Who does Russia border on in the south? There are a number of countries that are located next to the Russian Federation in this area: Georgia is one of such states. For many centuries, they were friendly countries, but certain events have made adjustments to their strong connection, practically terminating diplomatic relations. Despite political disagreements, entry for residents of the Russian Federation into this country is still simplified.
Recently, Russian-Georgian relations have begun to improve. For example, back in that year, Georgia made changes regarding the stay of Russian tourists in the country: now you can safely use visa-free entry. Many who wish to visit here are wondering: "What is the current situation on the border of Georgia with Russia"? It is worth noting that the situation is calm, everything goes as usual: the main thing is to follow certain rules of travel.
Territorial neighbors
Russia and Georgia are neighboring states: the southern border of the Russian Federation with Georgia passes through the mountains of the Caucasus from the Black to the Caspian Sea. With whom is Russia still bordering on this side? For example, with South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Azerbaijan. But here we will talk in more detail about the land border of Russia and Georgia, about the rules that must be observed when crossing it and certain nuances.
The border
The Russian-Georgian land border passes through the Upper Lars checkpoint border crossing, which is located 50 km from Vladikavkaz. As for the rest of the checkpoints, they are now closed. The length of the state border of Georgia is 2148 km. The country is close to such states as Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey. The border of Georgia and Russia is about 900 km in length.
Contact details
And about. Head of the post - Lieutenant Colonel of the Customs Service Tsoraev Oleg Ibragimovich. Telephone on-call service: + 7-8672-252-753. Checkpoint hours of operation at the moment: from 04:30 to 17:30. During this period, registration of cars and trucks. The schedule may vary depending on the circumstances, so find out about this information in advance.
Road to Georgia: online webcams
Live webcams broadcast entry to Russia and departure to Georgia in real time. Using them, you can assess the situation at the current moment, for example, determine how long the queue is at the entrance to the checkpoint and based on this plan your actions. The picture on them changes every 15-20 minutes. The situation on the border of Georgia and Russia is now calm, but due to the summer season there is a large flow of transport through the passage.
Border of Russia and Georgia: Upper Lars
Regardless of the method of crossing the Georgian border, it will be necessary in any case to go through the checkpoint, so worry about some things in advance so that your trip is not overshadowed by troubles. On foot it will not be possible to cross the border, however, it is allowed to do this by bicycle.
The checkpoint is the only land border crossing through which you can get from Russia to Georgia. In 2009, the ceremonial completion of the construction of the multilateral automobile checkpoint "Upper Lars - Stepantsminda". Everyone who wants to get to Armenia or Georgia by car or bus passes through this place. The Russian-Georgian border passes in this area. The checkpoint in normal mode, and on the one hand, and on the other hand, as a rule, should work around the clock, however, the schedule of its work may vary depending on natural disasters and other circumstances. For this reason, it is better to check whether the Upper Lars is open for travel before departure.
In summer, the number of people wishing to cross the border becomes significantly larger, so the load on the checkpoint increases significantly. However, despite this, the Georgian side decided not to work at the checkpoint around the clock, but only for the period from 4:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. According to the project, the capacity of the Upper Lars is 400 transport units per day, but in July 2016, a significant excess of this indicator was recorded: sometimes, more than 2000 cars pass through the checkpoint per day.
It is noted that the border of Georgia and Russia is now not accessible for pedestrians to cross it: foreign citizens must be in a car or bus. If the checkpoint is operating normally, the main traffic flow is between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., and also after 6 p.m.
The village of Verkhny Lars
This is a Russian, Ossetian village, which simultaneously plays the role of a checkpoint. Located in North Ossetia on the Georgian Military Highway near the border of two states. Refers to the urban district of the city of Vladikavkaz. The road to Georgia runs through this locality. The village is located in a mountainous area on the banks of the Terek River. Since 2009, a checkpoint has been placed here. The village is located south of Vladikavkaz for 30 km in the direction of the Daryali checkpoint, located on the territory of Georgia. Currently, most of the Upper Lars population has moved to live in neighboring villages and Vladikavkaz.
