MOSCOW, July 20. /TASS/. Foreign tourists will be able to go from applying to receiving an e-visa to Russia in less than a week, the press service of the Economic Development reported on Thursday.

"In accordance with the order of the Russian government, citizens of Europe, Japan, Turkey, China, North Korea, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Singapore will be able to apply for an electronic visa. The processing time will be up to six calendar days from the date of filing the application," the statement says.

An electronic visa will be issued via the Internet for tourist trips, guest or business visits, participation in scientific, cultural, sports or other events. The document is issued by a diplomatic mission or consular office of the Russian Federation. For this purpose a foreigner must submit an application on a special website of the Foreign Ministry. A single electronic visa is a single entry one, and is valid for a period of 60 days from the date of issue, the ministry said.

According to the Economic Development Ministry, thanks to the launch of the e-visa and agreements on visa-free group travel with China and Iran, inbound tourist flow could grow to 10 million people by the end of 2023.

On Wednesday, at a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and the Russian government, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova asked the head of state to support the proposal to launch electronic visas in the country from August 1. Putin supported this idea. According to Golikova, citizens of 52 countries will be able to apply for an e-visa, but she also proposed including three more countries on this list: Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar.

In 2020, Russia adopted a law which provided for the issuance of electronic visas for citizens of 52 countries starting in 2021. However, the law did not go into effect due to the pandemic. In the fall of 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed the government, together with the Foreign Ministry, Interior Ministry and the Federal Security Service, to think about renewing the e-visa program for residents of countries not included on the list of unfriendly states.