New type of Russian visa for foreigners
President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin has ordered introduction of a universal single-entry e-visa for foreigners arriving in Russia from 1 January 2021.
E-visas will be single-entry and short-term, for up to 16 days.
In addition, this visa will be universal: its holder will be able to enter the Russian Federation for tourism, business, humanitarian purposes and as a guest.
Issue of this type of visa is expected to cost up to $50.
It is also planned to develop a mobile application, which will promote issue of such visas with maximum convenience and customer orientation.
It will be possible not only to file an application but also to pay for a visa through it.
The list of countries the citizens of which will be able to use the online visa service from 2021 will be approved by the government separately.
According to some reports, it will most certainly include the EU states, the Schengen Area countries that are not members of the European Union, China, South Korea, Japan, and, probably, New Zealand.
“After the introduction of electronic visas, Russia will become a state with the most liberal visa regime among developed countries,” Zarina Doguzova, the Head of the Federal Agency for Tourism, says.
