Russia to allow visa-free travel for Indians by Spring 2025
The agreement is particularly significant as India has become an essential market for Russian tourism, both for leisure and business
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CHENNAI: Currently, obtaining a Russian visa requires a detailed process and proper planning. However, a visa-free travel agreement between India and Russia is expected to be implemented by spring 2025.
Indian travellers now visit Russia with various visa types, including tourist , business, humanitarian, private, work and student categories depending on the purpose of the visit.
Since August 1, 2023, Indian travellers have been able to apply for Unified e-visa (UEV), which take approximately four days to process.
The agreement is particularly significant as India has become an essential market for Russian tourism, both for leisure and business.
According to Evgeny Kozlov, Chairperson of the Moscow City Tourism Committee, 28,500 Indian travelers visited Moscow in the first half of 2024, marking a 1.5-fold increase from the previous year.
The majority of Indian visitors to Russia travel for business and work-related purposes.
Russia already offers visa-free entry to citizens of China and Iran under its tourist exchange program, which began on August 1, 2023.
Indian passport holders currently enjoy visa-free access to 62 countries, and this development will further expand their travel opportunities.
This visa-free arrangement is expected to further boost tourism, allowing Indian citizens to save time and money while travelling.