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Russia to Reinstate E-Visa System in 2023
Russian authorities have decided to restart the electronic visa system, which was introduced in 2020 but later suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A date for its reintroduction will be confirmed by the government before June 1, 2023.
The E-Visa program allows eligible citizens to obtain a visa for their trip to Russia completely online. Along with the reintroduction of the online visa system, the Russian Government will also extend visa-free travel to more countries and simplify entry requirements for others, in an effort to encourage visitors.
Eligibility Criteria for the Russia E-Visa
Originally, the Russian online visa was available to EU passport holders and citizens of 27 other nationalities. However, the list of eligible countries :-
List of Eligible Countries
The initial list of eligible nationalities included:
- European Union citizens
- Bahrain
- China
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Japan
- Kuwait
- Liechtenstein
- Malaysia
- Mexico
- Monaco
- North Korea
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Oman
- Philippines
- San Marino
- Saudi Arabia
- Serbia[a]
- Singapore
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Turkey
- Vatican City
Future Changes
The future list of eligible countries for the Russian online visa has not yet been finalized. However, according to government statements, it is likely to be inaccessible to citizens of most Western countries.
Foreign Minister's Statement
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov commented on the issue, stating:
"I don't believe there will be any issues for friendly states."
Revised Visa Policy Enhancements in Russia
Russian authorities have recently announced their intention to implement visa-free entry for 11 additional nations. However, the specific countries included in this new policy are yet to be officially confirmed.
Eased Visa Requirements
In addition to the visa-free entry initiative, Russian visa requirements will also be relaxed for six other countries. Notably, this will include India and Indonesia, among others. The details regarding the revised visa regulations for these nations are expected to be announced in due course.
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