Indian passport holders can apply for Russian e-visa from August 1: Check launch time, how to apply & benefit

Russia will launch an e-visa for Indian passport holders from August 1, 2023. An individual with a Russian e-visa can enter the Russian Federation as a guest, businessperson, or tourist. The move will enhance bilateral ties and promote tourism between the two nations. The e-visa will have 60-day validity, and travellers can stay up to 16 days in Russia.According to the government portal, E-visa holders can get a tourist visa for up to six months if they have a hotel reservation.

In February, Russian Prime Minister, Mikhail Mishustin, signed a decree approving a facilitated visa regime for citizens of 19 countries, including India, the Economic Times reported. The countries include India, Bahrain, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and the Philippines.

As per a report from the Border Guard Service of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, the tourist flow to the nation plunged by 96.1 per cent in 2022. However, the tourist traffic from India to Moscow grew from 61,000 annual visitors to over a lakh between 2016 to 2019. Furthermore, traffic recovered to 40 per cent of the pre-pandemic level in 2021. Interestingly, 48 per cent of the Indians who visited Moscow in 2021 went again in the same year.

The e-visa will take a maximum of four days to process, and the facility will charge a consular fee of $40. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Consular Department, the e-visa will launch on August 1 at 10:00 am Moscow Time (12:30 PM IST). Indian passport holders can visit the official website to avail the e-visa. More details about the e-visa application process will be available once the portal goes live.

An e-visa is an electronic and biometric visa that gives a passport holder the same rights as a regular visa. People who wish to visit Russia won't have to stand in long queues. They will be able to receive the tourist e-visa online with a few clicks. However, here are a few things to remember before applying for the e-visa on August 1.

• All travellers have to complete their travel application through an online process.
• Travellers have to submit their application 72 hours before their intended trip.
• The cost of applying is $40 (₹3,290).
• After applying online, the applicant will receive a response email within four days regarding the e-visa status.

(With inputs from agencies)

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