# the questionnaire at the border **URL:** \ **Category:** Travel to Russia\ **Created:** [October 10, 2024, 5:05am UTC](https://forum.russiable.com/t/the-questionnaire-at-the-border/187 "2024-10-10T05:05:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![antoniob](https://forum.russiable.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/77aa72/32.png) [@antoniob](https://forum.russiable.com/u/antoniob)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2024, 5:05am UTC](https://forum.russiable.com/t/the-questionnaire-at-the-border/187/1 "2024-10-10T05:05:47Z")
There were recently mentions of questions asked now when crossing the border. I always mentionned that, just as it, doesn’t make sense, for a very simple reason: language. A diversity of nationalities and so languages can show at the border, so how could questioning be done? it would require border agents with lot of languages capabilities. Here is the illustration of how i went at Shumilkino border before yesterday. Shumilkino is the control point by Luhaama in Estonia. I have taken few days off: - flight Oslo-Riga 13:15-15:45 (1,5 hr, Latvia is +1h time zone). Couple hours to kill in Riga. - bus 19:30 at Riga buss station, platform 7. Company name Vissa. Route crosses Latvia to Estonia. 22:35 at Luhaama control 23:20 at Shumilkino control 00:50 back riding to Pskov (nearby ~60 km) This border is quiet, open 24/24. There were fours cars and our bus. Estonian side had a superficial visual bag inspection. I travel with a 30L rücksack and a small shoulder bag. People with big luggage had also a basic rays tunnel. The agent asked “euro?” i shaked head no. That’s all. The russian control has become significantly longer. It’s lucky that this border sees little traffic compared to Ivangorod. It goes like this: 1. you show at the agents window, as usual passport checked, look at computer. Question “where do you go?” but no tickets asked. Actually i don’t know where I go, depends mood and weather. Maybe i fly to Magadan, who knows 🙂 2. instead of stamping, giving back passport and immigration card, they keep it and give you a paper questionnaire. You fill it at the pulprits before the kioks and wait in the room. 3. after some time an agent comes and calls people’s names one by one, you give the questionnaire and you get your passport and immigration card stamped 4. customs. Put your jacket and luggages into a simple rays tunnel. No questions. The bus, some 40/45 passengers was processed in two batches. so it means that you need a pen. That’s the important change. If no pen, co-passengers or agents will provide but better have one. I though of taking a picture of the questionnaire only after i had filled it. So have edited with Image Toolbox phone app before uploading. Simple questions: identity, address, work address and position, accommodation in Russia, transportation, IMEI of phone, what you think of EU policies against Russia, do you have relatives in Ukraine, etc. Nobody checks on site anything, but i guess there’s a FSB processing afterwards. I wrote my answers in latin rather than cyrillic because i tend to botch hand-written cyrillic. Here is the questionnaire. Given to everyone. As you can see, and is obvious, it is of course in Russian. Very simple. [https://i.imgur.com/rAvwXVn.jpeg](https://i.imgur.com/rAvwXVn.jpeg) Shumilkino stamp, the one at bottom, other is Ivangorod in june: [https://i.imgur.com/2bWOBuw.jpeg](https://i.imgur.com/2bWOBuw.jpeg) This is the bus departing from Riga: [https://i.imgur.com/ZMwwuxK.jpeg](https://i.imgur.com/ZMwwuxK.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Jerz](https://forum.russiable.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/53a042/32.png) [@Jerz](https://forum.russiable.com/u/Jerz)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2024, 6:04pm UTC](https://forum.russiable.com/t/the-questionnaire-at-the-border/187/2 "2024-10-21T18:04:53Z")
The images of the questionnaire do not load for some reason ☹ ---
**Author:** ![antoniob](https://forum.russiable.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/77aa72/32.png) [@antoniob](https://forum.russiable.com/u/antoniob)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2024, 9:22pm UTC](https://forum.russiable.com/t/the-questionnaire-at-the-border/187/3 "2024-10-21T21:22:27Z")
try this: ---
**Author:** ![Jerz](https://forum.russiable.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/53a042/32.png) [@Jerz](https://forum.russiable.com/u/Jerz)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2024, 9:34pm UTC](https://forum.russiable.com/t/the-questionnaire-at-the-border/187/4 "2024-10-21T21:34:47Z")
Thanks, they didnt have forms in english? ---
**Author:** ![antoniob](https://forum.russiable.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/77aa72/32.png) [@antoniob](https://forum.russiable.com/u/antoniob)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2024, 11:14am UTC](https://forum.russiable.com/t/the-questionnaire-at-the-border/187/5 "2024-10-22T11:14:08Z")
> @Jerz they didnt have forms in english? They only gave in Russian. Which makes sense for Russia. What and how many languages would they have to process otherwise… ---
**Author:** ![NomadicHedgie](https://forum.russiable.com/user_avatar/forum.russiable.com/nomadichedgie/32/9_2.png) [@NomadicHedgie](https://forum.russiable.com/u/NomadicHedgie)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2024, 9:34pm UTC](https://forum.russiable.com/t/the-questionnaire-at-the-border/187/6 "2024-10-22T21:34:45Z")
@antoniob Thanks for sharing this! But, if I want to go to Moscow or St Petersburg, then it’s better to cross the border at Narva? ---
**Author:** ![antoniob](https://forum.russiable.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/77aa72/32.png) [@antoniob](https://forum.russiable.com/u/antoniob)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 2:03am UTC](https://forum.russiable.com/t/the-questionnaire-at-the-border/187/7 "2024-10-23T02:03:13Z")
> @NomadicHedgie if I want to go to Moscow or St Petersburg, then it’s better to cross the border at Narva? difficult to tell. Depends what time you arrive in Tallinn (and so head to Narva) ie. if you will have short or long transit in Tallinn, if it is summer or holidays periods (Christmas, Easter), if it is student vacations period (autumn, between semesters, etc). All this combined affects amount of people at the border. From different feedbacks channels online it seems crossing time at border is anything from 1,5 hr to 7 hrs. In general besides holidays and summer, Narva should be better. Probably good to be at the door of Estonian building from 06:00. This is what I will try next time. Shumilkino/Pskov means a night in Pskov and catch a 3,5 hr train to Sankt Peterburg, or 1hr flight to Moskva. No idea if this questionnaire is handed at all current borders. ---
**Author:** ![Jerz](https://forum.russiable.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/53a042/32.png) [@Jerz](https://forum.russiable.com/u/Jerz)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 5:41pm UTC](https://forum.russiable.com/t/the-questionnaire-at-the-border/187/8 "2024-10-23T17:41:32Z")
@antoniob Did you have someone translate it for you or you understand Russian? Also did they ask you anything else aside from just filling out the questionaire?