While Russia continues its war against Ukraine and remains under international sanctions, its citizens are being promised new travel prospects. However, instead of European resorts, Russian diplomacy is suggesting that attention be turned to Ethiopia, with which Moscow is discussing the gradual easing of visa requirements. This is reported by The Moscow Times, writes UNN.
Details
Russia's ambassador to Ethiopia, Yevgeny Terekhin, said that the countries could gradually ease entry rules for tourists and businesspeople. However, the diplomat did not name specific deadlines for introducing a visa-free regime.
The issue of further phased liberalization of the entry regime will be decided depending on the growth of mutual tourist flows and bilateral business contacts
Russia's new tourist horizons
For now, Russians still need a visa even to travel to Ethiopia. A 30-day permit costs $62, while a 90-day permit costs $152.
Despite the high-profile talk about new opportunities, Ethiopia remains far from the most popular destination among Russian tourists. In 2025, 23,400 Russians visited the country, and it ranked only 24th among foreign tourist destinations.
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Moscow and Addis Ababa are also discussing an increase in the number of flights. Currently, Ethiopian Airlines operates 6 flights per week between the capitals of the two countries.
Notably, Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world. The average salary there is about $60, while GDP per capita is approximately $994.
At the same time, following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia faced the closure of EU airspace to Russian airlines and other restrictions.
Thus, while the Kremlin talks about new international opportunities, one of the diplomatic achievements for Russian tourists may be the prospect of eventually visiting Ethiopia without a visa. And even that is only a promise for now.