TTU: Russia may soon introduce visa-free travel for Indian tourists, possibly starting in Spring 2025. The two countries are in talks about an agreement that could make travel easier for Indian visitors. This follows a similar arrangement recently made for Chinese and Iranian citizens. Right now, Indian tourists can use an e-visa to visit Russia, but the move to allow visa-free travel is expected to boost tourism even further.
What Is Visa-Free Travel to Russia?
Indian tourists could soon enjoy the convenience of visiting Russia without needing a visa. The discussions about visa-free travel between Russia and India have been ongoing since June 2024. The main focus of these talks is to ease visa requirements by introducing a visa-free group tourist exchange program. If this agreement goes through, it will be a significant shift from the current process.
Current Visa Process for Indian Tourists
At the moment, Indian tourists must apply for a visa to visit Russia. Depending on the purpose of their trip, they must choose from different visa categories such as tourist, business, student, or humanitarian visas. This process requires submitting various documents, making it time-consuming and complicated. However, visa-free travel to Russia would remove many of these barriers.
What Are the Benefits of Visa-Free Travel to Russia?
Evgeny Kozlov, Chairman of the Moscow City Tourism Committee, shared that over 28,500 Indian visitors came to Moscow in the first half of 2024. This marked a 1.5-fold increase compared to the previous year, with most travelers coming for business purposes. Russia has already made a similar arrangement for Chinese and Iranian citizens, allowing them to travel without a visa for tourism purposes. The success of this program has led Russia to consider offering the same benefits to Indian citizens.
Visa-free travel would be an important step in strengthening ties between the two nations. Currently, Indian citizens can travel to 62 countries without needing a visa. Additionally, as of August 2023, Indian tourists can apply for the Unified E-Visa (UEV) to visit Russia. The UEV allows travelers to enter Russia for any purpose, including tourism, and it usually takes around four days to process.
How Visa-Free Travel Will Impact Indian Tourists
The shift to visa-free travel would make visiting the country more accessible. The Unified E-Visa system has already simplified the process for Indian tourists, but visa-free travel would remove the need for any kind of visa application. This would significantly reduce the time and effort involved in planning a trip to Russia.
In conclusion, visa-free travel to Russia is an exciting possibility for Indian tourists. If the talks between Russia and India succeed, Indian nationals may soon be able to visit Russia without the need for a visa, making travel easier and more convenient. The success of similar programs with other countries suggests that this change could become a reality as early as Spring 2025.
