Queue at the border from Estonia. Multilateral automobile checkpoint on the Russian-Estonian border Ivangorod - Narva

A trip to another country in your own car is the best option for those who love independent travel. Thus, you can independently lay a route, set a daily routine and change plans at any time. But in this case, the driver may encounter such an unpleasant phenomenon as a queue at the border with Estonia. Therefore, it is extremely important to know how the exit from Russia goes, as well as what documents you need to have.

How to make a reservation

Booking a place in line at the border post is very simple. True, this service is available only on the way back. To provide yourself and the car with a priority inspection, you need to use the GoSwift electronic system. The cost of booking is from 1 to 14 euros (+1.5 euros for being in the waiting room).

On the Goswift website, the driver must indicate the type of vehicle, the place of arrival and the estimated time of crossing the state. On the appointed day, it is necessary to deliver the car to the border post and wait until the individual number issued by the system is displayed on the scoreboard. GoSwift also offers an SMS alert service. Let's consider in more detail, with minimal time losses.

Stages

At the entrance to the post, the driver is required to present a passport and a certificate of registration of the car. After reviewing the document, the customs officer takes all the available luggage for inspection. If during the check the driver is asked to do something (open the car, show the contents of the pockets, etc.), the request should be obeyed. Remember that the person holding the reservation only gets the privilege to cross the border early. The customs clearance procedure is the same for everyone.

After the documents have been returned, the post workers raise the barrier. Next, the Estonian border is to be passed, where terminals with green and red corridors are provided. You can continue driving only at a green traffic light. At the Estonian border, the driver and passengers are also expected to inspect documents and things.

Online booking

Everyone who plans to book a “seat in traffic jam” in advance asks the question: “Does this make sense? After all, the exact time of travel cannot be guessed! This is true, but note the following. Checking people crossing the border can last several hours at best, and a day at worst. A driver with a booked inspection has the right to break this "chain" and take someone else's seat. From the above, a logical question follows: “What if someone ordered a check at the same time as me?” Nothing bad will happen. The border guards will let the one who arrived first, and the second one will wait 30-40 minutes behind the barrier. Still, half an hour of waiting is a trifle compared to the daily downtime at the border.

The most convenient way to book a time is online. With the help of the electronic system "Goeswift" it is possible to cancel the appointment (3 days before departure) if plans have changed or were canceled.

Price

With any trip outside the Russian Federation, financial expenses are inevitable. The cost of a visa to Estonia in 2019 is 50-75 euros. This amount includes the price of a Schengen short-term visa (35 euros for Russian citizens and 60 for everyone else) and an order for an “extraordinary” inspection (it is optional). Anyone who plans to apply for a category "D" visa will spend about 85 euros. Also on the way, you may need to buy food, water - another plus 10-15 euros. As a result, you will have to pay 90-100 euros per person for a one-way trip.

Crossing points

Ivangorod - Narva: from St. Petersburg to the post can be reached in 2.5 hours. After overcoming the barriers, the driver and passengers undergo a thorough inspection. Then the road leads to the Estonian border. When returning to Russia via Narva, a “downtime” service is offered in a special waiting room.

Kunichina Gora - Koidula: get on the M20 highway. Follow the turn towards Pskov and exit onto the A212 road. Keep your way to Izborsk, then turn off near Pechory to the toll road (150-200 rubles). You can purchase a green card from this point (a document confirming a valid car insurance in the EU). On the way back to Russia, you can also use the “downtime” service in the waiting room.

Shumilkino - Luhamaa: get on the highway "A212". The waiting room on the way back costs 3 euros (other border points charge 14 euros for the service).

Waiting and parking

It is impossible to predict the duration of downtime at the border. It is necessary to take into account the time of day (at night, as a rule, there are fewer cars), calendar events (kilometer traffic jams on holidays) and many other features. On average, the wait does not take more than 5 hours. Those who go abroad on a working visit are not recommended to plan their schedule by the minute. If you have to depart from an Estonian airport on the day of entry into the country, the time interval must be at least 4 hours.

Paid parking is provided at each post, where you can leave your car and spend time in comfort.

