just checking.

[klausmong1]

The people I talked about had definitely 10 das fixed dates to go from Mongolia to Europe to Exit to Ukraine or Latvia

[Bartosz]

Tranist visa is 30 days valid from the date written on it.
Then you can get maximum 10 days crossing each way.
You are right with 500 km a day with counting by the consulate. Not always but they can give you only days for crossing (500 km a day). I got like this one time.

[Lovetheworld]

Ok thanks for the info. So it seems to be the same transit visa, although I read that you get fixed entry dates. Maybe that wasn't true.
And I guess you can get specific borders and cities on it or not, nobody can guarantee it.
So all the more reasons to get a tourist visa on the road instead of a transit visa if possible, if our business visa is not long enough. We will see, but at least there are several options.

Thanks!

[klausmong1]

It may be different, but the guys I told about had fixed dates and got the visa in Mongolia.

One of the guys did even show up in the night at the border to save some hours and start as soon as he could get over the border on the first day.

[Lovetheworld]

Ok thanks for the info. It would be good to take the worst case scenario as the baseline, that way it can always turn out better/easier

[toyotahiace]

Hi lovetheworld

I am right now in Bishkek.
Want to drive back home to Liechtenstein via Kasachstan - Russia - Georgia.
Only thing I need is a russian visa - tourist or transit. Were you successful already?

[Lovetheworld]

Didn't leave home yet

But see: https://caravanistan.com/visa/russia/