On Entering into Force of the Treaty between the Russian Government and the Government of the Republic of Poland on the Procedure of Local Cross-border Traffic
PRESS RELEASE
On 27 July the Treaty between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Poland on the Procedure of Local Cross-border Traffic, signed in Moscow on 14 December 2011 will enter into force.
The Treaty is designed for creating a favourable regime of entering and stay of citizens of Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation and cross-border territories of the Republic of Poland.
According to the Treaty mutual trips of citizens of the cross-border territories will be implemented subject to a valid regular foreign passport and a local cross-border traffic permit, issued by the consular institutions of the member states in the simplified procedure. To obtain it, an applicant shall submit arguments to support the need of regular visits to the cross-border territory of the other party state (family ties, economic, cultural or other reasons). No invitations, provided for by the Russian and Polish legislations will be required to apply for a visa in this case.
Citizens of the Russian Federation and citizens of the Republic of Poland, residing in the cross-border territories should obtain a local cross-border traffic permit, enabling them to enter and stay in the cross-border territory of the other party state up to 30 days each time, starting from the date of entry, provided, however, the total length of stay shall not exceed 90 days during each period of 6 (six) months, starting from the date of the first entry.
The first permit will be issued to a resident of the cross-border territory for a 2-year period, and any subsequent ones – for the period of 5 years (but in all cases for the term, not exceeding the validity date of the travel document).
On the Russian side the Treaty covers the whole of Kaliningrad region, and from on the Polish side – cross-border administrative entities, comparable by area.
The Treaty stipulates that stamps and other marks on crossing of the Russian-Polish border will not be affixed in passports of the citizens of the cross-border territories or local cross-border traffic permits. For the purposes of implementation of control over the period of stay in Russia of the citizens of the cross-border territory of Poland, relevant stamps shall be affixed on a migration card which is to be filled in by the specified persons.
The Treaty contains the final list of documents, and namely there is no need to submit any other additional documents, apart from the completed application form and confirmation of permanent residence. In this relation, the given procedure will be actually simplified for citizens of Kaliningrad region.
The Russian and Polish instructions have been developed for citizens, entering the Russian and Polish cross-border territories in the framework of the Treaty, which will be available for familiarization in the places of issue of the specified permits, as well as on the websites of the Russian Embassy in Warsaw, Consulate-General of Russia in Gdansk, Representative Office of the Russian Ministry of the Foreign Affairs in Kaliningrad and Consulate-General of Poland in Kaliningrad.
26 July 2012
