Russia rolls out e-visas for citizens of 55 countries, including India, Gulf nations

Tourists from 55 countries can now apply for an electronic visa to Russia, in an initiative started from August 1, 2023.

A visa-free regime is already in place for citizens of the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

This new system offers several advantages over regular visas, eliminating the need to visit consulates or embassies.

The visa's validity remains for 60 days from the date of issue, allowing tourists to stay in Russia for up to 16 days.Travellers are required to only provide a digital photo and a scan of the passport page when applying through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia's website, not later than four calendar days before their planned trip.

The launch of e-visas has been done with the aim of significantly increasing tourist flow into Moscow. "To make the stay of guests from Middle East countries as comfortable as possible, Moscow is actively working on the improvement of infrastructure for international travellers. We also have close cooperation with Middle Eastern companies in the field of tourism, which allows us to expand our tourist offer and tailor it to the needs of our guests," stated Evgeny Kozlov, Chairman of Moscow City Tourism Committee.

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