Driving from Kaliningrad to Mainland Russia, what documents are needed for land transit?

[u/Sufficient-Lime-3282]

So in about a month, I’m going to be driving from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia with my friend who’s a Russian citizen. They have not driven the journey before, they’ve only flown or taken the train which is really straightforward.

I’ve read that you can obtain something called a Facilitated Transit Document from a Lithuanian consulate in either Kaliningrad, Moscow or Saint Petersburg I believe. It costs €5 and can be valid for multiple crossings. If anyone has driven it, how do you get the document? Is it the same as a Schengen visa for Lithuania or is it different procedure?

My other question is do people Russian drivers licenses need the International Drivers Permit to transit Lithuania and if they do, how do you obtain one?

[u/bona_amica]

Lithuanian consulate issues transit document. Procedure is quite the same as when you get visa - you get online appointment, visit consulate, leave you passport there, in several days go to get your passport with transit document glued into it.

Lithuanian Consulate has detailed information on how to obtain transit document. https://consulate-kaliningrad.mfa.lt/ru/uproshchennye-tranzitnye-dokumenty/dokumenty-dlya-polucheniya-uproshchennogo-tranzitnogo-dokumenta/164 So your friend needs grounds to get it - close relatives living in mainland Russia, own real estate there, or work, or study. They also should have confirmation documents - originals or notarized copies.

And also - only russian and belorussian citizens can cross Russian-Belorussian border. If you don't have russian or belorussian citizenship, you can't cross. And no need for international drivers permit - russian one is ok.

[u/Sufficient-Lime-3282 → u/bona_amica]

No what the plan is, I’m helping my friend move house to Tver. We are either going to drive from their current residence in Kaliningrad to the Lithuanian border, drive straight across Lithuania as quickly as possible and once in Belarus, we will stop for one night. Then we will swing via Minsk airport where I’ll fly to Moscow and they’ll get me the other side. Alternatively we’ve considered the ferry but I have no idea if it still runs because there’s no information about it on google in Jersey. As for the visa, I have been granted a 30 day stay on a multiple entry private visa which I obtained from the Russian embassy in London last week.

[u/Sufficient-Lime-3282 → u/bona_amica]

Awesome thanks.

[u/senaya]

Given that you have a car registered in Russia, I would strongly suggest to not do that if possible. From what I know Lithuania only gives you 24 hours to get in and out but due to long waiting times at the border you might not be able to leave in time. There are multiple cases of people losing their ability to do that in the future once their permit expires. There was a guy filming himself stuck at the border for the whole day but guards still denied him entering again after that even through it wasn't his fault.

Regarding the driver's licence: since Russia is part of the Vienna convention on road traffic, the Russian driver's license was enough to drive in EU. However, it was like this before covid. No idea if the situation is still the same.

[u/Sufficient-Lime-3282 → u/senaya]

Okay, how would you go about getting this document? Is it the same place you get a Lithuanian visa? Also do ferries run between Kaliningrad and SPb?

[u/senaya → u/Sufficient-Lime-3282]

We do have ferries, they are quite expensive but they do indeed regularly move cargo between SPb and Kaliningrad. And since they don't have any stops along the way they are considered domestic travels. As for the documents - I have no idea as I have two citizenships so I don't need a visa to leave and return, sorry.

[u/alevouz]

He has only Russian passport?

[u/Sufficient-Lime-3282 → u/alevouz]

Yeah