Helsinki to Moscow by train

[agksam]

So I have a question to ask. I applied for a Russian visa and the start date is 14th of September to 26th of September. My intention was to travel by the 13th of September Friday evening and be back on Friday 20th of September. But my fear right now is that the visa doesn't start until the 14th. Is it possible to explain to them that it'll already be 14th before I would be in Russian territory?
Please anyone with useful information or experience about this journey should please explain more to me. Thank you.

[betelgeuse]

So I have a question to ask. I applied for a Russian visa and the start date is 14th of September to 26th of September. My intention was to travel by the 13th of September Friday evening and be back on Friday 20th of September. But my fear right now is that the visa doesn't start until the 14th. Is it possible to explain to them that it'll already be 14th before I would be in Russian territory?
Please anyone with useful information or experience about this journey should please explain more to me. Thank you.

I don’t see a problem if it’s the 14th when you are at the border crossing in the train.

[Oombongo]

be careful with dates though:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/damo4ki ... 633996057/

[agksam]

This is all written in Russian.

[Oombongo]

There's a wonderful invention known as google translator to get some context.

Anyways, TL;DR version:

Lady's kid visa expired a day before flight. She found herself in an unpleasant situation by the powers that be. Had to pay the flight, got her flight missed, rebooked the flight for outrageous price, and meanwhile faced the whole nine yards of Russian bureaucratic nightmare.

Moral: Pushing a luck in our Eastern neighbor may result with emotional and financial trauma.

[vla]

There's a wonderful invention known as google translator to get some context.

Anyways, TL;DR version:

Lady's kid visa expired a day before flight. She found herself in an unpleasant situation by the powers that be. Had to pay the flight, got her flight missed, rebooked the flight for outrageous price, and meanwhile faced the whole nine yards of Russian bureaucratic nightmare.

Moral: Pushing a luck in our Eastern neighbor may result with emotional and financial trauma.

From my experience (I was in Moscow in august, but I flew there, and I didn't need visa (Chilean citizen)), russian authorities can be a bit unpolite in some situations, specially if you speak english to them, which I guess you will. So my advice is that you don't leave anything to open interpretation. Like if you somehow feel that there is something you need to explain to them (travel dates for example), then you are leaving something to be interpreted, and they can interpreted the way they want, so don't leave things to interpretation and have everything clear.

Consider that the time that counts is actually when you are controlled by the border authorities. I understand that if you travel by train the border control happens in the train, you don't have to get out of the train (as it would happen if you were traveling by bus, for example) so the officers come to the train to control your passport. I am not sure if this happens actually in the border or a bit before. I would guess that it happens before you cross the border, so consider that too. The train from Helsinki to Moscow at friday 13th of september leaves at 18:44 and at 22.56 it arrives in Viipuri, Russia, so you actually will cross the border the same 13th. What it actually counts it's the date you are at the border control, not when you arrive to your destination.

So, if you are taking the train I mention, then I strongly recommend you to change it for next day. Otherwise, my best wishes and all the luck in the world for you.

[agksam]

Thank you everyone for kind contribution. I have decided to wait a day later. That way I can be sure everything is in order.