What you need to know before you pack!

Ok, so lets say you have finally made the decision to go to Russia and explore this beautiful, vast and intriguing country but you are asking yourself how to go about it, what to do about visas, airline tickets, local transportation once you arrive, accommodation... Well before you grab a BACKPACK, let me give you some guidance in order to make your trip hassle free and make the most out of it. In my personal case I lived and worked in Russia for 3 years, so I got all the good inside information you need to know!

First of all let me start by mentioning that Russia has very strict immigration regulations and there are few privileged countries that can travel there without a visa, if you are a national from one of those countries congratulations, you have already one foot in Russia. For the rest of us who must have a visa prior to departing to Russia let me explain you the process to obtain your visa quickly and legitimately. If you are planning to visit Russia and explore around its many cool cities and places of interest then I suggest a regular tourist visa which allows you to travel throughout Russia for 30 days, this type of visa can be arranged by your local or trusted travel agent and will guide you thru the process which is fairly simple but it does take from 2 to 7 days depending on the country you are in at the time of the application, if you plan to stay for a longer period than 30 days, then you need to apply for a different type of visa such as a private visa, but anything other than a tourist visa involves more paperwork requirements which are not impossible if you really want to go there for a long stay, if you already have a friend in Russia then you have it made, they can send you the invitation letter to process your visa, also another good resource is Workaway, if you like to share your skills and help others, then Workaway is  good way to go, many of the places where you can volunteer help you with visa support and then you can get it for up to one year, also House Carers is a good option to find a place to stay for free in exchange of a watchful eye and some chores around the house so you can spend more money on what you like to do instead.

Below I break down the current types of Russian visas available based on your personal needs:

Tourist visa

Single entry, valid up to 30 days (30-day visas are issued upon request. If you apply with your own invitation, please double-check the date on entry and date of departure)

Double entry, valid up to 30 days

Business visa

Single entry, valid up to 3 months

Double entry, valid up to 3 months

Multiple entries, valid for 1 year

Private visa

Valid up to 3 months, based only on a private invitation from relatives / friends in Russia

Valid up to 3 months, based only on a private invitation from a spouse travelling with the applicant or a parent travelling with their children.

*Note that for nationals of some countries like the EU, USA, UK, Canada, fingerprinting is required but do not be alarmed, your passport has a chip already so what's the difference, and if you are a clean Joe/Jane just traveling and having fun then there is nothing to worry about, right?

If you have any doubts or questions do not hesitate to hit me up!

 

Arriving in Russia!

So there you are taking your first glances of majestic Moscow from the window of the airplane, you have hopefully at this time filled out your customs declaration form, your hands are sweaty with excitement and curiosity of what to expect after you step out of the aircraft.

Depending on the airport you arrive at is how you will access the terminal, at Domodedovo usually you will walk out of the plane through the tunnel directly towards the immigration and passport control zone, in Sheremetyevo and the other smaller airports in Moscow you may be directed to board the bus that will drive you to the terminal.

Once you are in line at passport control, notice the indications on the display screens, have your passport ready and out of any passport cover along with your boarding pass stub, notice that there are some booths specifically for official and diplomatic passport holders, DO NOT go there or you will probably have to answer unnecessary questions, just proceed to any of the "all other passports" lines open and wait for your turn. Once you go up to the window, hand your passport and boarding pass stub to the immigration officer and look him/her directly with a neutral face, remove any eye wear and cap you may be wearing and clear your forehead. Depending on your nationality you may have to answer some questions/show documented proof of your itinerary, if you face a specific and direct question you do not understand well or have doubts about, ask the officer to repeat the question and answer truthfully, DO NOT LIE or that can become your first taste of from Russia with Love, in my case I entered with a высококвалифицированный специалист or highly qualified specialist visa to work and live there for 3 years so there were no questions asked at all since I had already gone thru security clearance at the Russian embassy before the issuance of my visa, I am almost sure this is not your first international border crossing so just stay calm and keep your cool. The officer will print a small duplicate card that will contain your details, then it will be stamped along with your passport, DO NOT lose that card as you must return it to immigration upon departure, that is your immigration card which you must keep with your passport and carry it with you at all times, yes, you must have your passport and card with you at all times since it is your only official piece of identification in Russia and police can stop you and ask you to produce both documents at will. Forget your local customs and ideology, especially if you come from the US, Canada, UK, DO NOT question the police as to why they are stopping you, instead just be cool and remember that you are in their country and must follow and respect their laws and regulations, usually after seeing your western foreign passport they just let you continue on your way, now I think this is rare but in the 3 years that I lived and travelled throughout the country I was never once stopped by the police and asked to produce my passport, and let me tell you, I look anything but Slavic or Russian, I do believe that personality and demeanor do play a role in that sense, I would walk around the street in my work clothes and looked a bit dirty at times but still acted cool and normal... If you look clean cut you are good to go.

