The Russian government has recently announced plans to facilitate visa requirements for citizens of several countries, with a focus on improving tourism and business relations. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree approving a new system of facilitated visas for citizens of 19 countries, including Kuwait. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov revealed plans to provide visa-free travel for citizens of 11 “friendly” countries and to facilitate entry requirements for citizens of six other countries.
Al Qabas reported that citizens of the 19 countries covered by the new visa system may obtain a tourist visa for up to six months if they have a hotel reservation. These countries include Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, Oman, Serbia, Thailand, Turkey, and the Philippines.
In addition, Russia is working towards facilitating a completely visa-free regime with 17 countries, including India and Indonesia, and easing conditions for travel to other countries. The government also plans to lift restrictions on electronic visas for a large number of countries. According to Lavrov, 70 countries will benefit from this plan. Russia aims to restart its electronic visa plan that was introduced before the COVID-19 pandemic.