Visa history of Russia

As a rule, the following categories of foreigners were granted admittance: merchants and travelers, mercenary soldiers, and, after the adoption of Christianity, priests, painters, and artisans engaged in the construction of churches.

During this period, foreigners entering Russia were issued a special document to travel across the country, the Proezjaya Gramota (Russian: Проезжая Грамота, English: Charter for journey).

[2] In the 17th century, the government sought to invite foreign manufacturers to Russia to establish sectors of important industries, and offered them favorable conditions for the activity, such as the donation of state-owned land for factories and plants, the right to the enterprises by inheritance, loans from the Treasury, and long term monopolies on the production of goods (15–20 years).

Peter I, seeking to make Russia more powerful and in every possible way to improve and expand trade with foreign states, issued the Manifesto of 16 April 1702.

The continuing need for all foreigners to have "letters for journey", or "proezjaya gramota", and "passports", when traveling through the country or crossing its borders, was confirmed by further decrees—for example, the Decree of 30 October 1719.

The Charter to the Cities prescribed that foreign merchants and craftsmen who settled in the country but did not accept Russian citizenship, be recorded with the guild, as well as pay the established taxes and fees.

Foreigners were allowed to travel with their family out of the city only after notifying the municipal magistrates, confirming the payment of all debts and the local tax for three years.

This period was associated with a number of legislative acts, of the Russian emperors Paul I and Alexander I, which introduced restrictions on the privileged legal status of foreigners in Russia.

Before leaving the country, it was, again, necessary to wait until the police office had checked the holder's indebtedness; and after coordination with the board of foreign affairs, the exit visa was given.

On 5 December 1917, a Resolution of the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs imposed a ban on leaving the country, without permission from local councils, on citizens of the states which were at war with Russia.

[10] After the World War II, the Soviet Union began arriving foreigners to train highly qualified specialists to create cadres of the communist asset of the new Europe that can ensure the implementation of the program of socialist construction.

Since 1946 in the Soviet Union began to study students from Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, from 1947 - North Korea, since 1949 - China, since 1951 - from East Germany and Vietnam, since 1960 - Cuba.

[27] As of September 2015[update] a law permanently abolishing visa requirements for participants and jury members of art competitions is being planned by the Government of Russia.

On 13 May 2013, a presidential decree on the abolition of visas for athletes, coaches, team leaders, members of foreign official delegations, and judges of international sports competitions came into effect.

[38] From 4 June to 25 July 2018, visas won't be required for those attending matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup championship, who will be able to enter Russia with an ID and passport.

Foreigners involved in activities and not participating in sporting events, will travel to and from Russia on ordinary multiple-entry work visas that will be issued for a period of 1 year.

[39] After the dissolution of the Soviet Union gave way to 15 separate states, visa, consular, customs, and border issues were concluded by unilateral and multilateral agreements within a few years.

[40] The government of Pskov Oblast, in response, required that similar fees be collected from citizens of Estonia coming to Russia; but that was repealed as violating Russian law.

[50][51] On 24 February 1995, Russia and Lithuania signed an agreement, to take effect 25 June, allowing citizens of both countries to obtain visas in advance.

[53] Under the agreement, citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Georgia (from 1 July 1995), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan might be on each other's territory without visas, for unlimited periods bearing all types of identity cards.

[59] On 30 November 2000, an agreement was signed allowing visa-free travel between the members of Eurasian Economic Community: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

Until 14 June 2001, the citizens of Hungary could be in Russia, without visas, with the presentation of a voucher or invitation, when a new agreement took effect that provided for visa-less stays of 90 days for holders of diplomatic and service passports.

Lithuania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Croatia, Slovenia, and Cyprus had to cancel their bilateral visa-free agreements with Russia before joining the EU and accepting the common visa requirements of the Schengen Area.

[79] In 2015, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov said that Russia had fulfilled all the conditions for transition to a visa-free regime with the EU, but that Brussels had taken a negative stance, under pressure from some member countries.

From 1 November to 1 December 2015 citizens of Ukraine have been identified as to their status as visitor - refugee, migrant worker, tourist, a private visit – and required to obtain permits.

A visa waiver agreement with South Africa, for stays of 90 days for holders of ordinary passports, was concluded by an exchange of diplomatic notes in January and February 2017 and comes into force on 30 March 2017.

[118] During a meeting in Moscow on 10 March 2011, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin proposed the introduction of reciprocal visa-free travel to US Vice President Joe Biden, saying, "it would be a historical step in the development of Russian-US relations "and would create" an absolutely new atmosphere between our countries.

However Dimitri V. Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, considered Putin's proposal to be merely a political tactic in his public exchange with Biden, calling it, "... a way to attract attention ... as a way to knock someone off course, maybe it also worked.

healthcare and conditions of family members) are also implemented in accordance with the mobility rights arrangements within the Commonwealth of Independent States and the rules of the single market of the Eurasian Economic Union.

[414][415] On 29 November 2024, the Commonwealth of Independent States finally adopted an updated Concept for the phased formation of a common labor market (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan) and migration regulation.