Russia’s State Duma has passed legislation that will allow tourists from 53 countries (including EU member states, China, Japan, India and Turkey) to visit Russia with an electronic visa, thus avoiding a laborious in-person visa application process that puts off many from even applying.
Russia has previously introduced simplified e-visas for visitors to St Petersburg, Kaliningrad and the Far East.
Russia closed its borders and stopped issuing visas to foreigners in March due to the coronavirus, but now tourism officials hope the e-visa expansion can boost a sector that has been hit hard.
Under the new regulations, citizens of 53 countries will be able to obtain 16-day, single-entry tourist visas online from 1 January, 2021.
Applications for the new-style visas will need to be made via a Russian Foreign Ministry website and should be issued no more than four days after application and be valid for 60 days.
The Russian media has reported the visas are likely to cost around $50 for adults and will be free of charge for children under six years old.
The State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, passed the legislation in its first reading and Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Ivanov submitted the draft regulations for government approval on 18 July.
National tourism agency, Rostourism, had recommended offering the e-visas at no cost to help the sector recover from the coronavirus crisis, as well as suggesting extending e-visas from 16 days to 90-120 days and making them multiple-entry.
The changes, however, appear more likely to be introduced gradually to prevent illegal immigration, and the foreign ministry has pointed out that 2,000 foreigners stayed in Russia illegally having arrived for the 2018 football World Cup under a visa waiver programme.
The UK, the US and Canada could be added to the list of countries whose citizens are eligible for e-visas provided “visa dialogue with these states normalises,” Ivanov said.
Watch CMW interview with head of Russia’s national convention bureau here.
