Bonjour!!
Bon je suis en retard sur mon programme... Mon visa a commencé sans moi le 26 juin. Mais je m'approche grandement du verdict.
Je suis à Tbilissi en Géorgie.
Je suis allée au consulat de Russie à Tbilissi aujourd'hui pour demander si je pouvais passer la frontière. Apparemment ça doit être possible...
Du coup le grand jour approche (peut-être demain). Nous allons voir ce que cela va donner.
Mon plus gros problème je crois va être que je ne parle pas russe et je pense que ça ne va pas m'aider du tout du tout dans l'histoire.
Bref... Affaire à suivre.
Si vous avez des contacts à Vladikavkaz je prends par ailleurs
Et voilà! C'est fait!
J'ai franchi cette frontière soit-disant infranchissable
La frontière Géorgie - Russie en passant par la "Georgian Military Road" et le "Verkhny Lars checkpoint" est bien ouverte aux "étrangers" (non-russe, non-géorgien ou non CIS citizen).
Je vous mets ci-dessous mon retour d'expérience (en anglais désolée j'ai la flemme de le traduire) :
[Georgia - Russia : The border is opened for foreigners]
[Georgian Military Road]
[Verkhny Lars checkpoint]
Hi there!
This question about to know if as non-russian, none Georgian or non-CIS citizen we can cross the border between Georgian and Russia using the military road through the Verkhny Lars checkpoint (Tbilissi - Vladikavkaz) is often asked here.
Today I can officially answer to you all that YES the border from Georgia to Russia by land IS OPENED to all those who have a Russian visa. The proof is that I crossed it myself today! Without any problem!
I thought that it was something important to share here.
Here is my official feedback.
1. I'm French. On every French embassy websites it's written that we cannot cross the border between Georgia and Russia by land.
2. I even wrote an e-mail to the French embassy... Same answer.
3. I found only one feedback on a travel blog talking about an Australian guy and a Ukrainian girl who crossed the border in 2016 (I put all my faith in it)
4. I arrived in Georgia few days ago from Turkey. First news is that it exists one ferry per week between Batumi and Sochi (5h duration - 100$). To go to Sochi you can buy the ticket only on Monday and the ferry is leaving every Thursday at 10:30am. I met an Iranian guy who took it the other way from Sochi to Batumi.
This was a potential back up plan.
5. I traveled and arrived in Tbilisi 2 days ago. On the way I talked to as many people as I could to see if someone knew a "foreigner" who crossed the border. I haven't met anyone who was able to tell me so...
6. I met a French guy living in Tbilisi for 6 month who told me that it was closed... He hasn't tried himself.
7. I went to the Russian consulate in Tbilisi (there Is no russian embassy in Georgia because of the conflicts) to ask them the question directly : they answered "Yes you can cross"
8. I went to talk with the Bus/Taxis drivers who are proposing the rides from Tbilisi to Vladikavkaz (60 GEL) or to Moscow (100 GEL), they all told me that if I have a Russian visa there will be no problem.
The thing to know is that if you cannot cross and that you are refused at the border you loose the price of the ride.
9. The thing to know is that you cannot cross the border waking. You have to be in a vehicle.
10. I decided to take one of this bus/taxi ride to Vladikavkaz this morning. Didn't wanted to hitchhike cause a foreigner might be a problem close to the border for the driver even more if you cannot cross finally... And I heard that cars are often full at this border. Departure at 9:00am at 11:30 I left Georgia without any questions from the Georgian border patrol who checked my Russian visa.
12:25 I entered Russia with more questions but just because I have a really rare visa that they had never seen before (for those who might be interested I have a Working Holiday Visa).
11. I'm ready know to cross all Russia
Another good thing to know (I was a bit worried about it myself). As we have to cross by car, all luggages are staying in the car when passengers are out having their visas checked. My problem was that if the car is crossing faster than I do myself how can I get back my backpack if I'm refused to cross? What is preventing the driver to leave with my luggage and without me? In fact the bordet patrol keep the driving licence of the driver till all passengers have crossed. It took a bit more time for me than the other and so at the end they gave me back the driver's licence they were keeping with my passport.
If you have any questions feel free to ask!
Oh and another thing. I took a train in Russia today and it happened that one of my neighbour was... A Russian border patrol at the Verkhny Lars checkpoint. I told him about the fact that many embassies are telling that the border is closed for foreigners. He was surprised to hear that and told me that it was desinformation and we were very welcomed across this checkpoint to Russia till we have a valid visa.