Foreigners allowed 3-day stay in Russia without visa

The Government Legislative Commission has approved a draft law aimed at lowering visa barriers that hinder the development of inbound tourism to Russia, said the press service of the Russian Council of Ministers.

According to the draft law, foreign nationals arriving in Russia in transit from specific countries (a list the Russian government will approve) and via international airports for the purpose of tourism will be able to stay in Russia for up to 72 hours without a visa.

Thus, foreigners who fly, for example, from China to Spain through Moscow may be authorized to stay in Russia for 72 hours with no need of obtaining a visa. While waiting for their flights, tourists will be able to leave the airport to visit the city.

For now, the 72-hour visa exemption will apply to tourists flying into Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kazan. These are top cities in terms of the numbers of arriving tourists, not only in Russia but also among European cities. However, in the future, there may be an “implementation of this plan in other regions of the Russian Federation that have high tourism potential.”

Visa regulations and high transport expenditures are among the most complex issues related to developing inbound tourism in Russia. Adopting the draft law will help promote an increase in the flow of inbound tourism through the Moscow transportation hub from 20 percent to 30 percent annually.

An increase in the volume of consumption of tourism services from 13.1 billion ($391 million) to 19.7 billion rubles ($592 million), as well as an increase in revenue from available hotel services from 3.6 to 5.4 billion rubles ($108.1 million to $162 million), can also be expected.

The Russian Ministry of Culture is advocating for the introduction of another version of the easing of visa requirements for foreign tourists: visa-free entry into Russia (with the right to stay for up to 10 days) for foreigners planning to attend large-scale, official, cultural and sporting events.

A list of such planned events would be determined by the government and president. At the moment, this idea has not received legislative promotion.

How to arrive without a visa

The government’s proposed plan contains a list of requirements for foreigners who wish to remain in Russia for 72 hours without a visa.

Passengers must have proof of identity, authorization for entry (if required), medical insurance for the duration of the stay in Russia and an agreement for the rendering of tourist services.

A separate requirement is that the tourist must fly out of Russia on a Russian airline. To receive visa-free transit for 72 hours, the passenger must “present an airline ticket from a Russian carrier with the confirmed time of departure to a location in the country listed as no later than 72 hours from the time of the passenger’s entry into the Russian Federation.”

据俄媒报道俄罗斯政府部长委员会新闻处宣布,俄政府立法事务委员会已批准一项法案,以减少妨碍俄罗斯入境旅游发展的签证壁垒。

根据该法案,从一些国家(其名单由俄政府确定)经俄罗斯境内国际机场(其名单由俄政府确定)过境的外国公民在没有签证的情况下可以在俄停留72小时。也就是说,比如从中国经由莫斯科到西班牙的无俄罗斯签证的外国人将被允许在俄停留72小时。等待航班期间游客可以离开机场进入莫斯科市区。预计,72小时免签证过境制度将适用于飞抵莫斯科、圣彼得堡和喀山的游客,因为从游客抵达数量上看,这三个城市不仅在俄罗斯,而且在欧洲城市中也名列前茅。但今后“上述规定也可能推广到俄罗斯其它旅游潜力巨大的地区”。

俄罗斯将实施入境参赛运动员免签制度签证制度与高昂的交通费用一直是影响俄罗斯入境旅游发展的难题。该法案的通过将有助于俄增加经由莫斯科交通枢纽过境的外国公民入境旅游的数量,即每年从20%增加到30%;旅游服务消费将从131亿卢布(约26亿人民币)增加到197亿卢布(约39亿人民币);酒店服务收入将从36亿卢布(约7.2亿人民币)增加到54亿卢布(约10.2亿人民币)。俄罗斯文化部甚至提议对外国游客实行更宽松的签证制度:对计划参加大型正式文体活动的外国人实行免签证入境并在俄停留10天的制度。预计,此类活动清单将由俄罗斯政府和总统确定。但目前这一想法尚未提上立法议程。

无签证赴俄要求

上述新规中包含有对希望免签证在俄逗留72小时的外国人的要求明细。旅客须持有:身份证明、入境许可(如有需要)、赴俄期间医疗保险以及关于提供旅游服的务合同(包括为在俄逗留时间少于24小时的游客提供的住宿或旅游服务)。专门要求:游客须搭乘俄罗斯航空公司航班飞离俄罗斯国境。为实现72小时免签证过境,旅客须出示“旅客进入俄罗斯境内不超过72小时的俄罗斯航空公司有确定时间和指定前往国家的机票”。