Ministry of Culture proposes 72-hour visa-free period for foreigners

Russian Ministry of Culture is working on alegislative proposal, which will allow foreign citizens that are transiting through Russia, to stay in the country without a visa for 72 hours. That information was made public by the Minister Vladimir Medinsky himself during a meeting with the Education and Culture Committee members.

According to him, the ministry is working on a legislation that will regulate the entering and leaving the country. This should stimulate inbound tourism. The Minister noted that the project involves Moscow, Saint-Petersburg and Kazan airports. The statistics show that there are about 500 thousand transiting foreigners every year. “Imagine if every one of them spent about $500, what an income it would be”, – said Mr. Medinsky.

Furthermore, the ministry is working on another law that will allow a visa-free stay for up to 10 days. But this one will only fall upon those, who are engaged in cultural events like festivals, contests or football games.