Russia and Jordan Launch Mutual Visa-Free Regime for Tourism

(MOSCOW, RUSSIA) Russia and Jordan will launch mutual visa-free travel for short visits starting December 13, 2025, allowing citizens of both countries to visit without a visa for up to 30 days per trip and no more than 90 days in a calendar year. The accord, which Moscow says will ease tourism and private visits, was sealed after the two governments completed their internal procedures and exchanged final documents confirming the start date.

The policy stems from a bilateral pact signed in the Russian capital on August 20, 2025, when Sergey Lavrov and Ayman Safadi formalized the arrangement. The Moscow signed agreement covers tourism and private visits only, meaning it does not permit work, study, commercial activity, or permanent residence in the other country. Officials have presented the timetable as fixed: the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the effective date as December 13, 2025, following the conclusion of necessary formalities by both sides. An update acknowledging the start-date confirmation was made public on October 31, 2025, according to the same official communications.

Under the terms, travelers can stay up to 30 days per visit, capped at 90 days per year. The move replaces the current system for Russians heading to Jordan, where tourists could obtain a visa on arrival for 40 Jordanian dinars (about $56 USD) before the new regime. For Jordanians visiting Russia, the waiver similarly removes the need to apply for a visa for short stays linked to tourism or private travel. Authorities in both capitals have stressed that these limits will be enforced, drawing a clear line between travel for leisure or family purposes and activities like employment or study, which remain outside the scope of the agreement.

Lavrov cast the decision as a practical step to widen links beyond tourism, citing trade and culture among the areas that could benefit.

“The agreement is ‘mutually beneficial’ and will ‘expand cooperation and create new opportunities for shared economic and cultural interests’,”
he said, presenting the visa-free arrangement as part of a broader plan to broaden ties. Safadi underscored the political intent behind the accord and said the two governments were setting the stage for wider cooperation.
“Jordan is dedicated to strengthening its friendship with Russia,”
said Safadi, noting that the waiver is designed to support growth in several sectors and make both destinations more accessible to visitors.

Officials have emphasized border clarity as they prepare to implement the change. The mutual visa-free travel framework is limited to tourism and private visits; it does not create new pathways for employment, study, or long-term residence. That means Jordanians and Russians who plan to work, study, or settle will still need to follow the usual immigration channels, obtain the appropriate visas, and comply with host-country laws on labor, education, and residency. The caps—30 days per trip and 90 days per year—are meant to keep short stays clearly distinct from activities that involve living or working in the country. Authorities say this mirrors similar agreements with other nations that separate leisure travel from labor and education.

The timing reflects a shared push to boost visitor flows and economic links ahead of winter holidays and into the next tourist season. Jordan has positioned itself as an attractive destination for Russian travelers, especially during colder months, highlighting the beach resorts and diving facilities around Aqaba and the draw of ancient sites from the Pharaonic, Greek, and Roman eras. Russian officials, in turn, point to a wide range of cultural attractions and city tourism that they expect will be appealing to Jordanian visitors using the new waiver. By cutting paperwork and fees, both sides want to lower the threshold for spontaneous trips and repeat travel, feeding hotel bookings, tour operators, and small businesses on the ground.

The two countries have some history with simplified entry. A 2017 arrangement waived visa requirements for holders of diplomatic, official, and special passports, which took effect in January 2018. The new policy extends simplified travel to ordinary passport holders for short visits while keeping in place the legal protections and limits that separate leisure travel from work and study. Officials say it complements, rather than replaces, existing agreements aimed at government and official travel.

The immediate change on the ground will be felt first by tour operators, airlines, and border agencies preparing for implementation. Russian and Jordanian carriers are expected to promote routes that align with the 30-day-per-visit rule, while hospitality firms in Aqaba and key Russian cities plan to market short, set-duration packages to fit the permitted stay lengths. Travel agencies have also begun adjusting itineraries to ensure customers stay within the 90-days-per-year ceiling, a limit designed to stop back-to-back trips from effectively becoming long-term residence without proper visas.

Both governments have linked the travel waiver to a broader agenda of economic and cultural outreach that they plan to advance through established bilateral channels this year. The next meeting of the Jordanian-Russian High Committee for Economic and Trade Cooperation is scheduled later in 2025, where ministers and officials are expected to review trade data, tourism flows, and any early implementation issues from the visa-free system. The committee format is often used to identify bottlenecks—such as flight capacity or consular workloads—and agree on practical measures, like promoting off-peak travel or coordinating cultural events that encourage short visits.

Russian authorities framed the start date as firm after all legal steps were completed, reiterating the guardrails on what the system allows. The Russian Foreign Ministry’s confirmation of the activation date underscores that the change moves from ink to impact on December 13, 2025. That clarity is important for travelers who plan winter trips and for businesses arranging tours across the New Year period. Officials in Moscow and Amman say they will monitor patterns in the first months and keep consular channels open for travelers who may mistakenly assume the waiver covers work or study.

Safadi highlighted the political message behind the waiver, adding a broader note about long-term ties.

“Jordan is dedicated to strengthening its friendship with Russia and emphasized that this agreement would support growth in many sectors, like tourism, trade, and cultural engagement between the two nations,”
he said, calling the new rules a gateway to deeper engagement rather than an end in themselves. The Jordanian minister’s comments echoed Lavrov’s emphasis on practical benefits in tourism and culture, aligning the policy with visible gains that residents and businesses can measure in trips taken, hotel stays, and events hosted.

The agreement’s limits are just as central as its freedoms. Because the waiver excludes labor and study, Jordanians and Russians who want to take up jobs, enroll in degree programs, or relocate will still need the correct visas and permits before travel. Policymakers view that separation as necessary to stop the short-stay system from becoming a workaround for long-term stays. The carve-outs also help border officials apply a single, clear standard: tourists and family visitors can come without a visa within the day and year caps, but anyone planning activities beyond that must use the standard immigration process.

The practical impact on costs is straightforward for Russian travelers to Jordan, who will no longer pay the on-arrival fee of 40 Jordanian dinars (about $56 USD) for eligible short trips after the start date. That savings is modest per person but can add up for families or groups traveling during peak seasons. For Jordanians visiting Russia, the change removes application steps that often involve gathering documents, paying fees, and waiting for processing—barriers that can discourage short, spontaneous travel.

Officials have kept the execution schedule tight to capture demand while giving border systems time to adjust. With the effective date locked in, airlines and tour operators are using the lead time to align schedules, while government agencies update public guidance to explain the 30-day and 90-day limits and spell out what the visa-free regime does not cover. Travelers looking for official confirmation or updates can consult the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has posted notices confirming the commencement timeline and the scope of the waiver.

The policy’s architects say the aim is to make travel simpler without blurring legal lines. The short-stay waiver is designed to spark more two-way visits, build cultural familiarity, and nudge trade contacts, all while channeling work and study into established visa tracks. Whether those goals are met will become clearer after the first quarters of 2026, when both countries will be able to measure how many travelers used the new pathway and whether additional steps—like expanding flights or coordinating festivals—could push the numbers higher.

For now, the message from both capitals is straightforward. The mutual visa-free travel regime begins on December 13, 2025. Stays are capped at 30 days per trip and 90 days per year. The waiver covers tourism and private visits only, not jobs, study, commercial activity, or permanent residence. As Lavrov put it, the arrangement is “mutually beneficial.” And in Safadi’s words, “Jordan is dedicated to strengthening its friendship with Russia,” with both sides betting that easier travel will translate into fuller flights, busier hotels, and more regular contact between their people.