Bus St Petersburg — Tallinn

The St Petersburg — Tallinn route crosses the state border between Russia and Estonia at the Ivangorod — Narva checkpoint. For the journey you need a valid passport and a visa or residence permit giving the right to enter the countries of the European Union. The decision to allow entry is taken by the Estonian border service. Check the border-crossing and transfer procedure when booking and with the dispatcher on +7 800 770-00-20.

How the border crossing works, step by step

Vehicle traffic through the Ivangorod — Narva checkpoint has been closed since 1 February 2024 while the Russian checkpoint is being rebuilt, so passengers cross the border on foot: a Russian bus takes you as far as the border, and a second bus is waiting on the Estonian side to take you on. Below is what happens at each stage.

1. 1 St Petersburg → Ivangorod ≈ 2.5–3 hours Boarding at the bus station at 36 Obvodny Canal Embankment. The bus covers about 150 km along the A-180 “Narva” road to Ivangorod.
2. 2 Drop-off in Ivangorod 5–10 minutes The bus sets passengers down at the Ivangorod bus station on Gospitalnaya Street — not at the checkpoint itself. From there passengers walk to the border.
3. 3 The walk to the checkpoint 10–15 minutes It is about a kilometre to the pedestrian crossing point. Passengers carry their own luggage for the whole of the crossing — the bus does not move luggage across. Worth bearing in mind when choosing a suitcase.
4. 4 Russian border and customs control roughly 20 minutes to 1.5 hours Passport control by the border service and customs control at the pedestrian crossing point in Ivangorod. Leaving Russia, the queue is usually shorter than in the opposite direction.
5. 5 Crossing the Friendship Bridge on foot 5–10 minutes A pedestrian gallery on the bridge over the Narva River between the two checkpoints. On the bridge you may not stop, take photographs or film video.
6. 6 Estonian control at Narva-1 roughly 20 minutes to 1.5 hours Passport control by the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board and customs inspection of the passenger and their luggage. The decision to allow entry is taken by the Estonian side.
7. 7 Boarding the second bus in Narva 5–15 minutes The exit from the checkpoint leads to Peetri Square in Narva, where the second bus — the one that runs the Estonian half of the journey — is waiting. The carrier keeps a waiting window of about two hours to allow for passengers held up at the checks.
8. 8 Narva → Tallinn ≈ 3–3.5 hours About 210 km by road to Tallinn bus station at Lastekodu 46 and the stop at the Port of Tallinn, Terminal D.

In total the journey takes about 7.5 hours when conditions at the border are normal. The times in the timetable are the calculated running times of the buses; waiting at the checkpoint is not included and on peak days can add several hours. The length of the checks is not fixed and depends on how busy the checkpoint is.

Important. The information in this section is for reference and is current as of 27.08.2026. SKSavto LLC does not issue visas and does not guarantee passage across the state border: the rules of entry, the opening hours of checkpoints and customs allowances are set by the state authorities of Russia and Estonia and may change. Before you travel, check the requirements on the official websites of the PPA, the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Federal Customs Service of Russia.

Disclaimer. The information on this page is for reference and is current as of 27.08.2026. The timetable and fares are updated automatically from the booking system, but may be changed by the carrier. SKSavto LLC does not issue visas and does not guarantee passage across the state border: the rules for entering Estonia, the opening hours of checkpoints and customs allowances are set by the state authorities and they change. Holding a ticket is not in itself grounds for entering the country.