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Online Coupons Related Resources: More Resources Destinations: Travel Destinations General Information Travel and living conditions in Russia can contrast sharply with those in the United States. This brochure offers advice to help you avoid inconveniences and difficulties. The Department of State and the U.S. Embassy and consulates in Russia offer a wide range of services to U.S. citizens. U.S. consular officials meet regularly with local authorities to promote the safety of U.S. citizens in the country. In advance of your trip, learn as much as you can about your destination. Your travel agent, local bookstore, public library, the Internet and the embassy of the country or countries you plan to visit are all useful sources of information. Another source is the Department of State’s Background Notes series, which features a pamphlet on each country. You may obtain Background Notes from the State Department home page at http://www.state.gov. IMPORTANT: This information in this booklet is subject to change. Please consult the latest Consular Information Sheet for the most recent information on each country that you plan to visit. Know Before You Go As you travel, keep abreast of local news coverage. If you are in an area experiencing civil unrest or natural disaster, or if you are going to a place where communications are poor, you are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate through the State Department's travel registration website. Registration takes only a few moments, and it may be invaluable in case of an emergency. In accordance with the Privacy Act, information on your welfare or whereabouts may not be released without your expressed authorization. Remember to leave a detailed itinerary and the numbers or copies of your passport or other citizenship documents with a friend or relative in the United States. Here are some other useful precautions: · Leave a detailed itinerary and the number of your passport or other citizenship documents with a friend or relative in the United States. · Carry your photo identification and the name of a person to contact with you in the event of serious illness or other emergency. · Keep photocopies of your passport, visa, airline or other tickets and a list of your traveler’s checks with you in a separate location from the originals and leave copies with someone at home. · Leave things like unnecessary credit cards and expensive jewelry at home. · Use a money belt or concealed pouch for your passport, cash and other valuables. Consular Information Program Before traveling, obtain the Consular Information Sheets for all the countries you plan to visit. You should also check to see if the Department of State has issued a Travel Warning or Public Announcement for the country or countries you will be visiting. Travel Warnings are issued when the Department of State decides, based on all relevant information, to recommend that Americans avoid travel to a certain country. Public Announcements are issued as a means to disseminate information quickly about relatively short-term and/or regional conditions that could pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Consular Information Sheets are available for every country in the world. They include such information as the location of the U.S. embassy or consulate in the country, unusual immigration practices, health conditions, unusual currency and entry regulations, crime and security information, and drug penalties. A description of political disturbances may be included in the Consular Information Sheet under an optional section entitled "Areas of Instability." On limited occasions, the Department also restates in this section U.S. embassy advice given to official employees. Consular Information Sheets present information so travelers can make knowledgeable decisions concerning travel to a particular country. Countries where we suggest that you not travel will have Travel Warnings in addition to Consular Information Sheets. How to Access Consular Information Sheets, Travel Warnings and Public Announcements By Internet The most convenient source of information about travel and consular services is the Consular Affairs home page on the Internet’s World Wide Web. The web site is http://travel.state.gov. If you do not have access to the Internet at home, work or school, your local library may provide access to the Internet. By Telephone Consular Information Sheets and Travel Warnings may be heard any time by dialing the office of American Citizens Services at (202) 647-5225 from a touchtone phone. By Fax From your fax machine, dial (202) 647-3000, using the handset as you would a regular telephone. The system will instruct you on how to proceed. In Person/By Mail Consular Information Sheets, Travel Warnings and Public Announcements are available at any of the regional passport agencies, field offices of the Department of Commerce, U.S. embassies and consulates abroad, or, by writing and sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the Office of American Citizens Services, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Room 4811, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C. 20520-4818. Visas and Other Entry Requirements U.S. citizens must possess a valid U.S. passport and appropriate visas for travel to, or transit through, Russia and many of its neighboring countries, whether by train, car, ship or airplane. Travelers who arrive without an entry visa will be unable to enter Russia and face immediate ordered departure by route of entry, at the traveler’s expense. Visas should be obtained in advance of your trip at the embassy or consulate of the country you wish to visit. If possible, obtain your visa(s) in the United States, because this can be difficult and time-consuming to do in a third country. It is impossible to obtain a Russian entry visa upon arrival into the country. Errors in dates or other information on the visa can occur and it is helpful to have someone who reads the local language check the visa before departing the U.S. Visas are valid for