Russia’s Pulkovo St Petersburg Airport has welcomed its first travelers using e-visas, among them passengers from Finland, Iran, Latvia and Hungary.
According to Leonid Sergeev, CEO of Pulkovo Airport operator Northern Capital Gateway, the launch of e-visas is a long awaited event for the airport.
“We expect a significant increase in inbound tourist flow, and, as a result, an increase in passenger traffic at Pulkovo Airport,” he said. “The implementation of this and other measures will stimulate the development of domestic passenger traffic, making Pulkovo Airport as a transfer hub more attractive for travelers.”
Visitors from 53 countries are eligible for the e-visas, among them Bahrain, Belgium, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Turkey.
Travelers heading to St Petersburg for tourist, business or humanitarian reasons can apply online for a free visa. The application can be made no later than four, and no earlier than 20, days before the expected date of entry. Foreign citizens who have obtained electronic visas have the right to stay and move only within the territory of the St Petersburg and the Leningrad region.
Pulkovo St Petersburg Airport is the fourth-largest airport in Russia in terms of passenger traffic. In January-August 2019, it welcomed 13.2 million passengers, 8.6% more than in the same period the previous year.
