Russia, Saudi Arabia to Waive Visa Requirements in Coming Months

09:17; 19 February 2026 year

### Russia and Saudi Arabia to Introduce Visa-Free Travel In the coming months, Russia and Saudi Arabia will implement a visa-free travel regime, according to Russian Ambassador to the Kingdom Sergei Kozlov, as reported by RBC. Kozlov noted that Moscow and Riyadh signed an intergovernmental agreement in December to waive visa requirements, which will soon come into effect. "This is a unique historical event, as Saudi Arabia has never had such a visa-free agreement with any foreign country, except for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)," Kozlov commented. According to data from the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), Saudi Arabia recorded its highest-ever inbound tourist flow to Russia in 2025, ranking second for the first time in history. The kingdom sent 74,900 visitors to Russia, marking a year-on-year increase of 35.8%. In 2024, Saudi Arabia was ranked sixth.

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