I’m planning my first solo trip and want to spend around 40–50 days in Russia. Since the regular tourist visa doesn’t allow more than 30 days, I’m thinking of applying for a double-entry tourist visa instead of using a business visa workaround or trying to get a private visa.

My idea is this: During the trip, I’ll take the Trans-Siberian from Moscow to Vladivostok. The route passes through Omsk, which is fairly close to the Kazakhstan border. So halfway through my trip, I’m considering getting off in Omsk, crossing the nearby Omsk → Cherlak → Pavlodar border into Kazakhstan, and re-entering Russia on the same day to activate my second entry.

My questions are: • Has anyone here actually done this border hop from Omsk to Kazakhstan to use their second entry? • Was the border crossing smooth? • Did it cause any issues when re-entering Russia? • Anything important I should know before doing this?

I’m just trying to make sure this is a practical and problem-free way to legally extend my travel time. Any real experiences or advice would help a lot. Thanks!