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Putin calls for easing visa restrictions for tourists

In August 2017, a federal law came into force in Russia’s Far East, which provides the citizens of 18 countries with the right to obtain e-visas to enter Russia

© Sergei Savostianov/TASS

MOSCOW, February 20. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin in his State of the Nation Address to the Federal Assembly called for easing visa restrictions for tourists and expanding the issuance of e-visas.

"There is a huge interest in Russia, our culture, the country’s nature and historical landmarks. Given the experience we gained during the FIFA World Cup, I suggest expanding the issuance of e-visas. We need to think about easing visa restrictions for tourists coming to our country," he said.

On e-visas

In August 2017, a federal law came into force in Russia’s Far East, which provides the citizens of 18 countries (Algeria, Bahrain, Brunei, China, India, Iran, Japan, Kuwait, Morocco, Mexico, North Korea, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Tunisia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates) with the right to obtain e-visas to enter Russia.

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E-visas, issued through a special website, are valid for a period of up to 30 days. E-visa holders are allowed to stay in the Russian region they entered for no more than eight days. They are also required to cross the Russian border through certain checkpoints.

According to earlier reports, the e-visa mechanism will be introduced in Russia’s westernmost Kaliningrad region on July 1, 2019.

Russia hosted its first ever FIFA World Cup between June 14 and July 15, 2018. Foreign nationals who had Fan IDs and tickets to matches were allowed to enter the country without visas.

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