Russia Welcomes Indian Visitors: Visa-Free Travel Plans Underway

Indian travellers may soon have the opportunity to visit Russia without a visa as early as next year.

Since August 2023, Indian citizens have been eligible for e-visas to Russia, which are typically processed within four days. This prospective visa-free arrangement is expected to further enhance tourism ties between the two nations.

At present, Indian passport holders can travel to 62 countries without a visa, and Russia could potentially join this list by spring 2025. Nikita Kondratyev, Director of the Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects at Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development, revealed in May that India is in the final stages of internal state coordination.

Discussions between New Delhi and Moscow regarding a bilateral agreement to ease visa restrictions began in June this year, with the aim of introducing visa-free group travel exchanges. Kondratyev, as reported by RT News, stated that consultations were underway, with hopes of finalising an agreement by the end of the year.

In 2023, Russia issued 9,500 e-visas to Indian travellers, accounting for 6% of all e-visas granted by Moscow, placing India among the top five countries benefitting from this simplified travel process. The number of Indian visitors to Moscow has steadily increased in recent years.

According to Evgeny Kozlov, Chairman of the Moscow City Tourism Committee, 28,500 Indians visited Moscow in the first half of 2024—a 1.5-fold rise compared to the same period in 2023.

Kozlov further noted that India ranked prominently among non-CIS countries for visitors to Moscow, with over 60,000 Indian travellers in 2023, representing a 26% increase from the previous year.

The majority of Indian visitors travel to Russia for business or work purposes. Kozlov highlighted that India ranked third among non-CIS countries for business tourism in the first quarter of 2024. Moscow authorities regard India as a key market due to the strong and longstanding relationship between the two countries.