Russian Citizens Will Need to Pre-book Date and Time to Cross the Border According to Proposed Bill

A new draft bill is under discussion in the Russian State Duma, which stipulates that Russian citizens leaving the country by car must pre-book the date and time for crossing the border.

The proposed amendments to the law “On Highways and Road Activities in the Russian Federation” were introduced by Evgeny Moskvichev, head of the State Duma's Committee on Transport and Infrastructure Development.

According to the bill, the passage of vehicles belonging to Russian carriers, foreign carriers, Russian citizens, foreigners, stateless persons, and others through designated sections of highways to cross the state border of the Russian Federation will be regulated by the pre-assigned date and time.

The deputy stated that this procedure for crossing the border could come into effect starting March 1 for a duration of one year. Drivers will be able to book a date and time for free through the electronic transportation documents state information system administered by the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation. Applicants can choose any date and time except for already booked slots.

In September 2022, following the announcement of mobilization in Russia, massive traffic jams occurred near the country's exits, primarily at the borders with Georgia and Kazakhstan. For instance, at the Upper Lars border crossing, queues of citizens attempting to avoid mobilization were delayed for several days.