Russia to launch e-visa, payment cards for tourists

Travel Cards are a solution to payment problems in Russia. Photo: Pixabay

Foreign tourists will be able to apply for an electronic visa to enter Russia and receive payment cards this year, Tatyana Sharshavitskaya, head of the Department for Tourism Development of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, said.

The announcement was made by Ms. Sharshavitskaya at the 5th Conference of Travel Agencies organized by the Russian Tourism Industry Association on March 11.

The head of the Department of Tourism Development of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development said that the country will introduce a special payment instrument for tourists called "Tourist Card" to solve payment problems after payment card issuers Visa and MasterCard left the Russian market.

Previously, in July 2020, Russia passed a law allowing citizens of more than 50 countries, including European Union (EU) countries, to apply for an electronic visa to enter the country.

The e-visa is valid for 60 days and allows foreign visitors to enter the country for tourism and business purposes.

However, the application of e-visas was suspended in January 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Interfax reported that an estimated 5 million foreign tourists visited Russia in 2019. That number dropped sharply when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. In 2022, Russia welcomed just over 200,000 international tourists.

According to Zing