To Russia, Without a Visa?

The Polish and Russian governments have proposed the creation of a deal on visa-free travel for citizens of both countries. On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke with Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski about a possible intergovernmental agreement.

However, this agreement would only apply to Polish and Russian citizens living near the borders between the two countries, in the Kaliningrad enclave. Tourists wanting to visit the other country will still need to apply for a tourist or transit visa at a consulate or embassy.

The passage of such an agreement would expand the visa-free EU zone to include Kaliningrad. Russia is also in talks with Norway to allow citizens of both countries living within 25 kilometres of their border travel without visas.