Visa
Since June last year, new rules have been in force, according to which citizens of 93 countries, including Russians, no longer need a visa if they stay in the country for less than one year. The border of Georgia and Russia is thus open to all comers: its crossing does not require an entry document. In the event that a Russian citizen decides to stay in the country for a longer period, he will need to obtain a residence permit. An entry document is important for those who decide to stay in Georgia for a long time in order to get an education or work. To apply for a visa, contact the Interest Section at the Embassy of Switzerland in Moscow (we do not have a Georgian diplomatic mission).
Georgia Crossing By Car: List of Documents
When crossing the border, it will be necessary to pass through the Verkhny Lars checkpoint - this is the only legal way to enter the country by land. Here is the border of Russia and Georgia. By car, you can easily drive through the checkpoint, observing certain rules.
The main document is a passport. It should contain two blank pages, while the document should not have marks on a visit to South Ossetia and Abkhazia. A foreign passport must be valid after completing the trip for more than 3 months. In addition to the main document, the driver will have to present a registration certificate for the car (vehicle registration certificate). The legal owner must have with him the usual set of documents for the car. Also - a driver’s license with data duplication in Latin.
In the event that the car does not belong to you, and the owner has remained in Russia, you must have a power of attorney that confirms the right to travel abroad on this car. The document must be certified by a notary. It should be noted that Georgia does not require compulsory car insurance, but it is better to have it, it is not necessary to have an international driving license. There is such a peculiarity: cars registered in Crimea are not allowed into Georgia.
The route for traveling by car at the border begins with the Georgian Military Road. You will see Kazbek, Terek, Dariala gorge, temples and the arch of Friendship of Peoples. Basically, first everyone leaves for the capital - Tbilisi. Tourists then travel to Mtskheta, Ananuri, Telavi, Gremi and other cities. From Tbilisi they also go to Batumi and Borjomi. The most popular resorts here are Gonio, Sarpi, Kobuleti and Kvariati.
Cross border violation
In connection with the armed conflicts that were associated with South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Georgia introduced a rule according to which in the passport of those who enter the country, there should not be any marks on visits to these republics. Checkpoints located on the border with them are closed, so such entry is considered illegal. As a result of such violation, travelers may be fined from 400 to 800 Georgian lari, in some cases - imprisonment.
How to get to Georgia from Moscow?
In this case, the path will run along the M-4 Don highway, bypassing Voronezh. You need to go to Rostov-on-Don. The distance to this point will be approximately 1100 km. Further, the road will go through Oktyabrskaya and Kushchevskaya, then - the intersection with the highway R-217 "Caucasus". The path follows through Kropotkin, Armavir, Nevinnomyssk and Vladikavkaz. Next you need to move along the highway A-161 "Vladikavkaz-Georgia". The next point will be passing through the border: here begins a mountainous area with dangerous sections, descents and ascents. The path as a whole is about 2000 km, then another 200 km remains to Tbilisi.
customs control
Crossing the border between Russia and Georgia must comply with certain rules. Border control and customs procedures are not subject to any taxes or fees. Filling in the customs declaration is allowed in Russian. On the Georgian side, much attention is paid to checking things. You will need to declare some of the things that you intend to transport abroad. It is forbidden to take with you: explosives and narcotic substances, extremist literature, weapons and pornographic materials.
It will be necessary to declare objects of historical and cultural value. There are certain rules regarding money: this year, the maximum amount should not exceed 30 thousand lari, there are no restrictions on other currencies. In case of transporting a larger amount, you must have relevant documents confirming their origin. You can export up to 3, 000 GEL from the country. Note: in order to avoid difficulties when leaving Georgia, it is recommended to declare imported cash if their amount exceeds $ 2, 000.
The state duty does not need to be paid if the weight of personal items does not exceed 100 kg, the number of cigarettes is up to 200 pieces, alcohol - up to 10 liters of beer and up to 3 liters of wine, food products weighing no more than 5 kg, and there are also jewelry for personal use.
