Transit Visa Russia
Getting a Transit Visa for Russia to Kazakhstan
When we wanted to drive from Georgia to Kazakhstan, we initially thought a simple e-visa would be enough. But it wasn’t: no border crossing between Russia and Kazakhstan accepts an e-visa. That’s why we had to apply for a transit visa in Tbilisi. It sounds complicated, but with some preparation, it’s quite doable. Here, we share our experience step by step.
What's a transit visa Russia?
A Russian transit visa is meant for travelling through Russia on your way to another country. With this visa, you have three days to drive from Georgia to Kazakhstan. Since the nearest border crossing is hundreds of kilometres away, there is hardly any time for sightseeing. The days involve a lot of driving, but it does allow you to travel through Russia without any problems.
Want to know more about our route and how we experienced the journey? Check out our separate blog about our kilometres across Russia.
Why can’t you apply for a transit visa online?
Like many other travellers, we initially thought we could easily apply for a Russian transit visa online. However, this was not the case. No border crossing between Russia and Kazakhstan accepts an e-visa. Using an e-visa applied for online will cause problems at the border. That’s why it’s necessary to apply for the transit visa in person at the Russian visa centre in Tbilisi.
As preparation, you can fill in the application form online via https://visa.kdmid.ru/. In this form, you indicate that you are applying for a transit visa (T2) and fill in your route via Vladikavkaz, Elista, and Kurmangazy. You can choose to print the form beforehand, but it’s also possible to complete it at the visa centre, where they can print it for you.
What do you need for a transit visa Russia?
For the application, you need to bring the following documents and proof:
A valid passport. You must submit your original passport during the application. Make sure to have a copy with you so you can still identify yourself if needed.
Translation of driving licences for all travellers and vehicles (camper van and any trailer). These must be translated first into Georgian and then into Russian by a certified translation agency in Tbilisi. The agency is very close to the visa centre (address: 18 Shota Rustaveli Ave, Tbilisi, Georgia). In our case, we had both driving licences and vehicle registration documents translated. Later, we realised that translating Tessa’s licence wasn’t necessary, as the vehicles were only registered in Sander’s name.
Insurance covering Russia. Note: your health insurance must explicitly cover Russia. Our worldwide insurance did not, so we purchased a separate declaration for a small fee via the visa centre.
Large passport photos. The photos we brought from the Netherlands were not suitable (too small, not close enough). At the visa centre, you can easily have new photos taken.
All these documents will result in a visa page in your passport, where all your details are neatly recorded.
The Russian visa centre in Tbilisi
The Russian visa centre in Tbilisi is located in the city centre (address: 4 Besik St, Tbilisi 0108, Georgia) and is open from 10:00 to 14:00 on weekdays, except Wednesday when it is closed. We tried to make an appointment via the website and email, but this didn’t work. You have to go there in person. It’s best to arrive right at 10:00. You can then choose to make an appointment, usually for the next day, or, for an extra fee, be helped immediately.
How much does a Russian transit visa cost?
How much does a Russian transit visa cost? The price depends on how quickly you want to receive the visa. Here are the costs per person (2025 rates):
- Standard appointment: 141 GEL (approx. €44)
- Premium (direct) appointment: 350 GEL (approx. €110)
- Standard visa (7 working days): 400 GEL (approx. €125)
- Express visa (3 working days): 700 GEL (approx. €219)
- Insurance: 14 GEL (approx. €4)
- Passport photo: 8 GEL (approx. €2.50)
We chose an express visa, so the waiting time was only three working days instead of seven. We also opted for a premium appointment, which meant we were helped immediately. In total, this cost us around €335.50, while the standard procedure would have been about €175.50.
A few practical tips
- Always make a copy of your passport, as you must submit your original passport during the application. This way, you’re never without identification.
- On the same main street as the translation agency and visa centre, you’ll find several currency exchange offices. You can exchange roubles there, which is handy because European bank cards often don’t work in Russia. We withdrew about 500 dollars from the ATM at the visa centre and exchanged it immediately.
- Just around the corner from the visa centre is a cosy café called Desert Ballet. We often stopped there for coffee between appointments and asked for the Wi-Fi code. If you need to update any documents during the application, you’re close by and everything can be sorted quickly.
Applying for a Transit Visa for Russia: Our Experience
At first, we felt quite lost with the whole visa process, but luckily we received a lot of help along the way: both online and in person. We stayed with our camper behind the Holy Trinity Church in Tbilisi, where many fellow travellers were either going through the same process or had just come from Russia. Their experiences and tips were extremely helpful.
The visa centre itself also pleasantly surprised us. Since we had read a lot of conflicting information online, we decided to just go there in person, and that turned out fine. The staff were friendly and helpful: they printed all our documents and assisted with the online application via https://visa.kdmid.ru/. Afterwards, we could easily pay with a debit card.