Russia Pursues Visa-free Travel For Malaysians

By Rohani Mohd Ibrahim

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 (NNN) -- Malaysians could travel to Russia without a visa under a proposed arrangement being pursued by Moscow as both countries prepare to mark 60 years of diplomatic relations next year, Russian Ambassador Naiyl M. Latypov said.

The proposed visa-free arrangement could open the door to greater tourism, business and education exchanges, but Latypov acknowledged that both countries still need to iron out several technical issues and challenges stemming from differences in their immigration legislation.

Currently, Russians can visit Malaysia visa-free for 30 days, while Malaysian citizens must obtain a visa to travel to Russia.

As both countries gear up to celebrate 60 years of diplomatic ties next year,  Moscow is also working to materialise President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Malaysia in 2027, with a series of agreements being prepared to further strengthen bilateral relations.

“We are preparing a lot of agreements, and this visit will be very meaningful for the development of our relations.

“We have a lot of possibilities, and our main task is to find the way to make it possible,” Latypov told Bernama after the Moscow City Tourism Committee Roadshow in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.

Sputnik/RIA Novosti earlier reported that His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, had invited Putin to visit Malaysia in 2027.

Putin has visited Malaysia three times, twice in 2003 and once in 2005, when he attended the inaugural Russia-ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur.

Meanwhile, Moscow City Tourism Committee Head of the Directorate for Asia, CIS and Latin America Maria Pasuginova said 3,600 Malaysians visited Russia in 2025, up about 30 per cent from 2,600 in 2024.

Another 1,600 Malaysian visitors were recorded in the first half of this year, she said, adding that Moscow hoped to return to pre-pandemic levels, when 10,000 Malaysians visited Russia in 2019.

“Malaysians' favourite time to visit Russia is during the winter season, when they can engage in a lot of winter activities, including skiing. For Muslim travellers, there are hundreds of halal restaurants in Moscow,” she said.

The roadshow featured presentations on Russian tourism attractions and business-to-business meetings between Russian and Malaysian travel agents.

In 2025, Russia was Malaysia's ninth-largest trading partner among European countries, with total trade valued at RM8.72 billion (US$2.04 billion).

Malaysia and Russia established diplomatic relations on April 3, 1967.

-- NNN-BERNAMA