Indian tourists may soon be able to visit Russia without the need for a visa, with the new arrangement potentially coming into effect as early as spring 2025.
In June, Russia and India held talks about a bilateral agreement to ease visa restrictions, with the goal of implementing visa-free group tourist exchanges, according to news agency PTI.
Since August 1, 2023, Indian travelers to Russia have been eligible for e-visas, which are typically issued within four days. Reports indicate that India ranked among the top five countries for e-visa issuance in 2023, with 9,500 e-visas granted to Indian visitors, making up 6 percent of the total.
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Most Indians travel to Russia for business and work purposes. In 2023, over 60,000 Indian travelers visited Moscow, a 26 percent increase compared to 2022. In the first quarter of 2024, India ranked third among non-CIS countries for business tourism. By January 2024, nearly 1,700 e-visas had been issued to Indian tourists.
Currently, Russia allows visa-free access for travelers from China and Iran under its tourist exchange program, which began on August 1, 2023. This initiative has been successful, and Russia hopes to extend the same to India, PTI reports.
Indian passport holders currently enjoy visa-free access to 62 countries.
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