Author: Irina
Constantly updated and detailed material: what borders are open for Russians and where to rest now? Are there countries where the test is not needed?
Where can you fly abroad now? Eh, just a year ago such a question would not have arisen. And in general, it would seem strange.
But times are changing, and so is the content on travel blogs. Today I will begin to tell - and I will continue here, as information becomes available - about where to go to rest now outside the borders of Russia. I will touch upon the rules for entering countries, and options to fly not only from Moscow, and my experience of traveling to the sea after Russia resumed air traffic.
How is this article different? There will be no countries where it is theoretically possible for us to get, but with the condition of passing through the third street of the tenth state and by boat (too difficult, that is). There are only those where Russians can travel easily, comfortably and, for sure, what is so lacking at the moment in life.
Bookmark this page - information changes every few days. We monitor the situation and update the list of countries open for tourists in a timely manner. |
Which countries are open now - important updates
- "Opening borders" is not equal to "you can fly", since the ban on visits may be lifted (or not introduced at all, like the United States), but it is dreary or impossible for us Russians to get there due to the lack of flights.
Pay attention to the structure of the article. This section - about the latest news from the world of opening borders; about all countries that are officially open to tourists (not for work, treatment or study - for tourism) and without reference to the rules of entry. Next section - specifically about those countries where international flights from Russia are available. Under the new conditions of entry - table below.
We are collecting relevant information about open countries now:
- 1.06.2021 - restored air traffic between the Russian Federation and Great Britain.
- 1.06.2021 - another portion of renewable flights from Russia to Hungary, Austria, Luxembourg and on Mauritius - tourists are not allowed here; but you can get in and fly away as a tourist (from June 10) to Morocco, Croatia, Albania and Lebanon.
- 1.06.2021 - Russia extends the ban on flights to Turkey and Tanzania until June 21.
- 20.05.2021 - closed Sri Lanka.
- 05/15/2021 - from May 25, Russia allows and puts flights to Malta, to Iceland, Portugal, Mexico and Saudi Arabia... As always is "but": tourists can only go to the last two countries.
- 05/14/2021 - another gesture towards tourists: Italy cancels quarantine if you are arriving from EU countries.
– 09.05.2021 — Italy and Spain began to extend Schengen visas to Russians (details in section 6). Bulgaria and Croatia also issue visas, only national ones.
- 04/29/2021 - Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian tourists can now visit Bulgaria! Officially - from May 1, the rules of entry are below.
– 25.04.2021 — Greece cancels quarantine for tourists upon arrival.
- 04/23/2021 - after almost 6 years charters from Russia are resumed to Egypt (Hurghada and Sharm)... The exact date is still unknown.
- 04/22/2021 - at Abu Dhabi (UAE) Russians can now fly without quarantine requirements.
– 12.04.2021 — Turkey and Tanzania closed to Russian tourists from April 15 to June 1.
- 04/11/2021 - at Indonesia a tourist can enter again with a business visa.
- 7.04.2021 - at Tunisia from April 19, it will be possible to get in with a PCR test and without a two-day isolation (but the condition is valid only for a tour).
– 1.04.2021 — Croatia allows entry to tourists and opens consulates to obtain visas.
- 03/25/2021 - as early as April 1, flights between Russia and Sri Lanka, Syria, Venezuela, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Germany... This means that direct flights will start flying again, but a tourist can only enter Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan and Venezuela (what you need :)).
- 03/23/2021 - from April 1 Cyprus will allow Russians to enter with two PCR tests - before departure and upon arrival (€ 30).
– 15.03.2021 — Peru canceled quarantine on arrival for tourists - which means it can be considered an open country.
- 03/02/2021 - opening slightly Ukraine, for the Russians for sure.
- 02.24.2021 - khachapuri and saperavi will become closer - Georgia opens borders for tourists, incl. and from Russia, from March 1 (see entry conditions in the section below).
Updates archive
- 03/15/2021 - to our delight Greece announced the full opening of borders for all Russian tourists from May 14, 2021. Until this date, there is a limit of 4,000 people per week and a weekly quarantine on arrival.
- 03/05/2021 - get into Tunisia it became a little easier: the 7-day quarantine upon arrival was replaced by a 48-hour one.
– 04.03.2021 — Seychelles decided to start up from March 25 not only vaccinated, but also unvaccinated tourists with PCR test.
