South Ossetia visa

[steven]

Please read and post reports and questions on the South Ossetia visa process below.

We summarize all info on the South Ossetia visa page.

[mnfiveb]

Good morning!

Firstly, sorry for my mistakes, my Englsih is pretty bad

So, I'm Ukrainian passport holder and I want to get a South Ossetia visa. Yup, I know it's not a visa, just permission, but...
For August 2017, maybe who have actual info about getting it?

Few month ago, I've tried to visit it. I wrote them on e-mail, sent application like here, on this web-site. But few days after, they answered me - "it's wrong way to get this permission". All, except Russian and few others, like Abkkhazian, need an invitation letter and send it with copy of passport to the "Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Ossetia".

How to get invitation? Good question! Just find anyone, who live there and try to talk with him about invitation.
Also, there is anoter way: call or write a letter to some tourism committee and they may do this invitation for you, but! There is one small problem: for some reasons I can't call them (seriously, I don't know why), but e-mail letters they ignore too.

What to do with all this - I don't know. So, maybe is anyone who know hot to get this goddamn permisson?

Thank you!

[steven]

Yes, good question. I tried searching Couchsurfing for a local living in South Ossetia but could not find anyone - the system breaks when you fill in Tskhinvali.

I guess you need to dig deeper for some South Ossetian forums, or a tour operator in Tskhinvali who would want to issue such a letter of invitation. Please let us know if you find someone!

[tatterdemalion]

Off topic, but seems like the best place.

Met a South Ossetian whilst in Abkhazia and he confirmed that it's still not possible to enter from Georgia and that it's unlikely to change.

[mnfiveb]

Yes, it's true. You can't enter SO from Georgia, only from Russia. But you can visit Abkhazia from Georgia - you need just to get an online-permission on MoFA Abkhazia web-site. But I'm not sure. You know, in 2016 I tried to get it, but they answered me - it's impossible to enter from Georgia. Only from Russia. Maybe they close way to Abkhazia step-by-step. Anyway, the easiest way to visit SO or Abkhazia - from Russia.

[GuiLevandoski]

Anyone figured it out yet? I emailed a agency that did tours to South Ossetia but even they didn't know any south ossetians themselves.

[mnfiveb]

Hi everyone!

I've got some new information about getting permission to South Ossetia.

Recently, I've talked to one good guy. He also ukrainian passport holder. In May he crossed the border Russia - SO from Vladikavkaz But it wasn't so succesfully. I'll explain why lately.

To get a permission, you have to send an invitation and copy of your passport to the "MoFA of SO', but what to do in case, if you cannot get an invitation?

Variant 1: You should go to the consular agency of SO in Vladikavkaz (it's situated on the ulitsa Krasodonskaia, 43, works Mo-Fri 9am - 6pm, lunch 1pm-2pm) and try to get a letter, in which should be a request to visit SO, which they send to Ossetia goverment by themselves. But you nedd to have a serious reason to visit SO. As he said, it may be ethno-expedition, univesity practiсe in Caucasus mountains. But we all know, that main reason - it's interesting, it's tourism, and of course just for fun, cause it's a liitle bit hard to get in. But gov shouldn't know about your real reasons.
Address in Rus: Республика Северная Осетия-Алания, город Владикавказ, улица Краснодлнская, 43, Консульское агенство Республики Южная Осетия

Variant 2: go to the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania (Vladikavkaz, ulitsa Revolutsyi, 61, works Tu-Su 10am-5.30pm) and as in var.1 try to get an invitation letter, which they will send to SO gov.
Address in Rus: Республика Северная Осетия-Алания, город Владикавказ, улица Революции 61, Министерство Культуры Республики Северная Осетия-Алания

Without this permission - you will not get in SO. Probably you will ask: whats happend to that man? Well... He crossed the border, went to Dzau (Java - in Georgian), but then he was arrested. I didn't understand, or he was without permission, or something happend and SO gov haven't received letter, but - in 7 hours after arrest he was deported to Russia. As he said, police (or border guard?) were friendly, without any agression, take a photo of landscape and drink a tea together. Like old friends)

I can't say, that both these variants 100% works, but it's better, than nothing. Try to be emotionless, when speak to gov people, cause "you are really-really need to go to SO". Of course, if you have fluent Russian - it's very good. Make sure, Russian language will help you.

I really want to try both of these variants, but i guess i'll not go to Russia this year, due to military exercise "West 2017" in Belarus. We (Ukrainians) don't know whats really in Putin's head, so I will stay here, in Ukraine. Maybe in next year...

Oh, I forgot. He also said, that his passport was stamped by Russia Border Guard, nor by SO Border Guard, "cause everyone know, SO is a part of Georgia and in future may have problems with that stamps". Only a migration card.

[steven]

This post seems to indicate a visa is no longer necessary, although we cannot be certain.

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=4366

[mnfiveb]

Hi everyone!
I read that post. Unfortunately, I can neither confirm nor deny it. I had asked some travellers (they were in SO in Dec'17), and they told me only about russian border control (russian side in the beggining of the tunnel), but nothing on ossetian side. At those times, on ossetian side were only police control. So, sorry, I have no more info.
I'll try to visit SO this year, but I can't guarantee it. As I said, It's easy for russians, ukrainians with dpr/lpr passports or with Donetsk/Lughans propiska, and for some Vanuatu/Nicaragua passorts. But not for people with other passports.

[PhilipZheng]

Hi all!
June 2018 - South Ossetia still has border control and travelers with no permit will get rejected.

I hold Chinese passport with fanid during Russian World Cup. I successfully passed Russian border control and cross the tunnel, but there were still border control from South Ossetia side. Since I have no permit from MFA, I got denied at the border and had to drive back to Russia. At Russian border, they cancelled my last departure and gave back my former immigration card.

It seems a permit in advance is still very much needed.