New Year holidays

If you are planning to visit Estonia on Christmas Eve or other winter events, be prepared for the fact that it will not be easy to get out of kilometer-long traffic jams. The journey must be planned in such a way that the passage of the border does not affect the further development of events. For example, you can leave 48 hours before the proposed event or take care of a quality transfer throughout the country so as not to waste time on unnecessary turmoil.

In order of privilege

The advantage when crossing the border by car can be used by both the holders of ordered places in the queue, and those who do not have a reservation. To get an early pass, you need to have a good reason.

Grounds and conditions

If the driver claims to leave out of turn, the post officer will first of all require documentary evidence: certificates, receipts, etc. It is much more difficult to convince the border guard of the urgency of his situation if there is nothing to confirm it. In accordance with the rules, in 2019, the following can be a good reason.

• The need for medical care. This applies to both the passengers themselves and the people waiting for them in Estonia. For example, a visit to a dying relative, the birth of a child, etc.
• The need to attend the funeral.
• A short interval between border control and further movement around the country (for example, if the departure takes place in 2-3 hours).

The fastest approval for an early pass is received by:

• diplomats, officials;
• drivers transporting products;
• bikers;
• people carrying small children and/or animals.

In the event of an emergency, in no case should you shout or behave provocatively, because. this will only prevent the border guard from assessing the incident. The calmer and clearer the situation is explained, the greater the chance of understanding.

What can be imported

Without a customs declaration, you can bring into Estonia a currency in the amount of not more than 10,000 euros, 1 liter of strong alcohol or 2 liters of weak alcohol. You are also allowed to carry no more than 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars. There are no requirements for personal belongings (however, their value should not exceed 430 euros).

Transportation of animals

Planning a trip abroad with younger brothers is very expensive, because. before the trip, it is necessary to be examined by a veterinarian, take care of their comfortable transportation, etc. There is a list of requirements for allowing animals to enter Estonia:

• the presence of an accompanying document (cats and dogs must have a veterinary passport);
• mandatory identification (microchip or special tattoo);
• vaccination (a certificate stating that the animal is not sick with anything is presented).

If all the requirements of this list are not met, the border post officer has the right to refuse entry.

Summing up

As a conclusion, I would like to add that persons with debts and unfinished legal affairs on the territory of the Russian Federation are prohibited from entering Estonia. We are talking not only about bank debtors, but also those who do not pay alimony, do not repay fines and delays in housing and communal services. Therefore, before going abroad, we recommend that you “check” for any debts to the state and carefully prepare the necessary list of documents.

Traveling by car has a number of undeniable advantages, primarily in terms of comfort and speed. This method of travel is especially popular when it comes to immediate neighbors. In particular, crossing the Estonian border by car does not cause any difficulties, if some details of this procedure are taken into account.

Where to cross the border

Russians have three options for crossing the border of this state:

1. Ivangorod-Narva - for those traveling from St. Petersburg.
2. Shumilkino-Lukhamaa - the road from Pskov.
3. Kunichina Gora-Koidulla - the road from Pskov.

An important feature of travel to Estonia is the fact that it must be booked in advance electronically, otherwise you will have to face the need to stand in line until all those who bothered about the reservation have passed.

Ivangorod-Narva

You can get here along the M11 and E20 highways. The check begins already at the entrance to the city, where a combined traffic police and customs checkpoint is installed. At the entrance to the checkpoint you will see a line of trucks. You can safely pass it, because they have their own corridor. Before the first barrier, the driver must collect the passports of his passengers and go to the checkpoint.

There are several more queues waiting for you behind the barrier. Yours is third from the right. This is a "green" corridor for cars from Russia. Upon reaching the second stop line, you must go through passport control. For this purpose, prepare in advance foreign documents with visas and documents for the car.

At the same time, your vehicle will be inspected. After that, we stop behind the next barrier and visit the beloved Duty Free store. Then we follow through the bridge, having passed another barrier located in front of the entrance to it. At the end of the bridge, Estonian customs is waiting for you. The procedure is also simple - present the documents, the car for inspection and enter the country.

