Russia offers 30-day visa-free entry to Vietnamese citizens from mid-October

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on October 12 allowing Vietnamese citizens to enter and stay in Russia visa-free for up to 30 days, according to the Interfax news agency.

The policy applies to Vietnamese ordinary passport holders travelling to Russia for tourism, family visits, business, scientific, cultural, political and social activities, economic activities, sports, or transit through Russian territory.

The visa exemption will take effect on October 15 and remain in force through October 15, 2027.

The policy does not apply to those entering Russia for employment, including journalists, or for study or long-term residence.

Russia currently receives around 15,000 visits by Vietnamese tourists annually. In the opposite direction, Viet Nam welcomed approximately 1.13 million Russian visitors in the first nine months of 2026, up more than 160 percent year on year, according to the National Statistics Office.

Russian passport holders are eligible for Viet Nam’s unilateral visa exemption policy, which allows them to stay in the country for up to 45 days from the date of entry. The policy has been one of the factors driving the year-on-year growth in Russian tourist arrivals to Viet Nam.

Russia is currently Viet Nam's third-largest source of international visitors and the largest source market in Europe./.