India and Russia appear set to launch a long-discussed visa-free regime for organised tour groups after senior officials from both countries said only “technical details” remain to be ironed out before next week’s annual summit in New Delhi. Russian Deputy Foreign-Minister Andrey Rudenko told reporters in Moscow that negotiators are finalising the minimum and maximum size of eligible groups, how travel agencies will be accredited and what data will have to be shared in advance with border authorities. India’s Ministry of External Affairs is expected to circulate a draft memorandum of understanding to stakeholder ministries within days, officials in Delhi confirmed.
The plan—modelled on Russia’s existing visa-free pact with China—would allow Indian tourists travelling in pre-registered groups to enter without paying the current ₹4,500 fee for a single-entry tourist visa. Russian officials note that India is already the federation’s second-largest long-haul market after China and argue that removing visa friction could double arrivals within two years. In the first nine months of 2024, Moscow alone welcomed 61,000 Indian visitors; tourism boards project that number could top 150,000 annually if a waiver is signed.
![India–Russia Group Visa Waiver Inches Closer Ahead of Delhi Summit]()
For Indian corporates, the deal promises quicker incentive trips, MICE traffic and film shoots, while travel agencies anticipate a surge in first-time travellers deterred by paperwork. Airlines such as Aeroflot, Air India and upcoming LCC Akasa International are watching closely: a waiver would support planned capacity additions on the Delhi–Moscow, Mumbai–St Petersburg and Chennai–Vladivostok routes. Industry platform Atlys estimates Indian travellers spend around US$2,000 per Russian trip—spend that could rise if more mid-income families join group circuits.
Beyond tourism, diplomats are linking the waiver to a broader push to integrate payments systems (RuPay-Mir) and expand bilateral trade settlements in national currencies. That holistic approach reflects the two governments’ goal of insulating travel and commerce from third-country sanctions. The proposal still needs cabinet approval in India and ratification by Russia’s State Duma, but sources on both sides say the political will is strong and an announcement during the summit is “more likely than not.”
The plan—modelled on Russia’s existing visa-free pact with China—would allow Indian tourists travelling in pre-registered groups to enter without paying the current ₹4,500 fee for a single-entry tourist visa. Russian officials note that India is already the federation’s second-largest long-haul market after China and argue that removing visa friction could double arrivals within two years. In the first nine months of 2024, Moscow alone welcomed 61,000 Indian visitors; tourism boards project that number could top 150,000 annually if a waiver is signed.
For Indian corporates, the deal promises quicker incentive trips, MICE traffic and film shoots, while travel agencies anticipate a surge in first-time travellers deterred by paperwork. Airlines such as Aeroflot, Air India and upcoming LCC Akasa International are watching closely: a waiver would support planned capacity additions on the Delhi–Moscow, Mumbai–St Petersburg and Chennai–Vladivostok routes. Industry platform Atlys estimates Indian travellers spend around US$2,000 per Russian trip—spend that could rise if more mid-income families join group circuits.
Beyond tourism, diplomats are linking the waiver to a broader push to integrate payments systems (RuPay-Mir) and expand bilateral trade settlements in national currencies. That holistic approach reflects the two governments’ goal of insulating travel and commerce from third-country sanctions. The proposal still needs cabinet approval in India and ratification by Russia’s State Duma, but sources on both sides say the political will is strong and an announcement during the summit is “more likely than not.”
