Visa policy of Russia

Russia's visa and other migration policies 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.

IDA - May enter with a national ID card in lieu of a passport if arriving directly from countries of Eurasian Economic Union.

Citizens of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan have never required a visa to enter the Russian Federation.

Cancelled: As the Soviet Union: As the Russian Federation: From 11 January 2025, visa-free entry is available for holders of a valid visa or residence permit of Belarus.

If Russia and Belarus offer a visa-free regime for these individuals under international agreements, the recognized ID document is sufficient for entry and stay.

Since May 2009, international tourists entering by regular ferry via several ports have been able to stay in Russia visa-free for up to 72 hours, provided that they spend the night on-board or in accommodation specifically approved by the travel agency.

[71][72] Until September 2022,[75][76] agreements on 1991 were in force between Russia and Japan, group travel to central and southern Kuril Islands were visa-free according for pre-approved lists of the Foreign Ministry.

[87] Citizens of following countries may visit Russia without a visa if they are travelling as part of the airline crew: Afghanistan, Algeria, Austria,[88] Belgium,[89] Bulgaria,[90] Canada,[91] China,[92] Croatia,[93] Cyprus,[94] Czech Republic,[95] Denmark,[96] Egypt, Ethiopia,[97] Finland,[98] France,[99] Germany, Greece,[100] Iceland,[101] India,[102] Iraq, Italy,[103] Japan, Jordan,[104] Latvia,[105] Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg,[106] Malta, Netherlands,[107] North Korea, North Macedonia, Norway,[108] Oman,[109] Poland,[110] Portugal,[111] Qatar, Romania, Singapore, Spain,[112] Sri Lanka,[113] Sweden,[114] Switzerland, Turkmenistan,[115] United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Vietnam.

[118] Citizens of following countries may visit Russia without a visa if they are travelling as part of the sea crew: Bulgaria,[90] China,1[92] Croatia,[93] Cyprus,[94] DR Congo, Egypt, France,[99] Iran,[119] Iraq, Lithuania,[120] North Korea, Poland,[110] Tunisia,[121] Turkey Turkmenistan,[120][122] Vietnam.

[116] Citizens of following countries may visit Russia without a visa if they are travelling as part of the railway crew: China,[92] North Korea, Turkmenistan.

Currently, visa exemption for holders of diplomatic passports of European Union member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland have been suspended.

Airports (51) Seaports (14) Railways (8) Roads (26) Mixed (3) River (1) Pedestrians (1) From 8 August 2017, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia started to implement the e-Visa Program.

[148] From 1 July 2019, citizens of the 54 countries could apply for single-entry business, humanitarian and tourist visas to visit the Kaliningrad region.

[154] From 5 December 2024, electronic visas became available to citizens of the following 11 countries: Barbados, Bhutan, Eswatini, Jordan, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Saint Lucia, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkmenistan, Zimbabwe.

Valid for five years, the card eliminates the need for its holder to possess a visa when visiting other APEC participating economies.

A full list of such areas: As of 2024, Crimea and parts of Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions are under Russian control and Russia enforces its visa policy there.

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.

[429][430] 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.

In some cases, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can issue a Return-Home certificate that is valid for 10 days from the embassy of the visitor's native country, thus eliminating the need for an exit visa.

Russia plans to require, from 1 July 2019, fingerprinting and photographing of all foreign citizens entering the Russian Federation without a visa and staying for more than 30 days.

The basis of the legal status of foreign citizens and stateless persons are secured primarily by the Constitution of the Russian Federation 1993 - Art.

The decree is applied temporarily, for the period before political settlement of a situation in certain districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine on the basis of the Minsk Agreement.

[444] Currently (September 2015), the law providing permanent visa abolition for participants and jury members of art competitions is being planned by the Government of Russia.

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

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

[459] The issuance of Russian electronic visas for the Far East District, Kaliningrad Oblast, and St Petersburg and Leningrad has been suspended since 18 March 2020 and has not been resumed yet.

[460] For foreign citizens who are in Russia on the basis of a visa or visa-free regime, the duration of temporary stay is suspended From 15 March to 15 June 2020.

[469] From 13 March 2020, temporarily suspended the entry of citizens of Italy travelling for educational, work, private, tourist and transit purposes[470] From 28 February 2020, temporarily suspended the entry of citizens of Iran travelling for educational, work, private, tourist and transit purposes.

[471][472] From 20 February 2020, temporarily suspended the entry of citizens of China, Hong Kong, Macao, travelling for work, private, educational and tourist purposes.

2 Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Russia and the partially recognised republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia each span the conventional boundary between Europe and Asia.