Question by Sy: I have a 10 hour layover in Moscow before my next flight? Can I get a temporary visa?
I have a 10 hour layover in Moscow before my next destination, I have never been to Russia and would like to tour around Russia with what little time I have. Can I have a temporary visa issued at the airport that would allow me to go outside? I live in USA, so would I need to go the the Russia Consulate in the US and get the visa? Thank you.
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Answer by Arsan Lupin
No, you cannot get a visa in the airport. Yes, you need a Russian transit visa. Yes, you must apply for it through one of the three agencies the Russian embassy hired in the USA to process visa applications.
WARNING: The traffic in metropolitan Moscow is like nothing you’ve ever seen. This makes travel to and from the airports risky. Rail travel is your best bet; AeroExpress runs express trains from Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo airports to train stations on opposite sides of the Moscow Metro’s Brown line from each other. From there you can get to anywhere in Moscow – eventually. Personally, I think you’re risking missing your connection.
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iceman says
A transit visa will cost you about $ 200usd. Yes you can get one before you go, and no they are not normally available (I did get one a few years ago when my regular visa had the wrong dates, but don’t count on it). No matter which one of the airports you will be flying into, you will need at least an hour to two hours to go through customs and collect any baggage, and flying out will usually take at least an hour if not more.
If you want a whirlwind tour (4-5 hours) have a travel agent with a driver meet you outside of baggage claim and see the sights, but with traffic in and out of the airport, normal traffic and delays this could be reduced to just a few hours. While the airports are considered city airports, they really are a drive from what you might want to see.
Good luck!
kate says
You should get a transit visa back home
here is a link
http://www.russianvisa.org/transitvisa.html
however, keep it in mind, your 10 hours is shorten at least 2 hours, for checking/security point after leaving airport. So does it worthy to spent money and effort? I don’t think so, but no-one can stop you of course..
Here is another link for getting Russia visa headache free
http://www.russia-travel.com/