Way to Russia Talk Lounge

lc1987 · Just Starting Joined: 25 Sep 2008 Posts: 2

I have done a lot of research on the transit visa issue, and I understand that because I will not be leaving the Domodedovo airport and because my connection is less than 24 hours (only 8 or so), I technically do not need a transit visa.

However, the US government advises citizens to obtain transit visas anyway just incase the capricious Russian passport control officers decide to refuse you entry. Is this a waste of time and 131 dollars? That is, can anyone vouch for having successfully made a connection in Russia without a transit visa or should I really be concerned enough to get the visa?

I will be traveling back to the US from Tashkent via Moscow and London at the end of October. In Moscow I do have to switch airlines from Uzbekistan Airways to British Airways, but my tickets are confirmed. My Uzbek visa is a 30 day tourist visa. And before spending October in Uzbekistan, I will have spent September here in Russia on a 30 day tourist visa. I have numerous other Russian visas in my passport from the past year and I'm not traveling with anything suspicious looking. I have nothing to worry about, right?

overseas_expat · VIP Joined: 11 Jan 2005 Posts: 612 Location: Moscow

As long as the connecting flight out of Moscow leaves from Domodyedovo as well, you should be fine.

greg222 · VIP Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Posts: 520

Check with Uzbekistan Airways - if you have any problem it will most likely be that they won't let you board the flight to Moscow. Someone was in a similar situation recently, flying Shanghai to Minsk via Moscow, and Aeroflot wouldn't let them board in Shanghai without a transit visa (even though it was not required).