– 01.03.2021 — Turkey announced that it will require PCR tests from tourists until April 15.
– 11.02.2021 — Cyprus from March 1, it will start issuing tourist visas, but is still silent about the opening of borders.
- 06.02.2021 - from February 15, Russia allows flights to Azerbaijan, but Azerbaijan does not wait for tourists.
- 01.21.2021 - opened for tourists Sri Lankabut with strict entry requirements.
- 01/18/2021 - Russia from January 27 resumes flights from Qatar, India, Vietnam and Finland (however, none of them ACCEPT tourists yet).
– 01.02.2021 — Cuba introduces quarantine for foreigners, BUT: this will not affect Russian tourists on a voucher.
– 29.01.2021 — even more Russian airports open for international flights from February 8, 2021 (Astrakhan, Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk, Makhachkala, Khabarovsk, Perm, Nizhny Novgorod, MinVody - hello, summer Turkey!).
- 01/15/2021 - from January 26, the rules of entry into USA (see below).
– 11.01.2021 — Indonesia extends the ban on tourists until 22 February.
- 26.12.2020 - closed again Japan.
– 28.12.2020 — Indonesia (including Bali) closes for foreigners from 1 to 14 January.
- 21.12.2020 - Russia has suspended flights from Great Britain (until June 1, 2021).
– 21.12.2020 — Moldavia reopened to the Russians.
- 12/14/2020 - update in Thailand: the resumption of the visa-free regime for Russians is coming, but still subject to a 2-week quarantine upon arrival.
– 10.12.2020 — Oman allowed entry to foreigners for tourist purposes.
– 1.12.2020 — Croatia closed to tourists.
– 17.11.2020 — Tunisia allowed entry to citizens of any country.
- 13.11.2020 - welcomes tourists, including Russian Thailandbut with visa conditions.
– 13.11.2020 — South Africa opened the borders for all states.
- 11/9/2020 - opens Nepal, but only for tourist climbers.
- 10/27/2020 - now you can fly abroad from Russia and from Ufa.
– 14.10.2020 — Japan, Cuba and Serbia accept Russian tourists.
– 1.10.2020 — Finland allowed the Russians to enter for urgent reasons (property, birth of a child, illness of a relative, etc.).
– 22.09.2020 — Kazakhstan allowed international flights.
– 10.09.2020 — Morocco opened the borders for tourists from countries with which a visa-free regime has been concluded.
– 8.09.2020 — Jordan has given the green light for citizens of 43 countries of the world so far.
– 7.09.2020 — Greece announced the admission of Russians with a restriction of no more than 500 people per week.
- 4.09.2020 - the next country open to foreigners was Uzbekistan.
- In August - tourists began to wait in Abkhazia, Montenegro, Kenya, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Moldova.
- In July - showed signs of life Malta (with the condition of "sitting out" in safe countries for 14 days in advance), Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, UAE (Dubai only), Dominican Republic, Lebanon, Egypt, Tanzania and the United Kingdom.
- Back in June 2020, the first countries appeared where flights are allowed: Maldives, Turkey and Albania.
Which countries have opened borders for Russians?
Sources of information - Timatic (database from the International Air Transport Association) and websites of the Russian embassies abroad.
Which countries are Russian tourists allowed to visit? There are not so many states on the list, only about thirty - and of them, you can fly to only ten freely and without problems in the form of transfers. But I am glad that the number of open borders for us is gradually increasing.
Which countries are open to Russians - a general list:
- Abkhazia
- Azerbaijan - but not for tourists
- Albania
- Armenia
- Belarus
- Bulgaria
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Great Britain
- Greece
- Georgia
- Dominican Republic
- Egypt
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Cyprus
- Kyrgyzstan
- Cuba
- Lebanon
- Maldives
- Malta
- Morocco
- Mexico
- Moldavia
- Oman
- UAE
- Peru
- North Macedonia
- Seychelles
- Serbia
- USA
- Thailand (see "Entry Rules")
- Tanzania - flights suspended until June 21, 2021
- Tunisia
- Turkey - flights suspended until June 21, 2021
- Uzbekistan
- Ukraine
- Croatia
- Montenegro
- Ethiopia
- South Africa
What about Europe? The EU countries allow everyone who has a residence permit or a student visa, but: tourists from Russia are PROHIBITED TO ENTRY. Exceptions are Greece and the United Kingdom (see entry rules below). However, there is a loophole for mere mortals. The fact is that the EU restricts entry not by citizenship, but by the country of departure. From Russia a Russian to Europe is not allowed, but from the "green" countries to Europe it is possible. At the moment, the "green" of those where Russians are allowed are Malta (after having served two weeks in the approved zone), Greece (the road is open, the easiest way) and Great Britain (and flights have been suspended here so far). When leaving for the EU countries, there are no questions to the citizens of the Russian Federation - and there are already many such cases among Russian travelers. In the wake of recent news about Spain: Tourists departing from Russia are still not allowed to enter. As before, if you have a valid Schengen visa, you can get to Spain through third European countries - but since November 23, a new condition has been added: a negative PCR test is not older than 72 hours. |
Now I will scatter 40 countries available to us into categories: where you can fly from Russia now on a voucher, where - by a direct regular flight, and where it is possible only with a transfer.
