Come and see Siberia visa-free under historic scheme for air passengers

An historic scheme to allow transit air passengers to stay in Siberia for three days without the need for a visa has moved a step closer to reality.

Under the plan, citizens from countries part of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) would be allowed 72 hours document-free to explore parts of Russia.

The stays will apply to Novosibirsk, the largest city in Siberia, and two key Far East hubs in the Russian Far East, Vladivostok and Khabarovsk.

In order to qualify, visitors must have onward bookings with Russian airlines, such as Siberia-based S7 and UTair, or the likes of Aeroflot and Transaero.

The proposals were first put forward in December 2013, but they are now closer to being implemented after being backed by Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich.

They are being supported across the country as an innovative way to boost tourism, particularly in emerging areas such as Siberia and the Far East.

Anatoly Golomolzin, the deputy head of the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia, said: 'The stimulation of transfer traffic through the airports of the Russian Federation will increase the load of airports, and the possibility of visa-free 72-hour transit will increase the tourist flow and, consequently, increase the volume of tourism services.

'As a result it will give positive impact on aviation and the economy as a whole.'

It is thought this is the first time since the early Soviet era that visas will have been waived, with officials saying it could boost tourism in Russia by as much as 60 per cent.

In addition to Novosibirsk Tolmachevo, a preliminary list of airports that will grant the 72-hour visa exemptions include Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo and Domodevo in Moscow, St Petersburg Pulkovo, Novy airport in Khabarovsk and Yekaterinburg’s Koltsovo. The final list will be approved by the Ministry of Transportation in due course.

The visa exemptions will apply to citizens from OECD countries, including the United States, UK, Germany, France and Italy.

Of particular importance to Siberia, both in terms of the economy and tourist numbers, will be foreigners travelling through Novosibirsk from China, Japan, South Korea and Australia.

The airport at Novosibirsk is just 16km from the city centre, with tourists likely to want to visit Lenin Square, with its Opera and Ballet House, and the Art Museum.

A trip to Akademgorodok, built in the 1950s to host the cream of the Soviet era’s scientists and academics, is also worth a visit.

But the number one attraction likely to appeal to transit passengers is Novosibirsk Zoo, with its 11,000 animals including Ligress Zita, which has a lion father and tigress mother.