Electronic visas in Russia

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• Electronic Visa System

2024: 540.9 thousand foreigners issued electronic visas to the Russian Federation for the year

During the year of operation of the unified electronic visa system for the entry of foreign citizens into Russia - from August 2023 to July 2024 - 540.9 thousand foreigners issued it. This is evidenced by the data of the consular department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, which were released in August 2024.

The leader in the number of issued electronic visas (254.2 thousand pieces for 12 months) to Russia is. China Also in the top three countries: - Saudi Arabia its residents issued 43.4 thousand electronic visas and (Germany 42.6 thousand). Round out the top five and. Turkey Estonia

2023

The launch of electronic visas in Russia led to a sharp increase in the number of foreign tourists

The launch of electronic visas in Russia has led to a sharp increase in the number of foreign tourists. The Kommersant newspaper wrote about this at the end of August 2023 with reference to the data of the booking services.

So, according to the statistics of the Ostrovok.ru platform, in August 2023 the number of hotel bookings by foreigners in the Russian Federation increased by 25% compared to July and by 40% year-on-year. According to Travelline, the share of foreign hotel bookings in July-August increased by 7.7% on an annualized basis.

It is noted that the easing of the Russian visa policy attracted travelers from, India,, China,, Iran,, Turkey,, and Vietnam Saudi Arabia. Singapore According Netherlands France Italy to the Spain publication, by August 2023 Russia , mostly independent travelers arrive in electronic visas, for tour operators the effect of the system is not so tangible. Most of those entering draw up documents on their own, without seeking help from third parties.

Despite the positive dynamics, the flow of foreign tourists to Russia remains restrained: Ostrovok.ru indicate that they accounted for only 10% of bookings in August. In Travelline, the figure for July - August is estimated at 6.54%.

Tari-Tour CEO Marina Levchenko believes that the impact of electronic visas on the market can be tracked in 2023. The representative of "Intourist" Daria Domostroeva explains that the bulk of tourists are planning a vacation in six months or a year.

We see positive dynamics in pre-booking for the next tourist season through electronic visas, "she said in a conversation with the newspaper, adding that there are no guarantees whether these trips will take place.

According to Domostroeva, in the summer of 2023, groups of tourists from the countries of Southeast, Asia China, Latin America came to the Russian Federation, the arrivals from Europe were individual in nature.^[1]

Electronic visa for foreigners launched in Russia

On August 1, 2023, the official launch of an electronic visa for foreigners took place in Russia. To receive it, you need to submit an application in digital form using the specialized website of the Russian Foreign Ministry. The application must be filled out no later than 4 calendar days before the expected date of entry into the Russian Federation.

The electronic visa is universal and one-time. He gives the right to stay for 16 days in Russia on a guest or business visit, as a tourist, as well as to participate in scientific, cultural, socio-political, economic, sports events and the implementation of relevant ties and contacts.

On August 1, 2023, the official launch of an electronic visa for foreigners took place in Russia

The trip for up to 16 days can be carried out on any date within 60 days after its registration. At the same time, the date of departure from Russia cannot be later than the 60th day from the moment of its registration.

The cost of an electronic visa, taking into account the consular fee, banking commission, transaction costs of the payment system, as well as the fee for preliminary verification of documents, is expected to not exceed the equivalent of $52. For children under the age of 6, the cost of a visa, taking into account the transaction costs of the payment system, will cost no more than $2.

Uniform electronic visas are valid for entering the Russian Federation and leaving the country by air, road and water, as well as without using vehicles only through certain checkpoints, the list of which is approved by government order.

By August 1, 2023, residents of 55 states can issue a new type of permit to enter the Russian Federation. The list, among other things, includes countries, Europe,, Japan,, Turkey,, China,, DPRK,, India,,, and Indonesia. Philippines Bahrain Iran Kuwait Malaysia Saudi Arabia Singapore^[2]

Russia is preparing to launch a system of electronic visas for foreign tourists

Russia is preparing to launch a system of electronic visas for foreign tourists who, for one reason or another, want to visit our country. She should earn in the very near future - no more than a month and a half. This became known on May 19, 2023.