Do not forget to follow the rules for crossing the Estonian border:

Electronic queue

Estonians introduced the electronic queue back in 2011. The Russian service started using it only in 2012. The system is called GoSwift. There is this line along with the usual one, and does not mean at all that you will not have to stand in a long line of cars. Just entry-exit in this case will be faster and more organized.

All those who did not sign up for the electronic queue will go through the usual quota, after those who have secured a reservation for crossing the border with Estonia.

Thanks to the virtual queue, the entire process of entering the Estonian state will not take more than half an hour. You can make a reservation in three ways:

1. By phone: +372 698 91 92.
2. In the waiting area in Narva.
3. Online at www.eee or www.estonianBorder.eu (for leaving the country).

The easiest way is online mode. To cross the border from Russia, you need to use the www.goswift.ru service.

The procedure looks like this:

• choose the type of car you are driving in;
• choose the point where you intend to cross the border;
• determine the day of entry;
• having considered free time intervals, set the border crossing time.

Terms and Conditions

You can make an appointment no earlier than three months before the date of travel. Depending on changing circumstances, you can change the time and date of entry. But in order to cancel the trip or change the checkpoint, you will have to cancel the entire reservation completely. You can make changes no more than three times, but no later than three hours before your arrival at the border.

The booking procedure is subject to payment:

Payment instrument - card, cash, mobile payment. Additional service - SMS reminder. One will come to you on the day of departure, the second closer to the booked time.

One way to enter may be to cross the Estonian border on foot. To do this, you need to leave your transport on Russian territory and take a walk through all the posts and checks. In total, this will take 20-30 minutes.

You need to arrive at customs in advance, at least an hour in advance. At the special parking lot, you will see an electronic screen on which the numbers of cars light up. Having seen the number of your reservation, go to the checkpoint, take a ticket, get in line with the same ones registered in the online system. The procedure ends with the passage of customs and passport control.

And, finally, the most interesting thing is the restriction of travel abroad for debtors. It is about the status of the debtor that it is easiest to “forget” when going on another vacation abroad. The reason may be overdue loans, unpaid utility bills, alimony or fines from the traffic police. Any of these debts may threaten to restrict travel abroad in 2019, we recommend that you find out information about the presence of debt using a proven service not to fly.rf

An article about the subtleties and "pitfalls" that a traveler may encounter when crossing Russian-Estonian border by car at checkpoints "Ivangorod - Narva", "Shumilkino - Luhamaa", "Kunichina Gora - Koidula".

Documents required to cross the Russian-Estonian border by car

For crossing Russian-Estonian border in your car, you must present the following minimum package of documents at the border crossing point:

1. Passport valid for at least six months after the planned return from Estonia.

2. Valid Schengen visa. Estonian Schengen can be obtained at the Estonian Embassy in Moscow(Maly Kislovsky lane, 5, www.estemb.ru, e-mail : [email protected]), in the consular departments of Estonia in St. Petersburg(Bolshaya Monetnaya, 14, www.peterburg.estemb.ru, e-mail : [email protected]) And Pskov(Narodnaya, d.25, e-mail: [email protected]). In order to enter Estonia, it is absolutely not necessary to show the Estonian visa to the border guards - a multi-Schengen visa of any country included in the Schengen Agreement is also suitable. Moreover, if you, for example, received a multi-Schengen visa at the French embassy, ​​there is absolutely no point in trying to go to France first, and only then to other European countries. It is absolutely legal to travel with such a visa first, for example, to Estonia or somewhere else, and only then to France. In this case, the main thing is that you have at least one French stamp on this visa, confirming that you were still in France and it was not in vain that they issued you their visa.

3. If you are traveling with children, then at the Russian-Estonian border you will need to present a child's birth certificate. If the child is traveling without one of the parents, a notarized power of attorney will be required for the responsible person to have the right to travel with the child outside the Russian Federation.

4. International vehicle insurance (the so-called "green card"). You can buy it in most major insurance companies, for a period of 14 days for a car it will cost about 2500 rubles (for the summer of 2016). By the way, if you forgot to purchase a “green card” before the trip, this can be done already at the entrance to the border: just look carefully around, the closer to the checkpoint, the more often you will come across kiosks with signs “insurance”, “Schengen insurance” and the like. The downside in this case will be only that you will have to choose from a list of companies with which these cross-border insurance brokers cooperate.