Documents required for passenger passengers
Children must be included in the parents passport or have their own passport. In addition, the presence of a birth certificate is important. If the child travels without parents - with third parties (closest relatives), you must have written permission from one of the parents or the guardian, which will be certified by a notary.
Responsibility for illegal border crossing
There is currently only one crossing between Russia and Georgia, namely the Kazbegi / Upper Lars checkpoint along the Vladikavkaz-Tbilisi highway. As we noted earlier, the border cannot be crossed through Abkhazia and South Ossetia, since in this case entry will be considered illegal. In this case, you will find yourself in the bullpen in Georgia, after which you will need to pay a fine equal to approximately 1, 150 in terms of US dollars. The border of Georgia and Russia, therefore, should be crossed only through this checkpoint.
There were cases when foreign citizens came to Georgia through the Gantiadi-Adler checkpoint from Abkhazia and from the Tskhinvali Rock-Lower Zaramag checkpoint. Upon entering the country without passing border control, citizens who violate the rules are punished with a fine of about $ 230, and even imprisonment for a period of 3 to 5 years. Subsequently, the fine will be increased at least twice. If the illegal border crossing was committed by a group of people, then in this case the violators are punished with imprisonment for a term of 4 to 5 years.
What is the order of border crossing from the Russian side?
It is necessary to drive up to the barrier at the entrance to the checkpoint, and then get a control ticket in the booth. Then, having passed it, go to the border control. Call in any free corridor, or the border guard himself tells you the direction. Next is the inspection of the vehicle. Under the car there will be a pit through which the bottom of the car is viewed, if necessary, mirrors can be used during the test.
After that stop at the end of the corridor, passengers will need to get out of the car, open all doors and the trunk. Customs officers will inspect the contents of the cabin, they can also check all the bags. After this procedure, citizens in a car or bus undergo passport control, and also receive a stamp confirming the legal border crossing.
You must go through similar procedures when you leave Georgia. It can take about 2-3 hours to complete, the order of border crossing from Georgia is much simpler, taking no more than 10-15 minutes.
What is subject to the declaration procedure?
This list includes: live animals, birds, plants, communications and high-frequency equipment, securities, medicines, jewelry, stones, jewelry, art objects, antiques, poisonous and radioactive substances, cash and securities worth more than 30 thousand lari, as well as goods intended for commercial activities. For the movement of jewelry, for example, a special permit is required, which must be issued by the Ministry of Culture of Georgia.
An individual has the right to fill out a customs declaration in both Russian, Georgian and English.
Note
If you bring medicine with you, then you may have problems entering Georgia. For example, drugs such as antibiotics and afobazole, which are available on the market, can be purchased in this country only by prescription. For this reason, tourists may not be allowed in or given permission to enter after lengthy proceedings. It is better not to keep them in sight and, at least, not to lead them with you in large numbers. Restrictions apply to agricultural products: they can also be seized, especially for cheeses.
Animal Rules
Pets you are traveling with must have a veterinary passport with them. If you have a dog with you, for example, you must have a record of standard vaccinations in the animal’s international veterinary passport, in particular, there must be a note on rabies vaccination, which was given to the pet a maximum of a year before visiting the country, and also a minimum of less than a month. 3-5 days before the trip, fill out a certificate of form No. 1 in the veterinary clinic.
Transit
In order to travel through the territory of Georgia to another country, for example, Armenia, you can also use a visa-free entry by presenting a passport. The same rules apply to transit passengers as those who choose to stay in Georgia.
Getting a visa
A visa to Georgia is necessary for those Russians who plan to stay in the country for a period exceeding the annual period. Previously, the maximum time during which it was possible to stay abroad was three months. In the event that a tourist or your private visit should be delayed for a long time, or if you plan to work or study in Georgia, you will need to get a visa in advance in Russia. To clarify details on this issue, you need to contact the section of interests of Georgia at the Embassy of Switzerland.