The fact that electronic visas can be earned in Russia by the end of June 2023, said the deputy head of the Ministry of Economic Development Dmitry Vakhrukov. At the same time, he separately stressed that residents of Iran will be able to use the right to receive a digital visa. Vakhrukov did not specify why the emphasis was made specifically to this country, but in fact such a right was assigned to Iranian citizens back in October 2020 by the Russian government.

Tatyana Sharshavitskaya, head of the tourism development department of the Ministry of Economic Development, previously pointed out that electronic visas for foreigners to cross the Russian border will work during 2023. She spoke about this in March 2023, but, unlike Vakhrukov, she did not name more accurate terms.

A digital visa has a number of advantages over the usual one in terms of registration. For example, she does not need an invitation or hotel reservation and in general does not need to provide documents about the purpose of the trip. You just need to fill out the questionnaire, attach a personal photo and a copy of your passport to it, and then pay the consular fee.

Further, if the visa is issued, the foreigner will receive the right to be in Russia for no more than 16 days. The electronic visa itself is valid for 60 days from the date of receipt.

An electronic visa can significantly simplify the process of obtaining a permit by foreigners to stay in Russia, but the foreigner's very desire to visit the country may abound for a number of reasons. One of them is difficulties with non-cash payments due to the fact that from the spring of 2022, payment systems no longer work in Russia Visa. MasterCard They, although of the American origin, are common in most states.

Sharshavitskaya also said that the absence of Visa and MasterCard in Russia is a deterrent ^[3]

2021: Mishustin approved checkpoints for entering Russia on an electronic visa

In October 2021, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed an order of the Government of the Russian Federation under No. 2929-r, which approved new checkpoints for entering Russia on an electronic visa. For motorists, Lyutty and Svetogorsk (Russian-Finnish border) were added. Air checkpoints were replenished with the following points:

• Arkhangelsk (Talagi);
• Astrakhan (Narimanovo);
• Bryansk;
• Vladikavkaz (Beslan);
• Grozny (Northern);
• Zhukovsky;
• Kaluga (Grabtsevo);
• Lipetsk;
• Makhachkala (Uitash);
• Mineralnye Vody;
• Murmansk;
• Nalchik;
• Saratov (Gagarin);
• Syktyvkar;
• Tomsk (Bogashevo);
• Yaroslavl (Tunoshna).

Mikhail Mishustin approved checkpoints for entering Russia on an electronic visa

As for the railways, in accordance with the document, it will be possible to travel with an electronic visa through Sovetsk, and by sea through Vysotsk.

In addition, checkpoints for entering Russia on an electronic visa operate at international airports in Belgorod, Volgograd, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Rostov-on-Don, Samara and St. Petersburg.

Among the automobile - six border posts in the Kaliningrad region (Bagrationovsk, Gusev, Mamonovo (Grzhekhotki and Gronovo), Morskoy, Sovetsk), one in the Pskov region (Ubylinka) and one in the Leningrad region (Ivangorod). The latter is also listed on the list of pedestrian checkpoints.

The electronic visa is valid throughout Russia. You can cross the border through checkpoints in many regions, and travel throughout the country. An electronic visa is issued via the Internet for tourist, business, humanitarian and guest trips. To receive it, you will not need invitations, hotel reservations or any other documents confirming the purpose of the trip. The registration period takes no more than four days. Children under 6 years of age are issued a visa for free.

It is assumed that the introduction of a single electronic visa in Russia will help the development of tourism, increase the investment attractiveness of the regions and will contribute to the growth of the economy as a whole.^[4][5]

2020

Mishustin approved countries whose citizens will be able to obtain an electronic visa

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin approved countries whose citizens will be able to obtain an electronic visa. This was announced on October 7, 2020 by the press service of the cambin.