5. Medical insurance with insurance coverage of at least 30 thousand euros is the standard insurance required to obtain a Schengen visa for any of the countries included in the agreement. At the border, they often do not ask for medical insurance, but according to the rules they must do it - so it is very advisable to have it with you.

6. International driver's license and national driver's license. MVO at the border is also often not required, but since Estonia has signed the Convention on Road Traffic, they may well do this. Obtaining an international driver's license is not difficult: all you need to do is obtain the necessary medical certificates, take photographs, contact the authorized MREO at the place of residence, fill out an application and pay the state duty; unlike the national driver's license, the MVO is issued for a period of 3 years (but its validity cannot exceed the validity of your national certificate).

Requirements for a car when crossing the border of Russia and Estonia

First of all, the car must be technically sound and have legible license plates in accordance with the requirements of the law. Also, border guards often pay attention to the condition of windows and headlights: glasses should not have cracks (at least the windshield in the driver's field of vision) - Poles and, to a lesser extent, Finns are considered especially scrupulous in this matter. For the Baltic states, I did not notice a particular desire to find fault with the condition of the car, but it’s better to put it in order before the trip. EU border officials have a very negative attitude towards all sorts of “anti-radar” and “video recorders” - so it’s better to remove them away while crossing the border. As for the age of the car: there are no restrictions on age (unlike, for example, Azerbaijan) and the environmental friendliness of exhaust on the Russian-Estonian border, the main thing is that black smoke does not pour out of the exhaust pipe. In exceptional cases, border crossing officers can check the CO content in the exhaust - but I have never encountered this. Regarding the additional equipment needed to cross the border between Russia and Estonia: as far as I know, there is no clear list here and the opinions of the "experienced" vary greatly, so I will give my version, formed after numerous trips by car to the countries of the European Union and Transcaucasia. Something from this list may seem superfluous to the reader, but there is always the possibility that some particularly zealous employee decides to get to the bottom of the little things you are missing and thereby spoil the start of your long-awaited vacation.

List of additional vehicle equipment for crossing the Russian-Estonian border:

Fire extinguisher
Sticker RUS on the trunk lid
First aid kit according to TUV standards
Warning triangle
Tow rope
Reflective vest
Not necessary, but highly desirable on a long journey:
Complete set of tools for minor repairs
Full size spare
Metal canister for fuel
Pump
balloon wrench
Jack
Wire for "lighting"
Anti-recoil "boots"- 2 pcs. (Regarding the “shoes” - on the Internet I came across information that Estonian border guards check their presence when crossing the border. I won’t lie, they never asked me - but just in case I carry them with me).

Where to cross the border between Russia and Estonia

At the moment, three ground crossing points of the border between Russia and Estonia are open: "Ivangorod - Narva", “Kunichina Gora – Koidula”, “Shumilkino – Luhamaa”. Let's consider them in more detail.

The main and, importantly, the busiest is the MAPP "Ivangorod - Narva", travelers from St. Petersburg and the Russian North-West in general, as well as Muscovites who want to get to Tallinn along the shortest possible route, usually go through it to Estonia.

Checkpoint on the Russian-Estonian border "Shumilkino - Luhamaa" mainly preferred by those who: a) travel to South Estonia b) travel to Tallinn or the islands of Hiiumaa and Saaremaa, but want to avoid standing in many hours of traffic jams at the border and c) travel in transit through the territory of Estonia to Latvia and in general to the southern Baltic.

By workload with a large margin after the point "Ivangorod - Narva" goes “Shumilkino – Luhamaa”, and closes the triple “Kunichina Gora – Koidula”. For example, in July 2016, the situation with queues (for cars) at the Russian-Estonian border was as follows:
“Ivangorod – Narva”: 5 hours or more
“Kunichina Gora – Koidula”: 1 hour
“Shumilkino – Luhamaa”: 2 hours

All three Estonian-Russian border crossing points operate around the clock.

