On June 23, 2020, a draft law was adopted in the first reading, which will allow citizens of 53 more countries to issue electronic visas for entry to Russia starting from January 1, 2021. The Government of the Russian Federation will determine the list of countries that will be affected by liberalization. It is assumed that among them will be EU member, China, Japan, India, Turkey and a number of other states. The Government of the Russian Federation will also determine the list of checkpoints across the state border through which foreign citizens will be allowed to enter and leave the Russian Federation.
Even before the epidemic, the practice of issuing of electronic visas was tested in three regions — the Far Eastern Federal district, the Kaliningrad region, St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region. However, in accordance with the text of the draft law under discussion, the previously adopted rules concerning electronic visas will completely lose their force from January 1, 2021, and an updated procedure will be applied instead.
The new unified e-visa will give the right to enter and stay in the Russian Federation not only for business, as a tourist, to participate in scientific, cultural, and sports events, as previously established, but also for a guest visit or to participate in socio-political and economic events, as well as to carry out relevant contacts and contacts. However, the new e-visa format will not contain information about the purpose of the foreign citizen's trip, as well as information about the inviting organization (inviting individual), which is not specified at the moment.
According to the bill laid in the algorithm design of electronic visa as before, the foreign citizen will need to apply on the website of the Russian foreign Ministry or use in other communication technologies, which will be specially identified by the Government of the Russian Federation.
The period for issuing such a visa will not change and will four calendar days from the date of application, but the period for using such a visa will increase up to 60 days, not 30, as at the moment. At the same time, if the draft law under discussion is adopted, the duration of the trip itself using this visa should not exceed 16 days, while now you can stay in the Russian Federation with electronic visas no more than 8 days.
As for changes in the rules for using such a visa, the need to leave the Russian Federation strictly through checkpoints located on the territory of the subject of the Russian Federation, which was entered, will be excluded, as well as the obligation to stay strictly in such subjects of the Russian Federation.
The new unified e-visa will no longer be free of charge. The cost of such a visa will be about $50, children under six years of age will be issued free of charge.
For more detailed information, please contact the consultants of Confidence Group.
The texts of the newsletters are intellectual property of Confidence Group, protected by the copyright laws of Russia. The information may not be reproduced in any form whatsoever without linking to this web site or to pages of this website.
