Visa requirements for Russian citizens

Administrative entry restrictions From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Visa requirements for Russian citizens

Visa requirements for Russian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Russia.

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A Russian passport for international travel

Russian citizens in other countries also can benefit from the mobility rights arrangements within the Commonwealth of Independent States and the rules of the single market of the Eurasian Economic Union.

As of 2025, Russian citizens have visa-free or visa on arrival access to 114 countries and territories, ranking the Russian passport 47th in the world according to the Henley Passport Index.[1]

The Russian passport along with the Turkish passport are the highest ranking passports whose holders are still required visas for their travels to the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

History

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Henley & Partners Passport Index. 2007 – Q1 2018. Russia.
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Visa requirements for Russian citizens were lifted as the Soviet Union by the following countries/territories: Micronesia (18 December 1980);.[46] Mexico has introduced Electronic Authorization for Russian citizens from 1 November 2010.

Visas on arrival were introduced by Iran (July 2005), Zimbabwe (20 November 2007), Bahrain (November 2008), Guinea-Bissau (April 2012), Mozambique (resumed in February 2017),[47] Gabon (12 October 2017), Rwanda (1 January 2018),[48] Benin (15 March 2018),[49] Taiwan (6 September 2018), Sierra Leone (5 September 2019), Saudi Arabia (28 September 2019), Myanmar (1 October 2019), Iraq (15 March 2021).[50]

Russian citizens were made eligible for eVisas by Singapore (December 2009), Sri Lanka (January 2012), Montserrat (September 2012), São Tomé and Príncipe (2012), Myanmar (1 September 2014), India made Russian citizens eligible for the e-Visa (27 November 2014), Kenya (2 July 2015), Gabon (15 June 2015), Australia (Electronic Visitor visa from 1 October 2015),[51] Uganda (1 July 2016).[52] Lesotho (1 May 2017), Saint Helena (2018), Djibouti (18 February 2018),[53] Oman (7 May 2018),[54] Tanzania (26 November 2018),[55] Papua New Guinea (17 June 2019),[56] Saudi Arabia (28 September 2019), Guinea (October 2019), Malawi (November 2019), South Sudan (29 September 2020), Anguilla (January 2021),[57] Equatorial Guinea (July 2023).[58]

The following countries / territories have reinstated visa requirements for Russian citizens: Estonia (1 July 1992),[59] Latvia (20 March 1993),[60] Lithuania (1 November 1993),[61] North Korea (22 May 1997), Turkmenistan (June 1999), Slovenia (December 1999),* Czech Republic (29 May 2000),* Slovakia (1 January 2001),* Hungary (14 June 2001),* Bulgaria (October 2001),* Poland (1 October 2003),* Cyprus (1 January 2004),* Romania (October 2004),* Croatia (1 April 2013),* Kosovo (1 July 2013),[62] Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands (3 October 2019), North Macedonia (21 March 2022), Ukraine (1 July 2022)[63] and Taiwan (31 July 2022).[64][65]

* Visa policy has been synchronized with the visa policy of the EU because of accession of these countries to the European Union.

The provision of visas on arrival to Russian citizens were discontinued by Mali (9 March 2015).

Visa requirements map

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Visa requirements for Russian citizens holding ordinary passports
  Russia
  Unlimited
  Visa not required
  Visa on arrival
  eVisa
  Visa available both on arrival or online
  Visa-free for group tourists
  Visa required
  Admission generally refused

Visa requirements

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Visa requirements for holders of ordinary passports traveling for tourist purposes:

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Dependent, disputed, or restricted territories

Unrecognized or partially recognized countries
More information Territory, Conditions of access ...
Territory Conditions of access Notes
 Abkhazia Visa not required 90 days; internal passport can be used.
 Kosovo Visa required[362] Visa is not required (in theory) for holders of a valid Laissez-Passer issued by United Nations Organizations, NATO, OSCE, Council of Europe or European Union, holders of valid travel documents issued by EU Member and Schengen States, United States of America, Canada, Australia and Japan based on the 1951 Convention on Refugee Status or the 1954 Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons, as well as holders of valid travel documents for foreigners (max. 15 days stay).[363]
 Northern Cyprus Visa not required[364]
 Palestine Visa not required[365] Arrival by sea to Gaza Strip not allowed.[366]
 Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Undefined visa regime in the Western Sahara controlled territory.
 Somaliland Visa on arrival 30 days for USD 30, payable on arrival.[367][368]
 South Ossetia Visa not required[369][370] Freedom of movement. Internal passport can be used.
 Taiwan Visa Required[371] Taiwan suspended visa free entry for Russian citizens.
 Transnistria Visa not required[372] Registration required after 24 hours.[373][374]
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Dependent and autonomous territories
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Other territories

Visa replacement

Certain countries waive the visa requirement if the visitor is in the possession of a valid visa or residence card of another country.

