Enter the Land of the Fighting Nation: Russia’s Vladivostok Now Offers Visa-Free Entry for Up to 8 Days

▲ Lenin Monument in Vladivostok. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ruizhong)

Reported by Chen Ruizhong, Taipei

The Russian government has announced that starting in 2016, foreign travelers will be allowed to enter Vladivostok visa-free, and can apply for an on-arrival visa to stay in the city for up to 8 days. This is great news for those planning to visit Russia.

Vladivostok is an important port city in Russia’s Far East, known as the “San Francisco of the East,” and also serves as the endpoint of the world’s longest railway, the Trans-Siberian Railway. In recent years, Vladivostok has not only been actively developing new hotel infrastructure, but is also set to open the Crystal Tiger Palace, a large casino in November, which is invested in by Taiwan’s Wofton. More new large-scale casinos are expected to follow.

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In the past, travelers flying to Russia could transit through cities such as Beijing, Tokyo, or Seoul. Taiwanese applicants needed to first contact their inviting organization to apply for an “Official Invitation Letter” issued by the Russian Federal Migration Service, which is then used to apply for a visa at the “Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Taipei” (also known as the Moscow-Taipei Coordination Commission on Economic and Cultural Cooperation). The invitation letter must specify “Taipei” as the visa issuance city in the remarks section. Invitation letters issued by individuals or private companies are not valid.