New Delhi
There is a good news for Indian tourists. People of India can soon visit Russia without visa. A system regarding this is likely to be developed between India and Russia in 2025. Now after some time Indians will not need tourist visa to go to Russia. Earlier, Russia had started e-Visa for Indians from August 2023, the process of which takes about 4 days to complete. However, now with the new visa-free system, traveling to Russia will become even easier for Indians. According to the report, India was among the top five countries in the number of e-visas issued by Russia last year. Russia gave 9,500 e-visas to Indians.
Indians will be able to go to Russia without visa
Under the bilateral agreement between Russia and India, the process of simplifying visa rules for group tourist exchange started in June 2023. Nikita Kondratyev, a senior official at Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development, said, “India is in the final stages of finalizing this agreement.” It is believed that this agreement will be completed by the end of the year, after which Indian citizens will be able to travel to Russia without a visa.
Increasing number of Indian travelers in Russia
In recent years, there has been a steady increase in the number of Indian travelers visiting Russia. In 2023, Russia issued 9,500 e-visas to Indian travelers, which was 6% of the total e-visas. In the first half of 2024, 28,500 Indian travelers visited Moscow, 1.5 times more than the previous year. In 2023, more than 60,000 Indians visited Russia, a 26% increase compared to 2022.
“In the first quarter of 2023, India ranked third among business tourists from non-CIS countries,” said Evgeny Kozlov, chairman of the Moscow City Tourism Committee. Moscow officials believe that India is a priority market for Russia, as the two countries have strong and historical relations. There has been a deep historical and diplomatic friendship between Russia and India. The new visa-free policy will boost not only tourism but also business relations.
Visa free entry for Indians in 58 countries
At present Indian passport holders have the right to visa free entry in 58 countries. India’s passport is ranked 83rd in the Henley Passport Index 2024, with the help of which Indians can travel without visa to travel destinations like Thailand, Indonesia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Qatar.
