EU and Russia Visa Free Regime From July 27

European Union (EU) and Russia visa free travel agreement  will come into force on the 27^th of July this year to simplify the cross-border travel regime. European Commission has endorsed an agreement between Russia and Poland to create a visa free regime on cross border travelling between the two countries.  The agreement specified the particular areas of Kaliningrad region in Russia and Poland’s cross-border areas.

People residing in both of the above mentioned regions of the countries would be given permission to cross the border only by producing an international passport and a special permit that allows them to cross the border without regular Russian and Polish immigration requirements. This permit would be valid for about two years and is extendable to a further period of five years. Before this, the previous agreement limited the simplified travel arrangement to those residing within thirty kilometers from the border, whereas this agreement has increased the limit to fifty kilometers.

The immigrants who are wishing to stay for a longer period than allowed in the permit would have to get a residence permit as per the regular Russian and Polish immigration procedures.

Such agreements are quite beneficial for both the countries in terms of business and tourism profits. The deputy head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s consular department, Lev Pauzin, said that such agreement to introduce simplified cross border travel regime is of special importance. He went on to say that when the Russians are on holidays they tend to spend more of their finances in the places they are residing. The countries that are targeted for holiday destinations are mostly those which provide the facility of visa-free travel. He said that this is the reason that laws creating barriers for people on free-cross border travel should be abolished.

The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has always insisted upon the European  Union (EU) to formulate a simple policy like this that would allow visa-free cross border travel. He said that such agreements might prove to be a solution to many technical issues.

The head of the Russian Federation Councils International Affairs Committee, Mikhail Margelov, also appreciated this agreement and said that this sort of deals will add considerably to the establishment of a visa-free regime between Russia and EU.

Other European countries like Spain, Finland, France and Italy have added simplifying visa regime with Russia to their priority lists. Russia is already under similar agreements with many former Soviet states, some Middle Eastern countries, south East Asian countries and countries across the Atlantic. It is also under implementation with some countries in the Mediterranean Sea areas. A similar agreement on liberalization of the existing visa regime between Russia and the United States of America is still due to be ratified by a Russian State named Duma.

Russia has also offered to allow visa-free travel for football fans who desire to witness the 2018 football world cup in Russia.

It is an undeniable fact that visa free travel agreements are very essential to keep the European states united and affiliated with each other in times of emergency. This type of agreements must always be commended and must be encouraged in all the continents of the world so that a new world order can succeed the globalization.

Tags: Europe, European Unoin, Polish Immigration, Russia, Russian Immigration, visa-free regimes, Vladimir Putin