WHERE YOU CAN FLY BY TOUR:
- Maldives - Test Needed
- Cuba - a test needed
- UAE - test needed
- Cyprus - 2 tests needed
- Mexico (Cancun) - no tests
WHERE DIRECT REGULAR FLIGHTS FLY NOW FROM CITIES OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION:
(for which you can freely buy a ticket)
- Armenia (Yerevan)
- Belarus, Minsk)
- Great Britain, London)
- Greece (Athens)
- Egypt (Cairo)
- Kazakhstan (Nur-Sultan)
- Kyrgyzstan (Bishkek)
- Cuba (Cayo Coco and Santa Clara)
- Maldives (Male)
- UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi)
- Seychelles
- Serbia (Belgrade)
- Turkey (Istanbul) - 2 flights per week remain
- Croatia (Split, Dubrovnik, Pula)
- Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)
WHERE YOU CAN GET FROM RUSSIA WITH ONE TRANSFER:
- To the remaining countries from the top list "which borders are open to Russians." To do this, you need to fly to Istanbul, and from there with Turkish Airlines or other airlines you can get to the USA, Bosnia, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, the Maldives (if there are not enough Aeroflot flights), Morocco, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania and other countries ...
Where to find tours and flights?
I recommend keeping two applications on your phone: Aviasales - for searching plane tickets; and Travelata (on android; on ios) - to search for tours from all tour operators.
And in order to monitor prices from a computer for both package vacations (by voucher) and for regular flights from the Russian Federation abroad, add the same sites to your browser bookmarks:
- Aviasales
- Travelata
What is Travelata? If Aviasales is a search engine for air tickets, and you probably know it, then Travelata is a search engine for tours. It shows everything that a travel agent usually offers you, only at prices directly from the tour operator. The choice of vouchers is much wider, since the service works with all major tour operators. Along with Travelata, the tours are selected by Level.Travel and Onlinetours - I bought my September post-quarantine tour to Turkey at the latter.
Country Entry Rules
It will not be possible to limit ourselves only to information about which countries Russians can travel to now - special attention should be paid to the rules of entry. They are different for each country, I displayed them as accurately as possible in the table, based on Timatika and the websites of the Russian embassies abroad.