How to get to checkpoints across the Russian-Estonian border

MAPP "Ivangorod - Narva"

Russian-Estonian border, Ivangorod-Narva checkpoint

Address: Narva, Westervalli 3 (Tallinn-Narvat Highway) 20307, ​​Phone: +372 6123000
How to get there: You can drive from St. Petersburg to Ivangorod along the Narva highway in about two hours.

MAPP “Shumilkino – Luhamaa”

Russian-Estonian border, checkpoint "Shumilkino - Luhamaa"

Address: Võru district, Lüta Misso vald (Riga-Pskov highway) 65011, telephone: +372 6123000
How to get there: From Pskov to Shumilkino you can drive along the highway E77 (A212) Pskov - Riga. GPS coordinates of the checkpoint “Shumilkino – Lukhamaa”: N57°38.708′; E27°23.451′

MAPP “Kunichina Gora – Koidula”

Russian-Estonian border, checkpoint "Kunichina Gora - Koidula"

Address: Koidula, Värska vald (Karisilla-Pechora Highway) 64003, Phone: +372 6123000
How to get there: From Pskov, along the E77 (A212) road, you need to get to Izborsk and turn right in it at the sign for Pechory. Between Izborsk and the border there will be a paid section of the road, the fare is 150 rubles.

The procedure for passing the border of Russia and Estonia

Russian-Estonian border at the Ivangorod-Narva checkpoint

The border between Russia and Estonia runs along Bridge of Friendship. When traveling from Russia, crossing the border takes place on a first-come, first-served basis, when traveling from Estonia - by prior online appointment or also on a first-come, first-served basis.

Advice: when moving to Estonia, before crossing the border, fill up with fuel “to the eyeballs” and pour gasoline into a canister (if any) - fuel in Estonia (and in general in the Baltic States) costs 1.05-1.1 euros per liter, which is as of summer 2016 is about twice as expensive as in Russia. For example, having refueled in Shumilkino, then I drove all over Estonia and Latvia on Russian gasoline, I had to refuel for the euro only at the entrance to Lithuanian Vilnius. Border guards and customs officers, by the way, do not show the slightest interest in gasoline in canisters: I was carrying 20 liters, although according to EU rules, no more than 10 liters of gasoline can be imported for personal use.

On the Russian side, when crossing the border, it will be necessary to present a passport with a valid visa and a registration certificate for the car, as well as, at the request of the checkpoint staff, any document from the list given in the first part of this article. In addition, it will be necessary to ensure that the vehicle and (if necessary) luggage are inspected.

On the Estonian side, control will be more thorough: in the same way, you will have to present all the documents mentioned (passports with visas, registration certificate for the car, medical insurance for the driver and passengers, green card for the car, national driver's license and MVO). In addition to checking documents, the employees of the checkpoint on the Estonian side must perform a visual inspection of the car: for this you will need to get out of the car, open all the doors and the trunk lid, the glove compartment and lift the hood. If you have questions, you may be asked to open your luggage. If everything is in order, the employee will rewrite the VIN number of your car and, after you receive a stamp on crossing the EU border, will give the go-ahead to enter Estonia. Immediately after the Russian-Estonian border, you will find yourself in the city of Narva, where you can relax and refresh yourself before moving on.

The border of Russia and Estonia at the checkpoint "Shumilkino - Luhamaa"

Crossing point of the Russian-Estonian border "Shumilkino - Luhamaa" equipped with four vehicle control posts, its estimated throughput is 4,000 people per day, it is the second busiest after the checkpoint “Ivangorod-Narva”. To the international checkpoint "Shumilkino" can be reached from Pskov along the Pskov-Riga highway, the point is located about 40 km from Pskov - the road is free and recently repaired. The procedure for crossing the border is generally similar to that given in the section “Ivangorod-Narva”; cars are sent to two different lines - one for cars with Russian numbers, the second with foreign ones. There are two booths at the checkpoint itself (Russian border guards proudly call them “pavilions”): the first is passport control, the second is customs. As I already mentioned, during the inspection, the 20-liter can of gasoline in my trunk did not interest the Estonians at all, although according to the rules, only 10 liters of gasoline for personal use are allowed to be imported. In general, in my personal impression, no one will dig into you for no reason at the border, you just need to have all the documents in order and be polite and friendly with customs officers and border guards.

