Entrada sin visado a Rusia para jóvenes no ciudadanos de los Estados bálticos

According to the press service of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, all persons living in Latvia and Estonia and holding non-citizen passports can now enter the Russian Federation without visas.

It is noted that the visa-free entry procedure for non-citizens applies only to short-term trips provided that the permitted stay on the territory of the Russian Federation is not more than 90 days during each period of 180 days. If a longer period of stay in Russia is requested, the above-mentioned non-citizens must obtain a visa on the basis of an invitation.

The Russian ambassador to Estonia Alexander Petrov recalled an incident occurred in August 2016 with a student from Riga studying at one of the Moscow universities. Being a stateless person, the girl was detained on the Russian border due to the lack of a Russian visa. The decree of June 17, 2008 on a visa-free entry to Russia for non-citizens applies to people born in the USSR before February 6, 1992. This student from Riga was born after February 6, 1992.

Alexander Petrov said that “this incident revealed that the current decree deprives the grown generation of the opportunity to enter Russia without visas. Due to amendments to the decree, young non-citizens of Estonian will now be able to enter Russia without visas”, the ambassador said. It is necessary to clarify that this decree will remain in effect until Estonia and Latvia preserve the status of stateless persons.