Entry rules - 2021: countries and territories allowed to Russians
| Abkhazia | A completely free border, test and quarantine are not needed either in the direction there or back in Russia. |
| Azerbaijan | Closed for tourists, everyone else should have a negative PCR test result no older than 48 hours. Upon arrival, go through quarantine at 14 days. |
| Albania | Free entry. |
| Armenia | Carry a negative PCR test result no older than 72 hours. |
| Belarus | Have a PCR test with you, done no earlier than 72 hours before entering the country. |
| Bulgaria | Have a negative PCR test result no older than 72 hours or a Sputnik vaccination certificate. |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Have a negative PCR test result with you not older than 48 hours. |
| Brazil | Carry a negative PCR test result no older than 72 hours. |
| Great Britain | Self-isolation for 10 days and presentation of a PCR test upon arrival no older than 72 hours. |
| Greece | You must fill out the Passenger Locator Form in advance at travel.gov.gr. Have a negative PCR test result no older than 72 hours or a Sputnik certificate with you. |
| Georgia | 1. Either have a negative PCR test ON PAPER and in English not older than 72 hours, and after arrival on the 3rd day, take another test on the spot (from $ 35), quarantine is not required. 2. Either provide the original document and translation into English that you made the vaccine - and that's it. |
| Egypt | Have a negative PCR test result with you not older than 72 hours. |
| Jordan | Have a negative PCR test result with you not older than 72 hours, then undergo mandatory testing at the airport for $ 40. |
| Kazakhstan | Have a negative PCR test result with you not older than 120 hours. |
| Cyprus | Two PCR tests: 72 hours before departure and at the airport at your own expense. Since May 10, Russians vaccinated by Sputnik are expected without tests. |
| Kyrgyzstan | Free entry. |
| Cuba | Have a negative PCR test result with you not older than 72 hours. Upon arrival, you must pass a free covid-19 test and fill out a health questionnaire. Insurance covering the covid treatment is mandatory (the one that comes from the tour operator is suitable). |
| Lebanon | Have a negative PCR test result with you not older than 96, pass a second test upon arrival and 3 days in isolation. |
| Maldives | With you, have a negative PCR test result no older than 96 hours and proof of residence for the entire duration of your stay in the country, that is, a regular hotel reservation - choose on RoomGuru or Booking. |
| Malta | It will be possible to enter only after a 14-day stay in Turkey or the UAE (they belong to the green list, citizenship is not important). And with a visa, of course. |
| Morocco | You should have a negative PCR test result no older than 72 hours and proof of residence. |
| Mexico | Free entry, but you must fill out a form in advance. |
| UAE (Dubai and Abu Dhabi) | Have a negative PCR test with you; upon arrival, take another free one. For Dubai - the test is not older than 72 hours, for Abu Dhabi - not older than 96 hours. |
| Oman | Have insurance that covers coronavirus with you, take a test upon arrival ($ 75), download and register in the Tarassud + app. Entry without a visa is allowed for up to 10 days. |
| Peru | Have a PCR test no older than 72 hours with you; upon arrival, take another one for a fee. |
| North Macedonia | Free entry. |
| Seychelles | The islands are waiting for everyone - both vaccinated and unvaccinated. A prerequisite for everyone: a negative PCR test not older than 72 hours. |
| Serbia | Have a negative PCR test result with you not older than 48 hours. For transit at the airport less than 12 hours, the test is not needed. |
| USA | You must have a valid visa and PCR test no older than 72 hours. They will be allowed only if you fly through Turkey or the UAE, through Europe - even in transit - you cannot. |
| Thailand | Have a negative PCR test result no older than 72 hours, $ 100,000 insurance covering covid, and a certificate of entry.Plus, go through a 14-day quarantine upon arrival at your own expense. |
| Tanzania | From May 4, have a negative PCR test with you not older than 72 hours. |
| Tunisia | Have a negative PCR test result no older than 72 hours with you, fill out a health form in advance and download a mobile application. The vaccinated are exempted from these requirements. |
| Turkey | Until June 1, the information is irrelevant: everyone should have a negative PCR test result no older than 72 hours with them. |
| Uzbekistan | Have a negative PCR test result with you not older than 72 hours. |
| Ukraine | You need insurance and a negative PCR test no older than 72 hours. |
| Croatia | Have a negative PCR test result not older than 48 hours with you, or a vaccination document (Sputnik is suitable). |
| Montenegro | From April 24, entry for Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians is free - without tests. |
| Ethiopia | Visa upon arrival + with you have a negative PCR test result not older than 120 hours. |
| South Africa | Have a negative PCR test result with you not older than 72 hours. |
| South Korea | Attention: a visa is required for tourists from Russia. You can get it at the consulates on the territory of the Russian Federation. A short-term visa requires a 14-day quarantine upon arrival - in the state. observatory and at their own expense. |
| Japan | A visa is required to Japan, but tourist visas are currently not issued. Only foreigners with a special certificate can enter. |
From which cities in Russia can you fly abroad?
How to go abroad now from other cities of Russia? This luxury, in addition to Moscow, is available to 10 more cities:
- St. Petersburg
- Kazan
- Novosibirsk
- Rostov-on-Don
- Kaliningrad
- Samara
- Grozny
- Krasnoyarsk
- Vladivostok
- Ufa
And since February 8, 2021, Astrakhan, Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk, Makhachkala, Khabarovsk, Perm, Nizhny Novgorod and MinVody have been added to the list. Also Kemerovo and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
From April 1, 2021 - you can fly from Barnaul, Belgorod, Volgograd, Krasnodar, Tyumen, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Sochi, Saratov, Orenburg, Nalchik, Kaluga and Lipetsk.
