Govt lifts restrictions on visa-free entry for short trips to Russia

A Chinese tourist wearing a protective mask waits at Sheremetyevo airport, outside Moscow, Russia. Photo: AFP. Sketched by the Pan Pacific Agency.

MOSCOW, Aug 5, 2020, TASS. The Russian government has allowed holders of service, as well as diplomatic passports, from a number of countries to enter the territory of the Russian Federation for short-term business trips visa-free, according to a respective decree published on the cabinet’s website on Wednesday, TASS reported.

“The decree allows foreigners to enter Russia visa-free for short-term business trips. The issue is about holders of diplomatic or service passports from the countries with which agreements on visa-free trips exist,” according to an explanatory note to the decree.

The government has also reopened passenger railway service between Russia’s Kaliningrad and other cities.

“Passenger railway service between Kaliningrad and other cities has been reopened for all Russian citizens,” the note said.

Railway service was suspended on that direction on April 6 due to the threat of the coronavirus spread. Starting July 1 trains from Moscow and St. Petersburg returned to the schedule, however only those with permanent registered domicile in the Kaliningrad Region could use them. Now that restriction has been removed.

Share it


Exclusive: Beyond the Covid-19 world's coverage