Indians may soon be able to travel to Russia without needing a visa. In an effort to boost tourism, both nations are in the final stages of discussions to ease travel restrictions.

Consultations to finalise the criteria under a bilateral agreement will kick off in June, PTI reported.

Nikita Kondratyev, Director of the Russian Economic Development Ministry’s Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects, stated, "Russia and India are set to strengthen their tourism ties as they gear up for the launch of visa-free group tourist exchanges. The first round of consultations between the two nations is scheduled for June, with an aim to finalise a bilateral agreement by the end of the year."

Currently, Russia allows visa-free entry for citizens from China and Iran under its tourist exchange programme. The minister highlighted that Russia is looking to replicate the success of this programme with India. The visa-free exchanges with China and Iran started on August 1, 2023, and have been quite successful.