Russia launches e-visa for Indians

Russia launched electronic visa for Indian passport holders from August 1, 2023. The visa will allow an individual to enter the Russian Federation on a guest, business, or tourist visit as well as to participate in events. The term for issuing a single-entry visa would be no more than four calendar days and consular fee would be around $40. This move comes in the wake of enhancing bilateral ties and promoting tourism between the two nations.

Russian Prime Minister in February had signed a decree approving facilitated visa regime for citizens of 19 countries, including India.

According to the reports, the visa will be issued with a 60-day validity and travellers can stay up to 16 days at a time in Russia. Citizens of the specified countries may get a tourist visa for up to six months if they have a hotel reservation, the decree, published on the government portal, read.


The countries include India, Bahrain, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Turkey and the Philippines.

According to the data from the Border Guard Service of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, foreign tourist flow to the country fell by 96.1% in 2022.

Between 2016 and 2019, tourist traffic from India to Moscow had grown from 61,000 annual visitors to over a lakh. In 2021, traffic recovered to 40% of the pre-pandemic level. Interestingly, it was also observed that Indians who visited Moscow in 2021, 48% went there twice that year.