Required Travel Documents
All U.S. participants will need to have a passport that is valid for at least six months past June 16, 2013 (December 16, 2013). There may be visa requirements for this voyage. Please continue reading for details. Guests who hold passports from other countries will need to verify specific passport and visa requirements as mandated by the countries on the itinerary.
Click here to see a list of Travisa passport and visa specialists in your region.
Passport Information
If you do not have a valid passport, we strongly urge you apply for one as soon as possible.
- If you wish to apply for a U.S. passport on your own, please find instructions on the State Department’s travel site.
- For lost or stolen U.S.passports, please see the State Department’s travel site.
- Non-U.S. citizens should consult passport authorities in their country of citizenship.
Visa Information
A Russian visa may be required for U.S. passport holders depending on their travel plans within the country. No independent travel within Russia is allowed without a visa. Participants may elect to acquire a visa so that they might travel independently within the country. Participants are eligible for the visa waiver program if they are registered on an organized tour before sailing, and the visa waiver only applies for the time onshore that the participant is accompanied by an accredited tour guide (i.e. only for the duration of the field trip, not for additional time spent onshore after or before the field trip). Visas cannot be obtained upon arrival. ISE recommends that all participants obtain a Russian visa if they wish to go onshore in St. Petersburg.
A visa will not be required if
- The only time spent onshore in Russia is during a field program for which participants registered through ISE before boarding the ship.
A visa will be required if
- Participants wish to travel independently within Russia, that is, without a registered tour operator.
- Participants are embarking the ship in St. Petersburg.
- Participants are debarking the ship in St. Petersburg.
Please note
- If participants elect to register for the visa waiver program by signing up for a trip before the voyage and decide to cancel their trip while aboard the ship, these participants will not be allowed to debark in St. Petersburg.
- If participants do not obtain a Russian visa and wish to sign up for an ISE tour in St. Petersburg while on the ship, these participants will not be allowed to debark the ship in St. Petersburg.
Special Note for Non-U.S. Citizens
Most of the information provided in this section related to entry visas is specific to U.S. and Canadian passport holders. Specific requirements may be applicable to passport holders of different nationalities. We urge non-U.S. or Canadian nationalities to inquire directly with the consular agencies of the countries on the itinerary, including the countries where the voyage start and ends.
Traveler’s Health and Vaccination Information
At this time, no inoculations are required for the May 2013 voyage. Enrichment Voyages recommends that you consult your physician and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) regarding your health condition and any vaccination recommendations. Enrichment Voyages follows CDC guidelines regarding inoculation requirements.