Russia to Allow Visa-Free Entry for Indians from 2025

From March 2025, Indian tourists will be able to travel to Russia without visa requirements. This follows the conversations that took place in June between Russia and India regarding a reciprocal agreement regarding easier visa access.

At the moment, Indian visitors need visas according to the reasons they travel whether it be tourist, business, humanitarian, private, work, or student category.

Tourism boost in Moscow

As per the reports of recent years, the number of visitors from India to Moscow continues to grow. Evgeny Kozlov, Chairman of the Moscow City Tourism Committee, who said that Indian visitors to Moscow reached 28,500 by the first half-year of 2024, 1.5 times more than the same period the previous year.  Visitations took place as part of business or work-related events.

Kozlov stated, “In 2023, India ranked high in terms of travellers coming to Moscow among non-CIS countries, with over 60,000 visitors, a 26 percent rise compared to 2022.”

“India ranked third among visitors from non-CIS countries for business tourists in the first quarter of this year. Moscow authorities consider India one of the priority markets due to the strong, time-tested ties between the two countries,” he noted.

What does visa-free travel mean?

Visa-free travel allows people to go to a country without requiring a visa beforehand. On arrival, they just present their passport. It speeds up the process and saves costs related to visas. As of now, Indian passport holders can enjoy visa-free travel to 62 countries.

Unified e-visa system

From August 1, 2023, Indian nationals can now apply for a unified e-visa with an application processing time of about 4 days. It encourages traveling for personal, business, tourism, and events such as scientific, cultural, political, or sports gathering purposes.

The UEV is a single-entry visa valid across the Russian Federation and is available to citizens of 55 countries, including India.

How to apply for UEV

Foreign nationals can apply for a UEV through the Consular Division of the Russian Embassy or the nearest Russian Consulate. Appointments must be booked through the online portal (http://new_delhi.kdmid.ru/).

• Qualified people such as diplomats and officials, can apply directly through Russian consulates.
• Submitted documents must correspond to the details entered in the online pre-registration system to prevent fraud.
• Inconsistencies in the data will lead to a rejection of the application.
• Each scheduled appointment is limited to processing one set of documents.