Non-ordinary passports

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Visa requirements for Russian citizens holding diplomatic or official / service passports based on bilateral agreements
  Russia
  Visa-free for holders of both diplomatic and service passports
  Visa-free for holders of official passports only
  Visa-free for holders of diplomatic passports only

Holders of Russian diplomatic or official / service passports may enter the following countries without a visa for 90 days (unless otherwise stated):

D - Diplomatic passports only.
O - Official passports only.
1 - Unlimited
2 - 3 months
3 - 90 days within any 365-day period.
4 - 90 days within any 180-day period.
5 - 60 days
6 - 30 days
7 - 14 days
8 - Applies only to employees of official institutions operating in the territory of a contracting parties and their families.

Longer period of stay or more beneficial terms than that for ordinary passport holders is provided by Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, South Korea, Montenegro, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, El Salvador, Serbia, Thailand, Turkey, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Holders of diplomatic and service Russian passports do not have visa-free access to Israel.

Economic integration and international treaties

Special travel conditions and exceptions to the usual rules, including special migration rules for Russian citizens, their family members and conditions for the provision of medical care are provided through international agreements and treaties to Russian citizens. The conditions for citizens in a specific country should be clarified in advance because not all countries are parties to all agreements.

APEC Business Travel Card

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  Full members of the scheme
  Transitional members (United States, Canada)

Holders of an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) travelling on business do not require a visa to the following countries:[460]

1 - Up to 180 days
2 - Up to 90 days
3 - Up to 60 days

The card must be used in conjunction with a passport and has the following advantages:[461]

  • No need to apply for a visa or entry permit to APEC countries, as the card is treated as such (except by Canada and United States)
  • Undertake legitimate business in participating economies
  • Expedited border crossing in all member economies, including transitional members

Limitations on passport use

Vaccination

Many African countries, including Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zambia require all incoming passengers to have a current International Certificate of Vaccination. Some other countries require vaccination only if the passenger is coming from an infected area.[464]

Passport validity

Many countries require passport validity of no less than 6 months and one or two blank pages.[465]

Foreign travel statistics

According to the national statistics these are the numbers of Russian visitors arriving to various countries per annum:[466]