The queue at the checkpoint "Shumilkino - Luhamaa": when I arrived at the Russian checkpoint, there were exactly ten cars in line in front of me, the total time of my border crossing was about an hour and a half. At the border, I thought that the legendary slowness of the Estonians is not a myth :-) Or rather, not slowness, but some, let's say, sedateness in thoughts and movements.

Immediately after the Russian-Estonian border on the Estonian side there is a good and inexpensive cafe - after the checkpoint you need to turn left into the parking lot.

Russian-Estonian border at the checkpoint "Kunichina Gora - Koidula"

MAPP “Kunichina Gora – Koidula” is currently the only one of the three where you can pre-book the border crossing time when traveling from Russia to Estonia (you can do this on the website www.goswift.ru).

UPDATE December 2018: as of December 30, 2018, the goswift.ru website is not working and, accordingly, the border is passed on a first-come, first-served basis without pre-booking a time.

As in paragraphs "Ivangorod - Narva" And "Shumilkino - Luhamaa", across " Kunichin Gora" you can go not only by motor vehicles, but also by bicycle or on foot. To the point “Kunichina Gora” from the side of Pskov, you will have to go along the toll road (the fare is 150 rubles). Estimated daily throughput of the point “Kunichina Gora – Koidula” is 2000 people. The procedure for passing the Russian-Estonian border at the international checkpoint “Kunichina Gora” standard and completely similar to that described in the section of the article devoted to the checkpoint “Ivangorod-Narva”: the same document check, control of the vehicle with the opening of all doors, trunk lids and glove box, as well as lifting the hood lid, and fixing the vehicle's VIN number. There is a duty-free shop on the territory of the checkpoint. Since crossing the border takes place by appointment, the cars do not wait in line in a traditional line one after another, but in a special zone, which is a large parking area. The number of the vehicle called to cross the border is displayed on the big screen and the vehicle goes to the border control. Parking is located next to the building, where you can sit in a cafe, as well as go to the toilet and shower.

Possibility of privileged crossing of the Russian-Estonian border

In general, crossing the border between Russia and Estonia at all three points takes place on a first-come, first-served basis or by appointment. However, in exceptional cases, it is possible to cross the Russian-Estonian border in a privileged manner (and for this it is absolutely not necessary to brazenly climb out of line, as was recently customary among Caucasians when passing the Russian-Georgian border at the checkpoint "Upper Lars"). On the Russian-Estonian border, everything is reasonably and clearly regulated - the following have the right to pass the border without a queue:
– persons with serious health problems with a valid certificate
- Persons whose visa is expiring
- persons who need to be present at the funeral
- people who need to catch a train or plane
- persons who have a seriously ill relative - and all of the above must be confirmed by relevant official documents.

In addition, the following have the right to privileged crossing of the Russian-Estonian border:
- employees of diplomatic missions and persons accompanying them
— members of international delegations and representatives of consular services
- vehicles transporting perishable goods
— vehicles whose drivers have the right to privileged border crossing on the basis of international treaties and agreements
- motorcycles of category A and A1.

The procedure for the reverse crossing of the Russian-Estonian border when moving from Estonia to Russia and online booking of the queue

When crossing the Estonian-Russian border when moving from the EU to Russia, it is recommended to book the border crossing time in advance using the GoSwift special online platform (as I wrote above, as of December 2018, this site is down).

The cost of booking for a passenger car is currently 1.5 euros, and for 3 euros it is possible to book a seat in the waiting room at the checkpoint, where you can comfortably wait for your appointed time. You can pay for the services described above using a credit card (including a Russian issuing bank) or in cash / debit card on the spot in the waiting area. Advantages of online booking of the border crossing time: you do not have to stand in a live queue, and the border crossing will be quick, without many hours of waiting (in the summer in line at the checkpoint “Narva – Ivangorod” it is quite realistic to lose 5 hours or more). When booking online, waiting for your turn takes place in a specially designated area equipped with a cafe, toilets and showers.