And remember, you must register your stay within 7 days of your arrival, the arrival day counts as day 1, if you are staying at a hotel/hostel etc. they will handle the registration for you and will give you a прописка or registration form, keep that with you in your passport at all times too.

So remember, basic rules to follow: 

• Always use common sense and follow the rules, you are not at home.
• Keep your passport with you at all times.
• Be patient, not everybody speaks English, especially not the older people.
• Always remove your shoes when walking into any home.

Transportation communication and clothing!

Ok, so you made it into Russia, it is your first day and you are at your hotel or flat and are wondering how to get around!... Well don't panic, the public transport in Russia is efficient to my experience, I only rode the bus a couple of times while in Moscow and Nabereznhye Chelny, the rest of the time I took the Metro which is like being in a museum every time you step into a station in moscow or St. Petersburgh, and my favorite means of transportation was Yandex Taxi which is similar to Uber in the west, you can choose economy or luxury service and fares are reasonably cheap especially in smaller cities, you can download the app for both Android and Apple from their respective stores, register, select your method of payment and boom, you got wheels! I recommend inputing a credit card as method of payment as drivers feel more confident picking up people whose payment is thru credit card, it gets deducted the moment the driver picks you up so he feels secure that he will be paid, unfortunately there are dishonest people everywhere and a few drivers told me that sometimes people would just take off running or be too drunk to find money to pay so I completely understand and I also feet better paying with my card, thus I always get an invoice for every ride. In many cities they also have the tram or трамвай which costs 22 roubles which is like 25 cents of a euro.

Once you start to venture to other cities instead of getting on a plane I recommend you ride the trains, they are soo cool, I rode the transsiberian from Agryz to Ulan ude and hiked all around Lake Baikal, that was a childhood dream that finally became reality, anyway, the trains have different classes, if you want to ride like if you were sittin on your couch then go first class, but that will be just as expensive or maybe more than a plane ticket, I rode on platskart which is where you want to ride if you want babushkas or grandmas to feed you delicious home made food, I swear, I got fed so much food from Agryz to Ulan Ude that I think I gained 2 pounds by the time I arrived, you get to pretty much live with these cool people from the many different regions of Russia, depending on where you are going, your ride can be from a few hours to a few days, you will learn a lot about Russian culture and the Russian mentality, You can buy your tickets online thru TUTU travel trains Russia the site is multilingual and you can also pay safely with your credit card, once you book your ticket you receive an email confirmation with your boarding pass which you can print or just show the electronic form on your phone upon boarding along with your passport, you even get sms reminders about yout trip and all to make sure you dont miss your train, not all stations have signs in English so if you have questions just go to the information booth or find a younger person to ask as more than likely they will speak at least basic English, my level of Russian is fairly decent so I can navigate with ease, but don't get frustrated, just ask... Google translate does wonders and learning basic sentences and questions before you arrive is a wise idea.

You might want to get a local SIM card so that you have good internet service at a cheap rate, I pay 6 euros a month for my plan, I get 6 Gb of internet and unlimited minutes and SMS monthly. Just ask in your hotel or a friend to help you with that, I recommend the company Beeline, it works best for me and I am sure it will for you too. You can stick with the old roaming but rarely anyone does that anymore as it is very expensive, easier and simple to just get a local sim card. And super important if you are coming nearing winter time, make sure you bring the appropriate winter attire especially if you are the adventurer type and want to do a lot of ourdoor exploring, a scarf, beannie, a good jacket for sub zero temperatures, gloves, and a good pair of rugged terrain boots will keep you warm and on your feet, you can buy it here but good quality brand stuff is quite expensive so keep in in mind.

Sooo, grab your backpack and enjoy the ride!

 

Customs, norms and good behavior!

You have finally arrived Russia for business or pleasure, now let us talk about some fundamental customs and norms to take into account so that you don’t embarrass yourself to say the least. Remember that only the first impression counts, there are no second chances.

Let us go over those little details that can make a huge difference in how people perceive you so that you can become part of the crowd, especially if you have come to meet your Sweetheart/Romeo and she has invited you to her house for dinner to introduce you to her family.

1 - Personal space

As you may be familiar especially if you come from a Latin-American country, Italy, Spain, we tend to be very warm and open people in general, especially when we meet someone for the first time in the casual mode we tend to hug and kiss on the cheek showing our warmness and emotion about meeting this new person, but in Russia personal space is very much taken to heart, meaning that the hug and kiss in the first introduction can be seen awkward, and for the girls if a foreigner approaches to kiss on the cheek the very first time you meet her, this greatly reduces your chances of coming close to her again especially if you like her and would like to pursue something more than friendship. When introduced to new friends or acquaintances for the first time keep it cool and clean, a firm handshake for men and a soft handshake for the ladies with open eyes and a brief smirk is all you need to do, you will be looked at with appreciation and respect and you will open the door to gain this person’s trust. Do not kiss the girls on the cheek when introduced, that will not only make her feel confused but she will also put her shields up because you are invading her personal space. Remember, if you extend your arm horizontally and make a circle, that is your personal space and our human nature does not like when that space is invaded by a stranger or even by someone we know but is not very close to us. Throughout history Russian people have had their fare share of deceit and betrayal, so it is almost genetically embedded in their psyche to not open themselves to strangers, Russian people in other countries are perceived as cold which is the total opposite, once you become part of a circle of friends you will discover how warm hearted and hospitable Russian people really are, one thing though they are very direct, no beating around the bush, so if you need to say something choose the right words and say it openly and honestly, people will appreciate you for that. So remember, keep it cool and clean and you will be on your way to making lots of new good friends!

