There is good news for Indian passport holders. India’s friend Russia is now preparing to give visa free entry to Indian tourists. Positive talks are going on with the Indian government in this regard. Recently, Thailand had decided to give two months visa free entry to Indian tourists.
Moscow: The influence of the Indian passport is increasing in the world. Now Russia’s name has also been included in the countries which are going to facilitate visa-free entry of Indian passport holders. According to Sputnik’s report, the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia said on Saturday that Indian passport holders will be able to do visa-free tourism from June 2025. Nikita Kondratyev, Director of the Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects, told Sputnik that a visa-free mechanism has already been started with China and Iran on a permanent basis and it is working well. He said that Moscow has also prepared a similar draft for Indians, which is being considered by the Government of India.
Agreement can be reached by the end of 2024
The Russian official said that both sides are currently negotiating the terms of the deal regarding the first group of visa-free Indians traveling to Russia in the spring of next year. Kondratyev said that the document is getting internal approval. After this, the negotiation process will be started in late June-July, which will last for about one to three months. He said that the target has been set to sign the agreement by the end of 2024.
When will it be implemented?
Kondratyev said that based on the experience of negotiating visa deals with China and Iran, it is estimated that after any agreement, it will take one or two months to prepare for its implementation. He said that first work with test groups with border control officials and hotels. After this the groups start traveling. If all goes well, a large influx of tourists is expected.
Kondratyev’s remarks come amid growing cooperation between India and Russia in several fields. Russia is emerging as a major destination for Indian filmmakers. Disha Kotwani, director of the Indian National Cultural Center Sita (SITA) in Russia, told Sputnik, “It is a win-win situation for both countries. Shooting Indian films in Russia adds to its international appeal and also contributes to promoting Russian tourism.”
