Our citizens usually save. Therefore, going even to distant lands, not everyone book tours in advance. And this is quite understandable, because even taking into account all the discounts for early booking, “catching” a last-minute ticket is much more attractive in terms of price. But there is one limitation in this matter. Countries that require a visa are not suitable for such unexpected trips.
Are there many countries that provide visa-free entry for Russians? The idea that without a visa you can only go to Egypt and Turkey is firmly ingrained in the minds of the people.
Of course, Egypt is a great place to visit, but it can be too hot in summer, so you want variety.
Besides Egypt, there is another tourist country in Africa that does not require a visa. This is, of course, Tunisia. There are several other countries in Africa that do not require visas from Russian citizens, but these are not tourist countries. Visa-free entry for Russians is provided by Zimbabwe, Kenya (a visa is needed, but issued at the border), Mozambique (a visa is required, but issued at the border), Namibia,Tanzania, CAR and Ethiopia. Moreover, if you can go to Egypt without a visa, only limiting your movements to the Sinai Peninsula, then in these countries there is no such restriction.
Countries without a visa for Russia include an almost complete list of the former republics of the USSR. The only exception is the B altic States. Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia are still demonstratively not interested in cooperation with Russia.
But visa-free entry for Russians is open to Abkhazia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Tajikistan. And also to Belarus, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan. Moreover, all these countries, except for Armenia and Azerbaijan, are allowed to enter with an ordinary passport, which in official documents is called a general civil one.
All these countries are interesting to visit, but not everywhere the tourist infrastructure is sufficiently developed. Therefore, not everyone is at risk of planning a summer vacation in Georgia (especially when the political situation becomes more complicated) or in Armenia.
Surprisingly, there are visa-free countries from Russia in Europe as well. Politicians are working hard to ensure that travel to Europe does not require a visa at all.
There are certain achievements in this matter, but for now, you still need to apply for a visa to travel to Europe.
In Europe, visa-free entry for Russians is open to Montenegro and Cyprus. True, to travel to Cyprus, you must first apply for a pre-visa via the Internet, and then get a stamp in your passport already at the border with the country.
Of course, obtaining a visa for a trip is a procedurewhich takes a lot of time and money. Therefore, one can only welcome the agreements of politicians on visa-free visits to European countries. Work is already underway in this direction.
Finland, for example, is extremely interested in allowing Russians to enter the country for at least 36 hours without a visa. They want to provide this benefit to passengers of the train that goes from St. Petersburg to Helsinki.
It is quite possible that Finland will soon achieve such a regime, and this will be the first step towards a visa-free Europe.