However, there is also the possibility of crossing the Estonian-Russian border in a live queue, but it should be taken into account that only a small percentage of the throughput of the checkpoint is allocated for this method, due to which the waiting time in the live queue may exceed the time for which you can travel to car through the whole of Estonia.

Registration at the border with Estonia is a mandatory procedure that will help save time and nerves. Russian citizens need a visa to visit Estonia.

When applying, you need to pay a consular fee. If you decide to go to the Visa Application Centre, the service fee should be included in the cost plan.

Visa for travel to Estonia

There are several ways to apply for a visa. Here are some of them:

1. It is necessary to submit in St. Petersburg to the main consulate of Estonia in the territory of the Russian Federation. An application to the consulate can be submitted by pre-registering by phone or on the website of the visa center. Don't forget to fill out all the paperwork that needs to be done before submitting the application. You can pay the consular fee only by bank transfer.
2. Visa center of Estonia VFS (Moscow, St. Petersburg). To obtain a visa, you will need to pay an additional service fee, which is 25 euros. This method includes some options.

Filling out the questionnaire is the first step. You can fill in and find the form on the website, or print the visa application form and bring it to the visa center. Also on the site you can choose the date for submitting all the necessary documents to the embassy.

If there are no available dates on the website, the Estonian Visa Application Center can help. At the first application, the applicant must submit the documents in person.

Indicative list of documents:

• visitor, which must be filled out;
• copy and original of the passport;
• international passport;
• photograph 35x40 mm;
• documents that confirm the purpose of the trip;
• an extract from a bank account, it must contain more than 50 thousand rubles, they can also request a certificate of income;
• birth certificate for visitors under 14;
• a receipt of payment of the state duty, for foreign citizens falling under a special category, payment of the state duty is not required.

Multiple entry visa is issued for a period of 3 to 6 months. The validity of the multivisa is 12 months. It is issued after visiting the country with a second appeal to the embassy. It is possible to apply for a visa for a period of 2 to 5 years only if there are marks in your passport that you have already been issued two or more annual visas.

You can get into the electronic queue with the help of special services. On these services, the passage of the border checkpoint is scheduled by the minute.

Moving from Russia to Estonia is easier than from Estonia to Russia.

It is worth paying attention to the fact that the procedures for passing the control for entering and leaving Estonia are different.

After receiving the serial number, you must arrive at the border of Narva a little earlier than the appointed time. You can pay for an additional service - SMS notification about the onset of your turn to relax and allow yourself not to follow the numbers of cars. When your turn comes, you will need to drive up to the barrier, where an officer is waiting to check the car. Then you go to passport control.

On January 24, 2018 at 23:00 and January 25, 2018 at 06:00, our ISP (Elisa Oyj) plans to upgrade its backbone network.​
This update will result in a short break (15 minutes - 60 minutes) in the work of the electronic queue.
We regret any inconvenience caused by these breaks!

The service for pre-booking the queue at the Vaalimaa checkpoint is open again and to cross the border, it is necessary to reserve a time in advance or register on the spot in a live queue.
FROM 20.6.2017 to cross the border, registration is required at the GoSwift self-service point located at the truck parking lot in Vaalimaa. Upon arrival at the parking lot, you need to register using self-service terminals and wait for a call to the border, after which you can continue driving. The pre-booking system via the Internet and by phone will come into effect from 26.6.2017 .

In connection with the opening of a new waiting area for trucks at the Vaalimaa border checkpoint and the closure of the old waiting area, starting from 01.01.17, work will be carried out to transfer the GoSwift service for pre-booking a queue to a new waiting area.

The planned operation of the service will be restored as soon as possible, no later than 05/01/2017. The GoSwift team apologizes for any inconvenience.

New parking and access roads for trucks at the Vaalimaa checkpoint, Finland - opening on January 4, 2017 at 12.00

The new truck waiting area (or truck parking area) with adjacent access roads will open on January 4, 2017 at 12:00 at the Finnish Vaalimaa checkpoint (Russian Torfyanovka checkpoint). The new parking lot is free of charge and equipped with 410 parking spaces when driving from Finland to Russia and 51 parking spaces when entering Finland from Russia. New toilets and showers are also available for drivers.