- Fee
- 3,465 rubles for a single-entry paper visa; e-visa free of charge
- Time
- Up to 30 days for the e-visa
India and Russia have halted work on a plan to let organized tourist groups travel between the countries without individual visas. Alexey Klimov, head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department, said on October 31, 2026, that preparation of the agreement had been suspended.
The proposal was not a general visa exemption for every traveler. Existing e-visa arrangements and individual visa procedures are separate from the unfinished group-travel deal.
The two governments had discussed the plan for years. Their public statements included different proposed stay limits, while negotiators were still working through group size, operator checks and information for border officials.
Existing e-visas are not the suspended group-travel agreement
| Passport or traveler status | Visa position described | Stay or scope | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russian citizens traveling to India | Paper visa options and an e-visa are listed | E-visa valid for up to 30 days | The e-visa is free of charge; paper visa fees vary by entry type |
| Indian citizens traveling to Russia | An e-visa mechanism was described as already in place | No stay period specified | The mechanism covered individual travelers and groups |
| Tour groups traveling between the countries | The planned waiver was not completed | Public proposals ranged from 21 to 30 days | No agreed group-size or stay rule took effect in the material described |
The existing electronic route should not be confused with a group exemption. In June 2026, India’s ambassador to Russia, Vinay Kumar, said an e-visa mechanism was available to individual travelers and groups. That statement described a visa channel, not travel without visas.
The proposal would have allowed eligible groups to cross without each traveler obtaining an individual visa. It did not replace the distinct visa procedures described for Russian visitors to India or establish the full entry conditions for either passport.
Negotiators were still working out group checks and advance details
| Issue under discussion | What negotiators were considering |
|---|---|
| Tour group size | A permitted number of travelers for each group |
| Tour operators | How operators would be vetted |
| Traveler information | Details to send to border authorities before arrival |
| Indian government review | The Ministry of External Affairs was preparing to circulate a draft to other departments for comments |
These were negotiating issues, not a published checklist for travelers. The discussion had not yet produced an agreed rule on what information a tour group had to submit or how operators would be approved.
In late November 2025, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko described those practical questions as part of the talks. The proposal therefore involved administrative arrangements as well as the central question of whether groups could travel without individual visas.
The summit announcement did not settle the group waiver
Vladimir Putin raised simplifying visa procedures with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019. Later, after Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine began, India became a major buyer of Russian oil as Western countries imposed visa restrictions on Russian citizens. Putin publicly urged Modi to abolish visas between the countries.
Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development put forward a proposal in 2023, using arrangements with China and Iran as models. Then-minister Maxim Reshetnikov said officials were working on the proposals through diplomatic channels.
The subject returned to the public agenda during Putin’s visit to India in December 2025 for the 23rd India–Russia Annual Summit in New Delhi. Modi said steps would soon be taken toward travel without visas for groups from both countries, with stays of up to 30 days.
Modi and Putin signed agreements concerning a mutual visa-free policy and temporary employment for visiting citizens. Modi said:
“I am confident that we will soon implement a 30-day visa-free regime for tourist groups, which will greatly enhance travel between our countries”
At the end of December 2025, India’s ambassador to Russia, Vinai Kumar, said preparations involving logistics and changes to the system were underway. The announcement came months before Klimov disclosed the suspension of agreement preparation.
Klimov cited India’s lack of treaty precedent for group travel
Klimov said India had not previously concluded international agreements allowing visa-free travel for organized groups of citizens. He described the drafting task as difficult from the beginning:
“Drafting such an agreement was a challenging task from the outset, given that our Indian partners had not previously entered into international treaties regarding visa-free group travel for citizens.”
The Russian proposal shifted in its details as negotiations continued. In spring 2026, Moscow hoped for an agreement covering groups of three to 50 people and visits of up to 21 days. That was shorter than the maximum 30-day period Modi had announced at the summit.
The Ministry of Economic Development said progress was not moving “as quickly as we would like” and attributed the delay to complex coordination among Indian government departments. The difference between the proposed durations reflected discussions at different points, not an agreed rule.
In June 2026, Vinay Kumar addressed the Russia-India Business Dialogue at SPIEF 2026. He confirmed that negotiations over group travel were continuing, while also noting that e-visas were already available to groups and individual travelers. Four months later, Klimov said preparation of the agreement had been suspended.
Russian visitors have separate Indian visa options and listed fees
The listed Indian visa charges for Russian citizens vary according to the number of permitted entries. The e-visa option is described separately.
| Indian visa for Russian citizens | Fee or validity |
|---|---|
| Single-entry paper visa | 3,465 rubles |
| Double-entry paper visa | 7,492 rubles |
| Multiple-entry paper visa | 9,909 rubles |
| E-visa | Valid for up to 30 days; free of charge |
At the December 2025 summit, Modi and Putin also announced free 30-day e-tourist visas and group visas for Russian citizens traveling to India. Those commitments concern Indian visa options for Russian visitors; they are distinct from a reciprocal arrangement allowing groups to enter without individual visas.
A July 2024 joint statement after the 22nd India–Russia Annual Summit had already welcomed simpler visa formalities, including the introduction of e-Visa by both countries. The statement also said the two sides would continue work on further simplifying the visa regime.
Tourism totals and growth projections supplied the economic case
Tourist traffic between India and Russia reached 143,000 trips in 2025, 15% above the 2024 figure. Trips between the countries increased by 8% in the first half of 2026.
A September report by Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development said more than 25,000 Indian tourists visited Russia. Earlier, in November 2025, the Moscow City Tourism Committee cited a figure of around 60,000 Indians. The figures refer to separate reports and dates.
Russian officials had argued that removing visa formalities could double arrivals within two years. That was a projection, rather than a reported outcome.
The 2024 joint statement placed visa simplification on the bilateral agenda before the group-travel announcements. Its commitment was to continue work on easier visa procedures; it did not itself establish the proposed group exemption.
Frequently asked questions
What did Russia suspend on October 31, 2026?
Russia suspended preparation of a proposed agreement that would have allowed eligible organized tourist groups traveling between Russia and India to enter without each traveler obtaining an individual visa. Alexey Klimov, head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department, announced the suspension. The proposal had not been completed, and no agreed group-waiver rules took effect.
Does the suspension mean India and Russia no longer have e-visas?
No. The suspended proposal was separate from existing e-visa arrangements and individual visa procedures. The article describes e-visa channels as available, including a mechanism for individual travelers and groups. An e-visa is still a visa; it is not the same as permission to travel without a visa. Travelers should check the relevant official visa requirements for their nationality and destination.
Who would have qualified for the proposed visa-free travel?
The proposal concerned eligible organized tourist groups, not all travelers from India or Russia. Negotiators had not finalized the qualifying group size, how tour operators would be vetted, or what traveler information would need to be provided to border authorities in advance. Because those rules were unresolved and preparations were suspended, travelers should not assume the proposed exemption is available.
What stay limits had been proposed for the group travel plan?
Public proposals differed over time. At the December 2025 summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to visa-free stays of up to 30 days for tourist groups. In spring 2026, a Russian proposal described groups of three to 50 people and visits of up to 21 days. These were proposals, not an agreed rule, and neither limit took effect under the unfinished agreement.
