Our citizens usually save. Therefore, gathering even in distant lands, not all book tours for themselves in advance. And this is understandable, because even taking into account all the discounts for early booking, “catching” a burning ticket is much more attractive at a price. But there is one limitation in this matter. Countries requiring a visa are not suitable for such unexpected travels.
Are there many countries that provide visa-free entry for Russians? In the minds of the people, the idea that without a visa can only go to Egypt and Turkey is firmly entrenched.
Of course, Egypt is a great place to relax, but in the summer it can be too hot, so I want a change.
In addition to Egypt, there is another tourist country in Africa where a visa is not required. This, of course, is Tunisia. In Africa, several more countries do not require a visa 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 needed, but issued at the border), Namibia, Tanzania, the Central African Republic 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 exception is only the Baltic states. Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia are still demonstratively not interested in cooperation with Russia.
But on the other hand, visa-free entry for Russians is open in Abkhazia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Tajikistan. And also to Belarus, to Ukraine, to Kyrgyzstan. Moreover, all these countries, except Armenia and Azerbaijan, are allowed to enter with an ordinary passport, which in official documents is referred to as a civil passport.
All these countries are interesting to visit, but not everywhere tourism infrastructure is sufficiently developed. Therefore, not everyone risks planning a summer vacation in Georgia (especially when the political situation is complicated) or in Armenia.
Surprisingly, there are also visa-free countries from Russia in Europe. Politicians are working hard so that they do not need a visa to travel to Europe.
There are certain achievements in this matter, but so far a visa is needed for a trip to Europe.
In Europe, visa-free entry for Russians is open to Montenegro and Cyprus. True, for a trip to Cyprus, you must first arrange a pre-visa through the Internet, and then get a stamp in your passport already at the border with the country.
Of course, applying for a visa is a procedure that requires considerable time and money. Therefore, we can only welcome the agreement 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 be allowed to enter the country for at least 36 hours without a visa. They want to provide this privilege to the passengers of the train that goes from St. Petersburg to Helsinki.
It is possible that Finland will soon achieve such a regime, and this will be the first step towards a visa-free Europe.