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Russian-Polish local cross-border agreement comes into force on Friday

At the initial state, the Polish consulate will issue permits for a term of two years, and later on – for a five-year period. The cost is 20 euro

KALININGRAD, July 27 (Itar-Tass) —— The Russian-Polish intergovernmental agreement on local cross-border movement abolishing entry visas for resident’s of Russia’s westernmost Kaliningrad exclave and Poland’s border provinces comes into force on Friday, July 27, a spokeswoman for Russia’s Foreign Ministry’s Kaliningrad office told Itar-Tass.

According to Yulia Matyushina, about three million people residing on both sides of the border may take advantage of this agreement when crossing the border for family, social, cultural, economic and other reasons. Tourist trips are also possible.

Under the agreement, Russian citizens and people without citizenship permanently residing in the Kaliningrad region for more than three years are allowed to visit five Polish cities, namely Gdansk, Gdyna, Olstyn, Sopot, and Elblag, and 15 districts in Poland upon presentation of special permits.

Such permits issued by Poland’s diplomatic authorities will present the right for entry and stay at the agreement-specified localities in Poland for a term of thirty days, Matyushina said. However the total stay in Poland must not exceed 90 days within each six-month perios, beginning from the first entry date.

Polish citizens are allowed to visit the entire territory of the Kaliningrad region for similar purposes without any permits, expect special zones where special passes issued by the Russian Federal Security Service are required.

Permits will be executed in the format of plastic cards. Poland’s consulate general in Kaliningrad begins to receive applications for such permits from Friday. The issuance period is up to 60 days.

At the initial state, the Polish consulate will issue permits for a term of two years, and later on – for a five-year period. The cost is 20 euro.

Local cross-border permits however give no right to seek jobs or engage in business activities in Poland. Moreover, Kaliningrad residents are not allowed to travel beyond the border regions.