India to offer free 30-day eVisa for Russian tourists

December 5, 2025|Joshua

India announced it will offer free 30-day e-tourist and group tourist visas to Russian citizens to boost tourism and strengthen India-Russia ties, with applications processed online and visa fees waived for these categories.

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On 5 December 2025, during the 23rd India Russia summit in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Russian citizens will soon be able to obtain free 30-day e-tourist visas and group tourist visas for travel to India. The move is part of a broader effort to deepen India Russia ties, boost tourism and make cross border mobility easier for both tourists and workers.

What India has announced for Russian tourists

According to statements reported from the Modi Putin press briefing, India plans to:

introduce a free 30-day e-tourist visa for Russian nationals
launch free 30-day group tourist visas for organised tour groups from Russia
process applications for these categories within 30 days of submission

Indian media quoting the prime minister say that the new visas will carry no consular processing fee for Russian applicants and will be available online through India’s existing eVisa platform. Detailed implementing instructions, including the exact start date and any transitional arrangements, have not yet been published by India’s Ministry of Home Affairs or its Bureau of Immigration. Until those appear on official channels, Russian citizens must continue to follow the existing eVisa and regular visa rules.

How Russian citizens currently obtain visas for India

Before this announcement, Russian tourists generally had two main options for visiting India:

eVisa for tourism

India already offers an eVisa facility to citizens of 161 countries, including Russia. Under the current rules, tourists apply online, receive an electronic travel authorisation and present it on arrival. Official guidance from the Embassy of India in Moscow notes that the eVisa regime allows stays of up to 60 days and requires applications to be submitted at least four days before travel.

For Russian nationals, the eVisa fee has been set at around 75 US dollars per passenger, plus a small bank charge, according to consular advisories issued in 2025. The fee is non refundable and eVisas can usually be used only twice in a calendar year.

Regular sticker visas

Travellers who do not qualify for an eVisa or who prefer a traditional visa can apply through Indian visa centres in Russia. Recent fee schedules published by Indian missions show single entry tourist visas costing the equivalent of several thousand roubles, with higher fees for double or multiple entry visas.

In both cases, applicants must hold a passport valid for at least six months from the date of arrival in India, with at least two blank pages, and must enter through designated airports or seaports when using the eVisa route.

What will change under the free eVisa and group visa scheme

Once the announced changes are implemented, Russian tourists can expect several important differences compared with the current regime:

No government visa fee for specific tourist categories
The headline change is the removal of the standard government processing fee for the new 30-day e-tourist visa and for designated group tourist visas for Russian citizens. Bank or service provider charges may still apply, but the core visa fee charged by Indian authorities is to be waived for these categories.
Focus on short stays
The new visas are described as 30-day facilities. That suggests they will be intended for shorter tourist visits, rather than extended stays. Longer stays in India for study, work or other purposes will continue to require the appropriate regular visa.
Online process through the existing eVisa platform
In line with current practice, individual Russian tourists are expected to apply online, upload their photo and passport scan, and receive an electronic approval by email. Group tourist visas are likely to be coordinated through licensed tour operators, but India has not yet published the operational details.
Processing within 30 days
Prime Minister Modi indicated that applications under the new categories should be processed within 30 days. In practice, many eVisas for other nationalities are issued much faster, but travellers should still apply well in advance of their intended trip until processing timelines for the new scheme are confirmed.

Because formal notifications are still pending, Russian travellers should wait for updated instructions from Indian embassies and consulates or from the official eVisa portal before relying on the free visa option for travel planning.

Key entry conditions likely to apply

India has not published a stand alone rule book for the new Russian specific visas, but it is reasonable to expect that most standard eVisa conditions will still apply. Based on existing rules, Russian tourists should be prepared for the following:

a passport with at least six months remaining validity on the date of arrival
a return or onward ticket and proof of sufficient funds
travel for permitted purposes only, such as tourism, recreation, short courses like yoga, or visiting friends and relatives
no employment or long term study while in India on a tourist eVisa
compliance with limits on the number of eVisa visits per calendar year, unless India announces an exemption for Russian nationals

Travellers may also be required to enter India through specified airports or seaports and to carry a printed or electronic copy of their eVisa approval to show at border control.

How to apply once the scheme starts

When the free 30-day tourist eVisa and group visas become operational, the broad application steps for Russian citizens are expected to mirror the existing eVisa process:

Prepare a valid passport, recent digital photograph and a scan of the passport data page.
Complete the online application form on the official Indian eVisa portal.
Upload the required documents and submit the form.
Pay any applicable bank or service charges, even if the visa fee itself is zero.
Monitor email for status updates and download the approved eVisa or group authorisation.
Carry the approval when boarding the flight and present it on arrival in India.

Group applications will likely be handled through tour operators registered in both countries, with the operator submitting details of all group members in a single application.

Apply now

You can start a standard eVisa application on the official Indian government portal. The same portal is expected to handle the free 30-day e-tourist and group visas for Russian citizens once they are activated:
https://indianvisaonline.gov.in

Until India updates its fee tables and publishes a specific notification for Russian nationals, applicants should assume that regular eVisa fees still apply.

Link to wider India Russia mobility and tourism agenda

The free tourist visa initiative forms part of a broader package of measures to deepen mobility between India and Russia.

Indian officials have highlighted that tourism facilitations are being paired with a forthcoming bilateral mobility agreement aimed at protecting Indian workers in Russia and making legal migration more predictable. According to advance reports on the summit agenda, the mobility pact is expected to:

provide a formal framework for legal labour migration from India to Russia
spell out the rights and protections of Indian workers employed in Russian companies
streamline recruitment, documentation and oversight to reduce abuse and irregular intermediaries

Once implemented, it will simplify the entry of Indian workers into Russia by clarifying procedures, strengthening legal safeguards and supporting more transparent recruitment channels.

Indian media estimate that more than 70,000 Indian nationals will be employed in Russia by the end of 2025 under quotas managed by the Russian Ministry of Labour, and that demand for skilled Indian workers is likely to grow further in sectors such as construction, textiles, engineering and electronics.

In parallel, Russia and India have been negotiating visa free group tourist exchanges for Indian citizens visiting Russia, with Russian officials repeatedly signalling that they hope to launch such a regime as soon as India completes its internal procedures. While that arrangement is separate from India’s own visa policy for Russian citizens, both measures are intended to create more balanced, two way travel flows.

Practical tips for Russian travellers planning trips to India

Until India publishes detailed rules specific to Russian nationals, prospective visitors should:

check the latest advisories on the websites of the Embassy of India in Moscow or the relevant consulate in Russia
verify whether the free 30-day tourist eVisa and group visa options have been activated and whether any quotas or cut off dates apply
ensure their passport meets minimum validity and blank page requirements
keep copies of all confirmations and receipts, including flight tickets, hotel bookings and eVisa approvals
avoid third party websites that mimic the official eVisa portal but charge additional, unofficial fees

Russian citizens who intend to work, study or live in India for longer periods should note that they will still need to apply for the appropriate long term visa category through Indian missions, even after the new free short stay tourist options are launched.

Outlook

India’s plan to waive visa fees for 30-day e-tourist and group tourist visas for Russian travellers is a significant signal at a time when many countries are tightening entry rules for Russian passport holders. Once implemented, it should lower the cost of visiting India, simplify procedures for tour groups and support closer people to people ties.

However, the practical impact will depend on how quickly the scheme is implemented in the eVisa system, how widely it is publicised among Russian travellers and tour operators, and how it interacts with existing limits on visit frequency and permitted activities. Travellers should therefore keep monitoring official channels for the formal notification that will turn the announcement into an operational visa policy.