From May 25, 2021 - Ulan-Ude, Magnitogorsk, Chelyabinsk, Syktyvkar and Omsk will join the airports awarded with foreign flights.
The choice of direction, of course, cannot be compared with the capital. The regions HAVE SATISFIED with flights to Turkey and Zanzibar (a lot of where you could fly to the sea on vacation and a tour, and a regular flight - but now we are waiting for the beginning of summer). While from the regions it is possible only to Minsk, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.
Kazan, St. Petersburg and Rostov-on-Don - WERE in a more privileged position. Turkish Airlines flew there 3-7 times a week, and as we already know, you can go to many places from Istanbul (see the section "Where to get with a transfer").
Rules for returning to Russia from abroad
In such a difficult epidemiological situation, the opening of borders for Russians entails some, so to speak, consequences.
In particular, the rules for returning citizens to Russia are strictly regulated:
- Everyone is required to pass a PCR test for coronavirus within 3 days after arrival and upload the results to the State Services website in a special form called "Providing information about test results for those arriving in the Russian Federation."
- Since September 24, an addition has appeared: citizens should wait for the test results at home in isolation. That is, not a step out of the apartment until you receive a certificate.
- Well, from May 1, 2021, ALL citizens of the Russian Federation arriving FROM ANY COUNTRY are required to take 2 PCR tests within 5 days - the break between them must be at least a day.
Typically, the test results come within 2-3 days if taken in a private medical center. center (1500-2000 rubles). Muscovites can check in for free at the hospital to which they are assigned (see the mos.ru website for details). Also in Moscow, but already to everyone, is available express test option - at the airports of Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo (for 2,750 rubles, the results will be sent to the post office in 3 hours). I personally made the express train to Vnukovo.
What kind of visas can I get?
If you already know which countries have opened their borders, then maybe you can apply for a visa?
Schengen. Travel restrictions are already tired of the order, and we are more than happy to write that some European countries are starting to issue Schengen tourist visas!
- Greece - You can get a visa in Moscow (at a visa center or consulate), and from April - in 13 cities of the Russian Federation, including: in St. Petersburg, Kazan, Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Yekaterinburg.
- Italy - extends the Italian Schengen area expired after January 1, 2020 for tourist purposes!
- Spain - resumes issuing tourist visas from May 12 in Moscow. BUT! Only those who have already received annual and more Spanish Schengen.
To other countries for citizens of the Russian Federation, the only possible way to obtain a Schengen visa at the moment can only be a work, service, student or medical one.
Bulgaria and Croatia tourist visas are issued to Russians at consulates and visa centers, but they are national - with such a visa you cannot enter the Schengen countries.
USA. On the territory of the Russian Federation there is a consulate in Moscow, but only for the extension of a tourist visa. You can't get a new one yet.
Update: Effective May 12, 2021, the US Consulate in Moscow will cease issuing any visas. Alas, the only possible option for Russians is to apply for a visa abroad.
Great Britain. Visa centers and consulates are open, you can freely obtain any type of visa, including a tourist one.
Our review of the rest in Turkey after the opening of the border
As soon as official information appeared on which countries you can travel now, and after waiting for the tourists "pioneers", I flew with a young man to Turkey in Side. I really wanted to go to the sea after eight months of imprisonment.
In general, everything went as usual (all the details are in a separate article) - we swam, sunbathed, and put on a mask only once, when we went outside the hotel to the store for gifts. There are a lot of vacationers in Turkey, understanding came even in a completely jammed plane on the way there - and there are from 20 such people from Russia to Antalya a day :) Moreover, there are many not only us, Russians, but also Europeans. Not like normal times, of course, but in a pandemic I expected to see fewer tourists.
The most ambitious change concerned the buffet - no, it was not removed, but hidden under glass. Now you need to contact an employee and literally show on your fingers which of the dishes to add to your plate. Cutlery, glasses, soda machines - everything that was previously in the public domain was made individual. Cutlery in plastic packaging is already on the table, as are glasses, drinks on request.
The least enjoyable part of the holiday was the return to Russia. And it's not about a temperature difference of 20 units. The hassle of passing the test is a little tiring, especially when there are two suitcases and a backpack nearby, but thanks for at least express testing and not having to isolate at home (we took it in Moscow at Vnukovo and received the results in 3 hours by email).
