Moscow Travel Forum

Hello all, I have a 3-part question. First:

I am a US citizen, and I will be traveling to Simferopol, Ukraine by way of Moscow, usually I go through Kiev but I have airline credit, and this certain airline usually partners with Aeroflot through Sheremetyevo in Moscow.

My tickets say I must change terminals at the airport in Moscow. I will arrive in Termial 2 and leave from Terminal 1 according to the airline. But The airports website says I will leave from terminal C. I will execute the opposite bath returning thome to the US.

According to the airport's website and airline:

TRANSIT WITHOUT VISA (TWOV)

[b]Passenger needs a transit visa if switching between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. [/b]

[size=18][u][b]So I'm assuming that I will need a transit visa??[/b][/u][/size]

[b]Passengers transiting Russian Fed. and continuing to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bela­rus, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Ukraine or Uzbekistan must:

hold visa and all other required docu­ments for next destination, and either

hold visa for entry Russian Fed. prior to arrival, or
obtain visa on arrival. A 24 hours transit visa can be obtained on providing air ticket and visa, if necessary, to the point of final destination.

I will be going to Ukraine of course, for which I don't need a visa. But what visa are they saying I must hold? The russian transit visa? and what other documents? Will the Russian authorities be checking for a Ukrainian Visa that I dont' even need?

So my questions are:

1) Do I need the transit Visa?
2) What "other documents" will the russians check for? Remember I don't need anything but a passport for Ukraine.
3) What is this terminal C? I thought Terminal 2 was for international flights, and SVO1 was for domestic? If so, why to flights to Ukraine leave from SVO1?

1/ You need the transit visa only if you stay in Russia longer than 24 hours. If you stay less you don't need any visa, but you have no right to leave the closed territory of the airport.
2/ The documents the Russian border officers will check - only passport and tickets to Ukraine (in the case you don't need transit visa - (mentioned in the case 1). You do sure they are specialists and they DO know what do you need to enter Ukraine and won't ask additional papers.
3/SVO-1 has both - internal and international sections. Upon arrival you will be transferred from Terminal-2 to the international zone of Terminal 1 by free shuttle bus under the control of transit staff. So you won't cross Russian border anyway.

Unfortunately English and Russian versions of this page in the site of Sheremetyevo are different a bit - I answered in accordance with Russian one (more detailed). But you can check this very forum - earlierst pages - there were a lot of similar questions with detailed answers and reports of tourists. (pay attention at the date of visit - last year the rules has been changed for more easy way).

In the case you need transit visa - don't postpone it for the destination point - it's better to apply for it in advance.

Hello, thanks for the reply. How am I not crossing the Russian border if I go to SVO by airline transport? Does this transport go across the airfield or on public streets? Will my luggage be checked through?

I was told by Delta that I will need the transit Visa, as I will have to pass through customs in the arrivals hall of SVO2 and then go with my luggage to the terminal at SVO1. I guess I feel more comfortable with the transit visa in the case a flight is canceled and I will be there more than 24 hours.

thanks for you help.

Maybe I should clarify my last post:

I know that I must transit between SVO1 and SVO2. I just assumed that since I was leavning the actual closed space of SVO2, it would be considered entering Russian territory. I mean, the transit vehicle itself would be in Russian territory.

I read the earlier posts that you mentioned and they say I must pass through customs first and then to SVO1. In most countries I transit this is not the case, but I am not changing airports usually as this is the case with SVO1 and SVO2.

Whatever the case, I think I will just get the visa, incase something unexpected happens.

hello,

Thank you so much for you help in the Moscow forum with my transit visa question.

I a question about something you have written to me. You said there is transport between SVO2 and the international section of SVO1? and that it does not actually enter Russia?

This bus or form of transport does not enter the streets of Moscow? it crosses the airfield?
Does this mean I will not even go through customs?

I posted this back in teh original thread if you would rather reply there.

In fact the Svo-1 and Svo -2 is a one huge airfield, but it has no any internal passengers connection. The bus left the Terminal and comes through the forest, some depots and other blocks of industrial enterprises connected with airport, which are outside of the airport. I guess the Delta is right and it would be better to receive the transit visa in advance, just in case. As Ruth from LP wrote in her stick: "Aeroflot SHOULD arrange a free transfer but recent reports suggest that more and more people are being asked to obtain transit visas. If you follow the crowd, then you will end up at immigration and since you don't have a visa, you will have problems. " (from: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1138063&start=0&tstart=0 )
The majority questons asked here, in VT, were from the people who changed the terminals for internal flights and had visas. They come through the passport control once - upon arrival in Svo-2, it looks like you'll do it too and after this procedure, you will be followed to the international part of terminal -1 by shuttle bus. Unfortunately I can't find any reports about your very situation, but "de-jure" it should be like this))))

Hi!
i'm a spanish citizen. searching about TWOV information i found this travel forum, and maybe somebody could hel pe.
In my case i 'll have a transit in domodedovo airport, and in their web the information is not enough...in Madrid Russian embassy told me 2 different things when i tried to have a right information...so

-Somebody knows if i don't need a transit Visa if i only change between 2 flights and 2 diferent airways?.
-There's only 1 terminal at domodedovo?
-If i'll need to check my baggage again i'll need to exit the transit area?

thanks in advance