The government explained that the list included all countries that were subject to a pilot project to introduce electronic visas, except Qatar. Since February 23, 2020, a visa-free regime has been in effect between Russia and Qatar.

The list of countries whose citizens from January 1, 2021 have the right to apply for an electronic visa includes: Austria, Andorra, Bahrain,, Belgium,, Bulgaria Vatican Hungary,,,,, Germany,, Greece,, Denmark,, India,, Indonesia(Iran Ireland Iceland including Spain Italy Cyprus China Taiwan),,,,, Liechtenstein,, Democratic People's Republic of Korea Kuwait Latvia Lithuania Malaysia,,,, Monaco Luxembourg,,,,,,,, San Malta Mexico Marino,, Netherlands Norway Oman North Poland Portugal Romania Macedonia,,,,,,,,,, Croatia Saudi Arabia,,,,,,. Total Serbia- Singapore 52 Slovakia Slovenia Turkey Philippines countries. Finland France Czech Republic Switzerland Sweden Estonia Japan

Mikhail Mishustin approved countries whose citizens will be able to obtain an electronic visa

The electronic visa will be issued via the Internet for tourist, business, humanitarian and guest trips. The consular fee will be $40, for children under six years old - free of charge.

The e-visa will apply throughout Russia from 2021. It will be possible to cross the border through any specially equipped checkpoint, regardless of the region, and travel throughout the country. The allowed period of stay of foreigners in Russia on an electronic visa will increase from 8 to 16 days.

The introduction of a single electronic visa in Russia, as the government hopes, will help the development of tourism, increase the investment attractiveness of the regions and will contribute to the growth of the economy as a whole.^[6]

Citizens of 113 states will be able to enter Russia from 2021 without issuing paper visas - Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation

Citizens of 113 countries from January next year will be able to enter the Russian Federation on an electronic visa, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, State Secretary Yevgeny Ivanov said in June.

"We expect that from January 2021, citizens of 113 states will be able to enter Russia without the need to apply for a paper visa to a passport. The total population of these 113 states is about 4 billion people, or half of the world population! " Ivanov said in an interview published on the website of the Kommersant newspaper.

He clarified that "citizens of those states whose list will be approved by the government of the Russian Federation will be able to use an electronic visa."

"At the same time, interested departments will certainly proceed from the list of states whose citizens can enter the pilot project zones by electronic visa Far Eastern Federal District-,, and Kaliningrad region. St. Petersburg Leningrad region Let me remind you once again that the list includes 53 countries, including member countries,,,, and European Union China Japan so on, " India Turkey said the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation.

"At the same time, I would like to emphasize that already now, on the basis of international treaties concluded with foreign states, the visa-free regime of entry into Russia is valid for citizens of another 60 foreign states," he added.

Ivanov also drew attention to the fact that "at the same time, the right to visa-free entry to the United States and to the countries of the Schengen zone, which invariably top the rating of tourist attractiveness, according to the World Tourism Organization, is granted to citizens of only 39 and 62 states, respectively."

"Conclusions about whether the regime of entry into the Russian Federation is really" so terrible "and how much it slows down the development of inbound tourism, let everyone do it himself," said the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation in an interview with the publication.

Moscow is considering the possibility of issuing multiple long-term private visas for foreigners who are close relatives of Russian citizens, and will also issue Russian visas for those who have not been able to visit Russia since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic, Ivanov said.

"We would like to simplify the conditions of travel to Russia for foreign citizens who are close relatives of Russian citizens. Now the ministry is working on a bill that provides for the possibility of issuing multiple long-term private visas on the basis of an application in writing by their close relative, a citizen of the Russian Federation. This eliminates the need to issue invitations through the territorial bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, "Ivanov said.

According to him, quoted by the publication, the corresponding bill "also defines the categories of foreigners who will be able to obtain a multiple long-term private visa at the consular institution of the Russian Federation at the request of a Russian relative."

