Universal e-visas to Russia will be introduced from 2021

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an instruction to the Prime Minister, the Foreign Ministers, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB to ensure the introduction of a single electronic visa for foreigners to enter Russia from January 1, 2021.

Electronic visas will be single-entry and short-term (up to 16 days), they can be obtained by foreign citizens with different travel purposes: it will be tourist, business, humanitarian, guest.

The planned cost of the visa is $ 50, the planned growth of tourist flow by 25%

Currently, guests of the Far Eastern Federal District can receive an electronic visa, from July 1, 2019 - in the Kaliningrad region.

The introduction of an electronic visa in 2021 will begin with the cities that receive the main flow of foreigners: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan. The number of entry points will increase.

The Russian Foreign Ministry should prepare a list of countries whose citizens will be able to obtain an electronic visa to Russia. It will include China, South Korea, Japan, EU countries and Schengen countries, possibly New Zealand.

Britain, Canada and the United States are not yet on the list.

Tour operators expect that with the introduction of electronic visas, tourist flow to Russia will grow, mainly due to an increase in the number of independent travelers. The global travel industry is switching to self-booker.

Russia can become a popular destination for “weekend tours”. The trend should change the structure of the tourist flow to our country: now tours to Russia are popular among people 50, 60+, and the development of the popular segment of short-term trips will rejuvenate the tourist flow.

Source: atorus