specific dates. An entry/exit visa reflects two dates written in the European style (date, month, year). The first date indicates the day you may enter Russia; the second date indicates the day you must leave the country. Sometimes, the length of a visa may not correspond to the length of your planed stay. Before starting your trip, be sure your visa is valid for the dates of your planned entry and departure. In Russia, travelers who spend more than three days in the country must register their visa through their hotel or sponsor. It is helpful to make a photocopy of your visa in the event of loss. A copy of your visa will not be sufficient for leaving the country. Russian border officials always ask for the original. Amendment of a visa necessitated by illness or changes in travel plans must be approved in advance by the office that issued your visa. If travelers experience entry and exit visa problems they and/or their sponsor must contact the nearest Russian visa and passport office for assistance. Visitors who overstay their visa’s validity, even for one day, or, who neglect to register their visa will be prevented from leaving. Due to the possibility of random document checks by police, U.S. citizens should carry their original or photocopies of their passports and registered visas with them at all times. Failure to provide proper documentation can result in detention and/or heavy fines. Business and Transit Visas A business visa requires a letter of invitation from a business contact in the country to which you are traveling. A transit visa requires a copy of your confirmed ticket and visa, if required, to your onward destination. Sponsorship for Visas Russia and many of its neighboring countries issue visas (with the exception of transit visas) on the basis of support from a sponsor, usually an individual or local organization. It is important to know who your sponsor is and how to contact them because, in many of these countries, the law requires that your sponsor apply on your behalf for replacement, extension or changes to your visa. Even if your visa was obtained through a travel agency in the U.S., there is always a Russian legal entity whose name is indicated on the visa and who is considered to be your legal sponsor. The U.S. Embassy cannot act as your sponsor. U.S. citizens should contact their tour company or hotel in advance for information on visa sponsorship. Exit Visas An exit visa is usually required to depart Russia. For short stays, the exit visa is issued along with the entry visa and is only valid until the date listed on the visa. In Russia and many neighboring countries, travelers who spend more than three days in the country must register their visa through their hotel or sponsor. Visitors who overstay their visa’s validity, even for one day, or who neglect to register their visa will be prevented from leaving. How to Obtain More Visa Information Authoritative and current information on visas can only be obtained from the embassies or consulates of the countries you plan to visit. When you inquire about visas, ask about price, length of validity, the number of entries that are permitted and whether or not you will need an exit visa. Your U.S. Passport Thefts of U.S. passports are increasing rapidly. The theft or loss of a passport, especially when the nearest U.S. consular office is hundreds or thousands of miles away, is a major source of inconvenience and expense to travelers. Before your trip, make photocopies of the data page of your passport. A copy of the addresses and telephone numbers of the U.S. embassies and consulates in the countries you will visit may also be helpful. Put one set of the photocopies along with two passport photos in a place separate from your passport. If your passport is lost or stolen abroad, this will make issuance of a new passport faster and easier. Leave the second set of copies and your itinerary with a relative or friend in the U.S. While in Russia and in many countries, you may be asked to turn over your passport to hotel personnel or a tour leader for short periods of time for registration with police or for other purposes. Your passport should be returned within two or three days. However, for U.S. citizens on long-term business or studies, the registration process can often take longer. It is not unusual for sponsors and local authorities to hold on to American passports for as much as several weeks while visas are registered or while exit visas are processed. Be sure to safeguard your passport at all other times, as its loss can cause you delays and problems. If your passport is lost or stolen, you must apply for a replacement passport at a U.S. embassy or consulate. If possible, bring with you: · identification, especially photo ID · proof of U.S. citizenship (a birth certificate, naturalization certificate, Report of Birth Abroad or a copy of your passport) · two 2" by 2" passport size photos, in color or black and white, and · the police report that you filed when you notified the local authorities that your passport was lost or stolen. In most cases, a new passport can be issued quickly. If U.S. passport records must be checked, the process may delay the issuance of a new passport. In Russia you must also obtain a new or duplicate visa from OVIR (Office of Visas and Registration) if your visa is lost or stolen. (This office is also known as the "Passport-Visa Service" in some areas.) The passport number on your visa must match that of any new passport. Obtaining a replacement visa takes approximately 10 working days. A police certificate verifying the theft of your visa and passport may be necessary to obtain a new visa. U.S. Visas for Foreigners Questions regarding U.S. visas for foreigners should be directed to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Adoptions Russia has well-established procedures governing international adoption; however, adoption laws vary greatly and are subject to change with little prior notice. Prospective adoptive parents should be prepared to go through a lengthy and complicated process before being allowed to adopt a child. For