2 - When visiting a Russian home be a good guest

So you got past the introduction part very well and now your new friends have invited you to their summer home or Dacha for a BBQ or to their cool apartment or house in the city for a nice family dinner.

The first thing you want to do is to get a humble but nice gift to bring to the occasion, this will not only make you look good but it will hint your friends that you are doing your homework to quickly integrate to the Russian customs and way of life even if you are there for a short time, your friends will really appreciate that and you will be regarded as a cultivated person with good taste and character; A decent bottle of wine, a bouquet of flowers, chocolates, a bottle of good vodka, a deli tray, one or a combination of the mentioned items depending on the number of people you think will be attending will be a nice touch and will push you up a notch in the trust meter.

3 - Take your shoes off

The first thing you must always do when entering a Russian home is remove your shoes, this is a strong custom in Russia mainly because of cleanliness and hygiene, your host will gladly provide you with a pair of indoor flip flops, if not just walk in wearing your socks, do not feel strange or embarrassed at all.

4 - Do not take the last shirt.

It is very customary in Russia for your host to offer something for you to take when you are ready to leave, please kindly deny to take it, especially if it is a house decoration item or something you consider expensive or special do not take it, this will not be considered rude on your part so do not worry, if the host insists more than three or four times as you are walking out then you might take it considering it is not something expensive from the house, a picture book of Moscow or something similar would be ok, remember use good common sense and criteria.

5 - No politics, no whistling

Do not bring politics into the conversation, sometimes it is easy to get into politics when having a good chat with new friends because we are curious to hear their opinions about their government and institutions for us to make a comparison to those in our country, but in Russia politics is not welcome in the conversation, Russian people do not like to speak openly about their government because of ingrained feelings of fear due to how things used to be in the past and still may be today for them, this subject will make your hosts feel uncomfortable and will cause certain tension In the atmosphere, it all goes back to trust, if you just met them and freshly arrived in Russia as a tourist or expat, why would you be so interested in their politics and institutions, in their mindset only spies and foes talk about that, on the other hand if you praise their system and way of life in general this will be seen as a good gesture, but do not over do it and never talk negatively about the police or immigration even if you have had an incident or an encounter, remember, this is their laws, their country, learn and appreciate.

As for whistling, it is a Russian belief that it drives wealth and prosperity away, because when you whistle you blow your breath out, so it is like if you were blowing away all your good wishes and thoughts and it is not a cool thing to do indoors, just don’t do it.

6 - Behave, behave, behave

The last thing we want to do in a foreign country is to embarrass ourselves in any way especially in public right?

Practicing common sense and good manners go a long way. Do not do in Russia the things you would not do back home, or the opposite depending on your character and upbringing, something you may consider to not be a big deal in your country can get you into considerable to serious trouble in Russia and not to exaggerate but you could even face deportation.

• Do not heed the call of nature on the street after you step out of the club, I know, you had the last drink on the way out and forgot to go drain the tank, but please find a restroom nearby, if you are caught by the police you can face a fine and a ride to the police station which is a place you would not want to be in anywhere.

• Do not over do it in the club.  So you just fell in love with the cute girl across the bar because she stands out in her crowd of friends and she glances at you flirtingly, that does not mean she is in love with you or that she wants to go home with you. If you are with some Russian friends which is more than likely the case just hint them that you like the girl and they may be able to guide you and make sure she is open season before you make a blunder. In Russia girls usually hang in a crowd and guys do the same, so it is safe to say that 80% of those girlfriends have a boyfriend and if she is a beauty goddess which most of them are, then more than likely her boyfriend is a guy you don’t want to bump heads with and that guy is surely not there alone, I don’t think I have much more to lay out at this point, I think you figured it out. Trust me from personal experience, if a girl really likes you and is single she will probably do more than glance at you to get your attention, so just be yourself, be cool and enjoy the night, it may bring you a good surprise.

• Do not exceed your limits of alcohol. I know I know, you are super excited to see lots of new different faces and places and are having the best time of your life partying and doing cool activities which most times will end up in having a few drinks to relax, remember that latitude changes mess with how our system reacts to alcohol, so watch your intake and if you feel that your meter is going into the red it is time to stop, be honest with your friends and just stop, they will appreciate that much more than having to drive you to the hospital or putting out the fire if you start to be obnoxious and crazy with others around you and that will possibly kill your chances of them hanging out with you again.