The State Duma approved in the first reading an increase in visa fees for EU citizens

The State Duma adopted in the first reading bill, which proposes to increase visa fees for citizens of EU countries, as well as Denmark, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. If the law is adopted, the cost of Russian visas for citizens of these countries will increase, depending on the urgency and frequency, in the range of $50–300, and Russia’s income from issuing visas will increase by 2.8 times, she said press service State Duma.

The bill also proposes to limit visa-free entry for European diplomats and abolish visa preferences for members of delegations, national governments, parliaments, constitutional and supreme courts, as well as journalists from European countries.

At the same time, the press service noted that entrepreneurs will continue to have the opportunity to obtain visas without issuing invitations to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation if the law is adopted; persons participating in scientific, cultural or creative activities; participants in sporting events and exchange programs between sister cities; schoolchildren; students; graduate students heading for study and internship; close relatives of citizens of European countries living in the Russian Federation; truck drivers.

A bill to increase visa fees and cancel visa benefits for citizens of European countries entering the Russian Federation in early October contributed Russian Foreign Ministry. October 22, Director of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Alexey Klimov statedthat Russia issued 225 thousand visas of all categories in European countries in the nine months of 2023. This is 10% less than for the same period in 2022. At the same time, the issuance of tourist visas increased by 57%, to 141 thousand.

Erdni Kagaltynov