Putin signs decree allowing Ukrainians to enter Russia visa-free with domestic passports

Ukrainian nationals will be able to enter Russia using only their domestic passports, and will not need to get a visa, according to a decree by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Under the decree, Ukrainian citizens will not need to obtain visas to enter Russia. They will be able to cross the border with their domestic or foreign passports, as well as with diplomatic or service passports, seafarer or aircrewman identification cards. Children will need a birth certificate or a passport of the legal guardian with information about the child, TASS reports on September 29.

Apart from that, Ukrainians will be able to enter or leave Russia with expired documents. Those Ukrainian citizens who have no valid documents will be able to leave Russia to neighboring countries across the land border by providing a copy of their foreign citizen identification certificate issued by a territorial Interior Ministry division.

A child who has Ukrainian citizenship can leave Russia together with his or her legal guardian or other adult who has notarized consent.

Russia and Ukraine signed a visa-free travel agreement in 1997. The agreement was terminated by the Ukrainian side on January 1, 2023.

However, Russia’s authorities decided not to impose visa requirements on Ukrainian nationals. According to the explanatory note, Moscow’s tit-for-tat visa-related measures would only "harm family ties between Russian and Ukrainian nationals".