Visa-free tourism: new rules of entry to Jordan for Russians

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Minister of Emigrants of Jordan Ayman al-Safadi on Wednesday, August 20, signed an agreement on the mutual abolition of visas for citizens. According to the document, Russians will no longer need to apply for a paid visa to visit the Middle Eastern state, including the Red Sea coast in Aqaba and the Dead Sea. What changes await Russian tourists and how this will affect the prices of tours to Jordan is in the Izvestia article.

New rules of entry to Jordan for Russians

Under the terms of the agreement, Russians will be able to come to Jordan without a visa for up to 30 days, while the total stay in the country should not exceed 90 days during the year. The exact date of visa-free entry into force is still unknown, the process will take at least 60 days.

Currently, Russians need to apply for a visa to enter Jordan for up to one month at a cost of 40 Jordanian dinars (about $56 or 4,500 rubles). You can do this upon arrival at the local airport.

The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that the signing of the agreement will help increase humanitarian and tourist exchanges, as well as expand business ties with Jordan. Earlier, the Council of Ministers of Jordan approved this agreement as part of strengthening bilateral cooperation.

How will the simplification of the visa regime affect the tourist flow

The cancellation of visas between Russia and Jordan will have a positive effect on the tourist flow of Russian citizens.

"Tour operators unequivocally say that visa cancellation will have a positive impact on the tourist flow to Jordan," the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) expressed this assessment.

The Russian Express company clarified that the changes in the visa regime will increase the interest of independent tourists in traveling to Jordan. Organized tourists will hardly feel the change, since visa processing in package tours is already included and takes place free of charge upon arrival at the airport by the host party.

According to the travel platform "Fly.<url>", the average check for tours to Jordan is about 159 thousand rubles, and the average rest period is 9 nights. Approximately 60% of tourists prefer to stay in 5-star hotels, 20% in 4-star hotels. The majority of tourists spend their holidays together (73.3%), while traveling alone accounts for about 26.7%.

In 2025, the tourist flow from Russia to Jordan is estimated at dozens of tourists, but it remains at a stable level, ATOR reports. The visa-free regime will help reduce the cost of visa processing, which creates the prerequisites for an increase in Russian tourist flow to the Middle Eastern country. After the entry into force of the visa-free agreement, experts expect a 10-15% increase in demand for travel in the medium term.

Visa-free countries for Russians in 2025

In 2025, Russian citizens can visit more than 100 countries around the world without a visa. For entry to some of them, documents are issued on arrival, in other countries — through online electronic visa systems. Moreover, the permissible length of stay in each country varies and can range from 15 to 90 days.

Among the European countries available to Russians with a visa—free regime are Turkey, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova and Belarus.

Among Asian countries, Russians can visit Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and Kazakhstan. Lovers of exotic and warm climates can travel to Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Maldives. Visa requirements for visiting Myanmar are also expected to be simplified in 2025.

In Central America, Cuba, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Haiti remain visa-free for Russians. But to visit Mexico, you need to issue a special electronic entry permit. Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela are popular among South American countries, where Russian tourists prefer to relax during the autumn-winter season.

Russian citizens can also relax in hot African countries without a visa. Among them are Morocco, Mauritius and Tunisia. In countries such as Egypt and Madagascar, visas are issued upon arrival, often with a fee. Seychelles is also a popular visa-free destination for Russians. To visit them, you need to fill out a questionnaire in advance and pay the fee.

In addition, on April 22, Russia and Oman signed an agreement on the mutual abolition of the visa regime, according to which citizens of both countries can stay without a visa on the territory of another country for up to 30 days each time they visit, but not more than 90 days in one year.