More information Foreign travel statistics, Destination ...
Foreign travel statistics
DestinationNumber of visitors from RussiaYear
 Abkhazia |  Georgia 4,357,937 2017
 Afghanistan 1,463 2017
 American Samoa[467] 6 2016
 Angola[468] 7,305 2015
 Antarctica[469] 330 2017
 Antigua and Barbuda[470] 372 2017
 Argentina[471] 8,138 2015
 Armenia 410,302 2017
 Aruba[472] 968 2015
 Australia[473] 15,200 2017
 Austria[note 1][474] 272,300 2016
 Azerbaijan[475] 744,125 2016
 Bahamas[476] 1,498 2015
 Bahrain 12,712 2017
 Barbados[note 1][477] 909 2016
 Belgium[478] 60,386 2016
 Belarus[479] 1,230,000 2017
 Bermuda[note 2][480] 101 2015
 Bhutan[481] 243 2016
 Bolivia[482] 1,745 2016
 Bosnia and Herzegovina[483] 5,268 2017
 Botswana[484] 1,065 2015
 Brazil[485] 18,820 2017
 Bulgaria[486] 522,085 2018
 Cambodia[487] 53,164 2016
 Cameroon[note 1][488] 7,151 2014
 Canada[489] 24,401 2017
 Cayman Islands[note 2][490] 65 2017
 Chile[491] 6,003 2017
 China[492][493] 1,976,000 2016
 Colombia[494] 5,157 2015
 Congo[495] 4,023 2012
 Costa Rica[496] 4,657 2017
 Croatia[497] 119,689 2017
 Cuba[479] 75,000 2017
 Cyprus[498] 783,631 2018
 Czech Republic[note 1][499] 551,191 2017
 Denmark 41,002 2017
 Dominica[500] 44 2015
 Dominican Republic[501] 245,346 2017
 Ecuador[502] 7,313 2014
 Egypt[503] 2,338,900 2015
 Estonia 1,803,249[504] / 238,636[note 1][505] 2017
 Finland 3,629,121[504] / 373,701[note 1][506] 2018
 France[507] 620,028 2015
 French Polynesia[508] 287 2017
 Georgia[509] 1,404,757 2018
 Germany[510] 607,422 2016
 Greece[511] 512,789 2015
 Guam[note 2][512] 3,352 2017
 Guatemala[513] 2,576 2014
 Hong Kong[514] 148,098 2017
 Hungary[note 1][515] 138,941 2016
 Iceland[516] 14,282 2018
 India[517] 278,904 2017
 Indonesia[518] 88,520 2016
 Iran 24,336 2017
 Iraq 2,451 2017
 Israel[519] 330,500 2017
 Italy[520] 864,000 2016
 Jamaica[521] 1,018 2017
 Japan[522] 77,200 2017
 Jordan[523] 49,384 2016
 Kazakhstan[524] 1,708,873 2017
 Kyrgyzstan[525] 471,400 2017
 Laos[526] 10,986 2017
 Latvia 424,842[527] / 241,435[note 1][528] 2017
 Lebanon[529] 16,205 2016
 Lithuania 742,333[527] / 150,600[530] 2016
 Luxembourg[note 1][531] 6,659 2016
 Macao[532] 27,037 2017
 Madagascar[533] 264 2015
 Malaysia[534] 67,564 2017
 Maldives[535] 61,931 2017
 Malta[536] 16,370 2016
 Malawi[537] 154 2009
 Mali[538] 444 2014
 Mauritius[535] 11,153 2017
 Mexico[note 2][539] 32,337 2015
 Moldova[540] 314,266 2017
 Monaco[479] 46,000 2016
 Mongolia[541] 106,935 2017
 Montenegro[note 1][542] 316,826 2016
 Morocco[479] 20,000 2017
 Myanmar[543] 5,487 2016
 Namibia[544] 2,943 2015
 Netherlands[545] 175,000 2017
 New Zealand[546] 6,640 2017
 Nicaragua[547] 1,464 2016
 North Macedonia[note 1][548] 4,213 2016
 Northern Mariana Islands[549] 2,130 2017
 North Korea 4,359 2017
 Norway 138,902 2017
 Oman[550] 4,858 2017
 Pakistan[551] 2,500 2009
 Palau[552] 337 2016
 Panama[553] 4,525 2015
 Papua New Guinea[554] 414 2016
 Peru[555] 8,648 2017
 Philippines[556] 33,279 2017
 Poland[557] 2,052,400 2016
 Portugal[558] 98,000 2015
 Qatar 87,595 2017
 Romania[559] 66,734 2016
 Saudi Arabia 7,745 2017
 Serbia[note 1][560] 170,884 2023
 Seychelles[561] 13,191 2017
 Singapore[562] 80,134 2017
 Slovakia[note 1][563] 35,919 2016
 Slovenia[note 1][564] 51,803 2017
 South Africa[565] 7,244 2015
 South Korea[566] 270,427 2017
 South Ossetia 451,918 2017
 Spain[567] 1,222,426 2018
 Sri Lanka[568] 59,191 2017
 Sudan 268 2017
 Suriname[569] 72 2017
 Sweden 63,689 2017
  Switzerland 251,142 2017
 Taiwan[570] 9,226 2017
 Tajikistan 212,062[479] 2019
 Tanzania[571] 7,435 2016
 Thailand[572] 1,346,219 2017
 Tunisia[479] 520,000 2017
 Turkey[573] 5,964,631 2018
 Turkmenistan 27,490 2017
 Ukraine[574] 1,464,764 2017
 United Arab Emirates[575] 530,000 2017
 United Kingdom[576] 199,000 2017
 United States[note 3][577] 344,368 2017
 Uruguay[578] 3,114 2015
 Uzbekistan[579] 567,700 2022
 Venezuela[580] 9,035 2013
 Vietnam[581] 574,164 2017
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  1. Counting only guests in tourist accommodation establishments.
  2. Data for arrivals by air only.
  3. Total number includes tourists, business travelers, students, exchange visitors, temporary workers and families, diplomats and other representatives and all other classes of nonimmigrant admissions (I-94).

See also

References and notes

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