Russia will soon provide visa-free travel for Indians. A new system is likely to be introduced in 2025. From August 2023, Indians are eligible for an e-visa to travel to Russia which takes about four days to process. Currently, Indian citizens are required to obtain a visa issued by the Russian Embassy/Consulate to enter, stay and exit the Russian Federation.
Visa Free Entry: Indians may soon be able to travel visa-free to Russia (russia visa free for indian), with a new system likely to be introduced in the spring of 2025.
Earlier in June, reports emerged that Russia and India had discussed a bilateral agreement to ease visa restrictions for each other to implement visa-free group tourist exchanges.
From August 2023, Indians are eligible for e-visas to travel to Russia, which take about four days to process.
9500 Indians got e-visas in 2023
India also featured in the top five countries in terms of the number of e-visas issued last year, with 9,500 e-visas granted to Indian travellers, reports the Indian Express.
Currently, Indian citizens are required to obtain a visa issued by the Russian Embassy/Consulate to enter, stay and exit the Russian Federation. The process of obtaining the document was very lengthy.
Most Indian tourists visit Russia for business or official purposes. In 2023, a record 60,000 Indians visited Moscow, up 26 per cent compared to 2022.
Indians can travel visa-free to 62 countries
The report said that earlier this year, India was ranked third for business tourism to non-CIS countries, with about 1,700 e-visas issued in the first quarter of 2024.
It is worth noting that Russia currently allows visa-free entry for travellers from China and Iran through its visa-free tourist exchange programme. The initiative has proved successful for Moscow, which hopes to replicate the same with India.
India currently enjoys the privilege of visa-free travel to 62 countries. Indian passport holders, ranked 82nd in the Henley Passport Index 2024, can travel without a visa to popular tourist destinations such as Indonesia, Maldives and Thailand.
The Henley Passport Index is released based on data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA). The index assumes that passport holders meet all basic entry requirements, are adult citizens traveling alone and seek entry for tourist or business purposes for short-term stays. However, it does not include complex scenarios such as diplomatic travel, emergency or temporary passports and transit stays.
