Indians Can Soon Travel to Russia Visa-Free for Tourism

Indian tourists may soon be able to travel to Russia without a visa, with the arrangement potentially starting as early as spring 2025. This development follows discussions between Moscow and New Delhi aimed at easing visa restrictions and launching visa-free group tourist exchanges. In May, Nikita Kondratyev, director of the Russian Economic Development Ministry's Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects, stated that India was at the final stage of internal state coordination for this agreement.

Since August 2023, Indian travelers have been eligible for e-visas to Russia, which are typically processed within four days. This initiative has already facilitated increased travel between the two countries. In 2023, Russia granted 9,500 e-visas to Indian visitors, accounting for 6% of the total e-visas issued by Moscow and placing India among the top five countries granted easy travel access by Russia.

The anticipated visa-free travel arrangement is expected to further strengthen tourism ties between India and Russia. In recent years, there has been a notable increase in Indian visitors to Moscow. According to Evgeny Kozlov, Chairman of the Moscow City Tourism Committee, 28,500 Indian travelers visited Moscow in the first half of 2024, marking a 1.5-fold increase compared to the same period last year. In 2023, over 60,000 Indian visitors traveled to Moscow, a 26% rise compared to 2022.

Currently, Indian passport holders enjoy visa-free travel to 62 countries. The inclusion of Russia in this list would provide Indian travelers with greater flexibility and opportunities for tourism and business. The move is seen as a testament to the strong, time-tested ties between the two countries and is expected to boost bilateral exchanges in various sectors.