country specific information about current laws and procedures for international adoption, U.S. citizens may contact the Department of State’s Office of Children’s Issues at (202) 736-7000. They can also consult the Bureau of Consular Affairs’ web site at http://travel.state.gov. Prospective adoptive parents are encouraged to contact their state’s social services department for assistance in locating an adoption agency specializing in international adoption. Travel in Russia Areas of Instability. Due to continued civil and political unrest throughout most of the Caucasus region of Russia, the Department of State warns U.S. citizens against travel to the areas of Chechnya, all areas bordering Chechnya, North Ossetia, Ingushetia, Dagestan, Stavropol, Karachayevo-Cherkessiya and Kabardino-Balkariya. United States Government personnel are prohibited from traveling to these areas and American citizens residing in these areas should depart immediately as the safety of Americans and other foreigners cannot be effectively guaranteed. Throughout the region, local criminal gangs routinely kidnap foreigners, including Americans, for ransom. U.S. citizens have disappeared in Chechnya and remain unaccounted for. In December 1998, four foreign hostages were decapitated by their captors. Close contacts with the local population do not guarantee safety. The U.S. Government’s ability to assist Americans who travel to the Northern Caucasus is extremely limited. Air Travel Within Russia. After extensive joint reviews with the State Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has concluded under its International Aviation (IASA) Program that the SCAA oversees and licenses Russia’s air carriers in accordance with international safety oversight provisions. For further information, travelers may contact the Department of Transportation within the U.S. at 1-800-322-7873, or visit the FAA web site at http://www.faa.gov/avr/iasa/. Travelers should note that air travel within Russia, particularly in remote regions, can be unreliable at times. Small local airlines do not have advance reservation systems but sell tickets for cash at the airport. Flights often get cancelled if more than 30% of the seats remain unsold. Overland Travel. When traveling by train or automobile in Russia, it is advisable to bring food and water with you. You cannot rely on the availability or quality of these goods throughout the region. When traveling overland between Central European countries and Russia, be sure that you have visas for all countries through which you will pass. For example, you will need a Belarusian transit visa if you take the train from Warsaw, Poland to Vilnius, Lithuania because the train passes through Grodno, Belarus. Most transit problems can be avoided if you research your routes well. Travel By Car. Driving conditions in Russia and the region are drastically different from those in Western Europe. In some areas, roads are practically non-existent. Throughout the region, service stations are few and far between and the lines are often quite long for the scarce amount of available fuel. Avoid excessive speed and, if at all possible, do not drive at night. Loose livestock can appear at any time. Construction sites or stranded vehicles are often unmarked by flares or other warning signals. Sometimes cars have only one headlight. Many cars lack brake lights. Bicycles seldom have lights or reflectors. This makes for very dangerous driving conditions at night. Be prepared for sudden stops at any time. If you plan to drive, travelers should adhere to all local driving regulations. These are strictly enforced and violators are subject to severe legal penalties. Learn about your route from an auto club, guide book or a government tourist office. Some routes have heavy truck and bus traffic, others have poor or nonexistent shoulders and many have animals on the loose. Also, some of the newer roads have very few restaurants, motels, gas stations or auto repair shops. You may not be able to avoid all problems, but at least you will know what to expect if you have done some research. For your safety, have your vehicle serviced and in optimum condition before you travel. It is wise to bring an extra fan belt, fuses and other spare parts. To avoid highway crime, try not to drive at night and never drive alone during this time. Never sleep in vehicles along the road. Do not, under any circumstances, pick up hitchhikers, who not only pose a threat to your physical safety, but also put you in danger of being arrested for unwittingly transporting narcotics or narcotics traffickers in your vehicle. Your vehicle can be confiscated if you are transporting marijuana or other narcotics. A valid U.S. driver’s license, a valid international driver’s license or a valid license from the country in which you are traveling are necessary to drive a vehicle in Russia. International driver’s licenses, good for one year, are available through the American Automobile Association. Foreigners who plan to drive in the region for more than six months must have a Russian driver’s license. If you will be there for less than six months, you can use your American driver’s license but need to carry an official translation, into Russian. Moreover, legal residents of Russia are required to obtain a Russian driver’s license. In order to do that one has to take an appropriate exam. An American drivers’ license cannot be exchanged for a Russian license. Travelers without a valid license are often subject to prolonged stops by highway police. Insurance. Your automobile should be fully insured under a policy valid for the country in which you are traveling. U.S. automobile liability insurance is not valid nor are most collision and comprehensive coverage policies issued by U.S. companies. A good rule of thumb is to buy coverage equivalent to that which you carry in the United States. Checkpoints. Law enforcement checkpoints aimed at detecting narcotics, alien smuggling and firearms traffic are located at various places throughout the region. 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