Russia aims to abolish visa requirements for citizens of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Kuwait in 2026, Director of the Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects at the Russian Ministry of Economic Development Nikita Kondratyev said on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
A visa-free travel arrangement between Russia and Saudi Arabia took effect on Monday.
The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs has declared the establishment of a mutual visa-free regime between Baku and Malé.
Citizens of Kazakhstan will soon enjoy the opportunity to travel to Montenegro without a visa. This visa-free travel will be available from May 1 until October.
Russia and Lebanon have simplified their diplomatic relations by mutually agreeing to waive visa requirements for individuals holding special passports.
The agreement between the governments of Russia and Saudi Arabia on the mutual abolition of visa requirements for citizens of the two countries comes into force on May 11, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
China has notified Russia about its readiness to extend the visa-free regime for Russians by a year, until September 2027, the newspaper Izvestiya reported on Monday, citing a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry.
An indefinite visa-free regime would benefit both the Russian and Chinese peoples and open up broad opportunities for both sides, according to Chinese Ambassador Hanhui.
From today, individuals possessing Georgian diplomatic and service passports will be required to obtain a visa prior to traveling to Switzerland.
Maxim Reshetnikov, the Minister of Economic Development, stated that Russia aims to expand its visa-free travel agreements with other countries.
Azerbaijan has abolished visa requirements for citizens holding ordinary passports from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain, the Azerbaijani State Migration Service reported.
The European Union has suspended visa-free travel for Georgian citizens holding diplomatic and service passports - a decision dismissed by the ruling Georgian Dream party as absurd and ineffective.
As of early 2026, Russian citizens can visit 120 countries without obtaining a visa in advance, according to the Russian State Duma.
Azerbaijan and the Maldives have mutually exempted holders of ordinary passports from visa requirements.
The Embassy of Cyprus has announced the launch of visa application centers across eight major Russian cities, with visa processing services to be managed by BLS International.
Nationals of Russia and Jordan will be able to travel to both countries without visas for up to 30 days starting December 13, with a respective agreement having entered into force.
The Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) is expecting a significant increase in mutual tourism between Russia and Saudi Arabia after the visa waiver.
Chinese nationals traveling to Russia for tourism or business purposes for up to 30 days have been granted the ability to enter the country without visas, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decree.
Russian President Vladimir Putin assured that Russia would lift visa requirements for tourists from China soon in response to a similar move by Beijing.
European ministers will reportedly approve the agreement in five days
