Russia Beach Holidays

You must get a visa before you travel to Russia.

Your passport must have an expiry date at least 6 months after the date your visa expires.

You must sign an immigration card at passport control every time you enter Russia and keep your half to show when you leave.

You must register with the local authorities if you are staying anywhere for more than 7 working days, and your hotel will do this automatically.

You may bring cash and travellers' cheques into or out of Russia without declaring them if their combined value does not exceed the equivalent of 10,000 US dollars.

You can only cross the land border between Russia and Belarus by road through a limited number of authorised crossing points.

Children under 18 years old must carry a notarised travel permission from one of their parents or legal guardians if they are travelling out of Russia without their parent or legal guardian.

Always carry your passport as ID as police carry out random checks and you could be fined or detained without it.

Be alert to mugging, pickpocketing, and theft in tourist areas, at railway stations, and in vehicles, and do not leave your bags unattended.

Drink spiking can lead to robbery or violence, so always buy your own drinks and keep them in sight.

Avoid unregistered taxis by using a local app or getting a number from your hotel, and agree the fare before the journey.

Possession of even small quantities of drugs can result in a long jail sentence and heavy fines.

Be wary of fake police officers who may harass and rob tourists, and always insist on seeing identification if stopped.

There have been deaths from methanol in counterfeit alcoholic drinks, so seek urgent medical help if you show signs of poisoning after drinking.