Vietnam and Russia are promoting broader visa-free travel as Russian arrivals to Vietnam rise strongly and Vietnamese demand for Russia tours increases.

Russian arrivals rise under Vietnam visa waiver

Vietnam’s unilateral visa exemption for Russian passport holders, introduced in August 2023, allows stays of up to 45 days and has become a major factor behind the recovery and growth of Russian tourism to the country.

In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam received more than 1 million visitors from Russia, an increase of 165.7 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism.

Against that backdrop, the two governments are moving toward visa-free arrangements for Vietnamese citizens traveling to Russia. Ambassador Khoi said negotiations are currently centered on an agreement that would initially apply to Vietnamese tourists visiting Russia in organized groups.

He also said Russia continues to attract Vietnamese students, noting that cooperation in education and training between the two countries has produced substantive outcomes.

Tour operators see stronger demand for Russia trips

The visa discussions are taking place as direct air services between Vietnam and Russia expand, a development expected to lower travel expenses and support more tourism exchanges.

Vietravel told Tuoi Tre online newspaper that interest in Russia among Vietnamese travelers has grown recently. The company said about 10 to 15 tour groups depart for Russia each month across Vietnam, with demand especially notable in the north.

A snow-covered street and historic architecture in a Russian city during winter
Vietnamese tour operators are marketing Russia through cultural routes, river cruises and winter travel experiences.

Russia’s appeal to Vietnamese tourists includes well-known destinations such as Moscow and Saint Petersburg, together with cultural and historical sites that are already familiar to many travelers from Vietnam.

Vietravel said it is offering Russia products throughout the year, ranging from classic sightseeing routes to winter itineraries. Its programs include:

  • The Golden Ring route
  • Combined Russia-Belarus itineraries
  • Volga River cruises
  • Winter tours covering Moscow, Murmansk and Saint Petersburg
  • Experiences such as viewing the Northern Lights and riding snowmobiles

Group visa waiver could cut costs and booking time

Vietravel said visa-free entry for Vietnamese tourists traveling in groups would be a welcome step for bilateral tourism. The company said the measure would remove one of the biggest obstacles to long-haul trips by reducing paperwork and visa expenses, making planning easier and potentially shortening the time needed to reserve tours.

The company also said easier entry rules would help travel firms design more competitive Russia packages, add more departures and broaden their product range. If visa facilitation is matched by stronger air links and closer business cooperation between the two countries, Vietravel said the Russia market could enter a new period of growth for Vietnamese outbound tourism.

Russia expects a record year for Vietnam travel

Nikita Kondratiev, director of the Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects under Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development, said Vietnamese travel to Russia has recently increased. In the first half of 2026, the number of Vietnamese tourists visiting Russia rose 21.4 percent year on year.

Speaking to Russian outlet News.ru about the sharp rise in Russian travel to Vietnam, Kondratiev said Russian arrivals could reach a record 1.5 million in 2026. That would be close to double the 700,000 to 800,000 Russian visitors Vietnam received annually in 2018 and 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kondratiev linked the increase not only to Vietnam’s visa waiver, but also to the continuation and expansion of direct flights between the two countries. He also pointed to wider availability of QR-code payments and MIR bank cards at some places in Vietnam.

The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism has similarly attributed the growth to Vietnam’s image as a safe, welcoming and attractive Asian destination, as well as to more frequent direct charter flights from Russia to Vietnam.

For travelers, the proposed group visa waiver would make Russia easier to book and potentially cheaper to visit. For the tourism industry, the policy could deepen Vietnam-Russia travel ties at a time when flights, payment access and tour programming are all expanding.