Russia to offer visa-free travel for Indian tourists from 2025
What's the story
Indian tourists may soon be able to visit Russia without a visa, as early as spring 2025. The development comes after Russia and India discussed a bilateral agreement in June to enable visa-free group tourist exchanges. And in July, at the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit, both sides welcomed the simplification of visa formalities, including the introduction of e-Visa by both countries. They also agreed to continue the work on further simplification of the visa regime in future.
Tourism growth
E-visa eligibility and increase in Indian visitors to Russia
Since August 2023, Indian travelers have been eligible for e-visas to Russia, which are usually processed in four days. Notably, in the same year, India was one of the top five countries to receive e-visas from Russia with around 9,500 issued to Indian citizens. This constituted 6% of the total e-visas issued by Russia.
Business travel
India's significant role in Russian business tourism
Most Indian tourists to Russia are business/work travelers. In 2023, more than 60,000 Indians visited Moscow, a whopping 26% increase from the previous year. By early 2024, India had jumped to third place among non-CIS countries for business tourism in Russia with nearly 1,700 e-visas issued in just the first quarter.
Visa policies
Russia's visa-free program and India's global standing
Currently, Russia allows citizens from China and Iran to enter without a visa under a program launched in August 2023. The program has been successful, and Russia is hopeful to expand it to include India. As of now, Indian passport holders enjoy visa-free access to 62 countries across the globe.