Russia is set to grant visa-free entry to Indian citizens. The first Indian visa-free group is expected to arrive in Moscow by spring 2025 without having to apply and wait for the visa to be approved. The main aim of this development is to increase the inflow of Indian tourists into Russia.
The agreement states that Indian travellers will no longer need to have a long application process. This means they can just provide a simple passport upon arrival in Russia.
, which will be enough. This approach will ultimately save the time and effort of applying for a visa while also eliminating the associated visa fees.
Currently, Indians have free access to 62 countries. In recent years, Moscow has increasingly attracted Indian visitors. In the first half of 2024, 28,500 Indian travellers visited the Russian capital, representing a 1.5-fold increase compared to the previous year. India is ranked high among non-CIS countries, with over 60,000 visitors in 2023, which is a 26% rise from 2022.
Russia is a beautiful country that already offers visa-free entry to citizens from China and Iran through its tourist exchange program, which has proven to be quite successful. The goal is to replicate this program with India which will make travel between the two countries even more convenient.