"These are spouse, children (including foster children), full-born and incomplete (having a common father or mother) brothers and sisters, grandchildren, parents, grandparents of citizens of the Russian Federation. The validity period of multiple private visas will be increased to one year, while with such visas it will be possible to stay on the territory of Russia throughout the year without restrictions, "said the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation.

In addition, according to Ivanov, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation will offer foreigners who have issued a Russian visa in mid-March and have not visited the country due to the coronavirus pandemic to get a similar visa for free.

"The Russian Foreign Ministry considers it possible to offer foreign citizens who have canceled their trips to Russia, despite previously issued single or double visas, which began in mid-March, issue new visas of a similar multiplicity free of charge within the next six months after the removal of restrictions on entry into the Russian Federation, provided that, that documents will be submitted that are the legal basis for issuing a visa for a new term, "said the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation in an interview with the publication.

The State Duma adopted a bill on an electronic one-time visa

On June 23, 2020, the State Duma adopted a bill on the introduction of a universal unified electronic one-time visa for entering Russia. The innovation will be valid from January 1, 2021.

The electronic visa is intended for short-term stay of foreign citizens in the Russian Federation for tourist, business, guest and humanitarian purposes. According to the bill, the new document will be an independent visa category along with a diplomatic, official, ordinary, transit visa and a visa of a person temporarily residing in Russia.

An electronic one-time visa will be introduced in Russia

The electronic visa will be issued as a one-time visa for up to 60 calendar days with a permitted period of stay in Russia up to 16 days. It will be issued to citizens of foreign countries, the list of which will be established by the government.

According to TASS, the Information Agency of Russia with reference to the financial and economic justification, the implementation of the bill will not require the allocation of additional budgetary allocations.^[7]

As explained by Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Ivanov, a single electronic visa will be valid for entering the Russian Federation through any of the technically equipped checkpoints across the state border.

From January 2021, the most liberal regime of entry into Russia, excluding the need for a visa on paper, will apply to 113 foreign states. In total, the population of these states is almost 4 billion people, he said.

By June 23, 2020, electronic tourist visas are issued only for entry into the territory of the Kaliningrad region and St. Petersburg for citizens of 53 states. During the year of the program, more than 94 thousand electronic visas were issued by foreigners to enter the Kaliningrad region and more than 105 thousand pieces - to St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region.

Putin instructed to introduce a single electronic visa for foreigners

At the end of May 2020, the President Russia Vladimir Putin To the State Duma will deal with the issue of introducing electronic species for foreigners. This was reported on the Kremlin website.

Ensure the adoption by the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation of the Federal Law "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation in the concerning the registration of a single electronic visa and entry into the Russian Federation of foreign citizens on the basis of a single electronic visa, and invalidation of certain provisions of legislative acts of the Russian Federation, - said in the instruction of the head of state, which State Duma deputies need to fulfill by October 1, 2020.

Russian President Vladimir Putin State Duma to deal with the issue of introducing electronic species for foreigners

The draft federal law proposes to define an electronic visa as an independent visa category along with a diplomatic, official, ordinary, transit visa and a visa of a temporary resident, as well as to establish that an electronic visa will be issued as a one-time visa for up to 60 calendar days with a permitted period of stay in the Russian Federation up to 16 days.

The electronic visa will be issued on the basis of the decision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to apply for a visa to a foreign citizen upon his application, filled out on a specialized website on the Internet. The period for obtaining an electronic visa will be no more than four calendar days from the date of submission by a foreigner of an application for its registration.

On May 29, 2020, the Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Women and Children Tamara Pletneva appealed to the Prosecutor General's Office and the FSB with a request to check the security of the mechanism for issuing electronic visas to foreigners for entering Russia.

Pletneva also asked Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to assess the possibility of postponing the entry into force of the provisions on a single electronic visa.^[8]

Electronic visa system for foreign citizens visiting Vladivostok

Main article: Electronic visa system

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