India and Russia Plan Visa-Free Exchange for Tourists Starting 2025

India and Russia are set to implement visa-free travel for Indian nationals starting in the spring of 2025. This move follows discussions in June 2024 between the two countries about a bilateral agreement to simplify visa procedures, including the possibility of visa-free group tourist exchanges.

Since August 2023, Indians have been eligible for e-visas to Russia, which typically take about four days to process. India became one of the top five countries for e-visa issuance, with 9,500 Indian travelers receiving e-visas last year, according to The Indian Express.

Currently, Indian nationals need a visa from the Russian Embassy or Consulates to enter, stay, and exit Russia. This process is known to be extensive, and most Indian visitors travel to Russia for business or official purposes. In 2023, over 60,000 Indians visited Moscow, marking a 26% increase from the previous year. Additionally, India ranked third among non-CIS countries for business tourism, with 1,700 e-visas issued in the first quarter of 2024 alone.

Russia currently allows visa-free entry for travelers from China and Iran through a successful tourist exchange program, which Moscow hopes to replicate with India.

India’s passport offers visa-free access to 62 countries, and in the 2024 Henley Passport Index, it ranks 82nd. Indian passport holders can travel without a visa to popular tourist destinations like Indonesia, the Maldives, and Thailand.

The Henley Passport Index ranks passports based on the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa, excluding complex travel scenarios such as diplomatic or emergency passports.