Who Can Enter Russia Without a Visa?

A Russian visa is an official document that grants foreign citizens and stateless persons the right to enter, stay, and leave the territory of the Russian Federation for a specified period. The visa acts as both entry and exit permission and contains details about the dates of stay, type and multiplicity, passport information, and the inviting organization.

Simply put, a visa is a special permit you need to obtain from a consulate or embassy to enter another country. But not all foreigners need a visa to visit Russia. Many can enter with just their foreign passport!

Types of Russian Visas

Russian law provides for the following categories of visas:

Ordinary visa — for tourism, business, private visits, and work trips
Diplomatic visa — for diplomats and their family members
Service visa — for international organization employees
Temporary residence visa — for foreigners with a temporary residence permit
Transit visa — for travel through Russian territory
Electronic visa — simplified application online

Who Can Travel Visa-Free?

Russia has signed special agreements to abolish visa requirements with a number of countries, allowing their citizens to enter Russia without obtaining a visa in advance. However, there are important conditions:

Limited duration — usually from 14 to 90 days
Specific purposes — most often tourism, private visits, sometimes business
No work rights — you cannot take up employment without special permits

Visa-free entry is generally allowed for non-commercial purposes, including tourism, private trips, and short business visits.

CIS and EAEU Countries

Citizens of former Soviet republics enjoy special advantages when entering Russia compared to other foreign nationals. These benefits are based on international agreements and historic ties.

Key Features for CIS Citizens:

Visa-free entry — no need to apply for a visa in advance
Simplified registration — EAEU citizens can stay without registration for the first 30 days
Entry with internal passports — some countries allow crossing the border without a foreign passport

Countries with Special Status:

Belarus

Unlimited duration of stay

CIS and EAEU Countries

EAEU Countries – Special Status with Restrictions

Citizens of Eurasian Economic Union countries have the greatest privileges. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan retain the unique opportunity to enter Russia with internal IDs, making travel extremely easy. However, starting January 1, 2025, all EAEU citizens face a key restriction: you can stay in Russia no more than 90 days total per calendar year without special documents.

This marks a major change from previous rules, where you could stay 90 days out of every 180. Now, for example, if a Kazakh citizen spends 30 days in Russia in February, only 60 days remain for the rest of the year.

Armenia is also an EAEU member, but its citizens can stay without registration only for the first 30 days, and the total stay is also limited to 90 days per year.

Other CIS Countries – Traditional Ties

Tajikistan has retained entry rights with internal passports, which is especially important for many labor migrants. However, the new 2025 rules also apply to Tajik citizens — they may now stay in Russia for only 90 days per year without special documents.

Ukraine formally retains the right to enter with internal passports, though under current circumstances, this should be checked with consular services.

Uzbekistan has special conditions: citizens may enter visa-free with any type of passport, but the period without registration is only 15 days — the result of a recent bilateral agreement.

Citizens of Azerbaijan, Moldova, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia may stay in Russia up to 90 days per year visa-free, allowing for long family visits and short-term work.

Important Points for Everyone

The new 2025 rules have significantly changed the situation: you can no longer “reset” your days simply by leaving and re-entering Russia. The calendar year is counted from your first entry, and the 90-day limit applies for 365 days from that date.

Exceptions exist only for those who come for official employment, study, or obtain a temporary residence permit. In such cases, the 90-day rule does not apply.

New Rules Starting 2025

Attention! Starting January 1, 2025, a new restriction is introduced for visa-free foreigners:
No more than 90 days total per calendar year instead of the previous “90 days out of every 180” rule[^16]. This significantly tightens the conditions of stay.

Key Points

Remember:

Foreign passport must be valid (usually at least 6 months)
Purpose of visit must match allowed reasons (tourism, private matters)
No work allowed without special permits
Duration is counted from entry date, not by calendar days

A Visa Is Required to Work

If you wish to work in Russia, visa-free status is not enough. You need to obtain:

A work visa (for visa countries)
A patent or work permit (for visa-free countries)

Always Check for Updates

Due to frequent changes in migration law, always verify requirements before you travel:

Visit the official website of the Consular Department of the Russian MFA: https://www.kdmid.ru
Use the section “Conditions of entry for foreign citizens”
Check the validity of agreements for your country

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