Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova’s statement in connection with temporary restrictions on the entry of foreign citizens and stateless persons into the Russian Federation

On March 16, 2020, the Government of the Russian Federation issued its Directive No 635-r on temporarily restricting the entry of foreign citizens and stateless persons, including those arriving from the Republic of Belarus and citizens of the Republic of Belarus, into the Russian Federation from March 18, 2020 through May 1, 2020. This is being done to guarantee the security of the state, to protect the people’s health and to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus infection in the Russian Federation.

These restrictions do not apply to accredited or appointed officials of diplomatic missions and consular agencies of foreign states in the Russian Federation, international organisations and their offices, other official foreign representative offices in the Russian Federation, as well as members of the above-mentioned persons’ families, drivers of vehicles involved in international road traffic, the crews of aircraft, sea-going and river-going vessels, train and locomotive teams involved in international railway traffic, members of official delegations and persons having diplomatic, business and ordinary private visas issued in connection with the death of a close relative, persons permanently living in the Russian Federation and persons transiting local airports.

In this connection, as a temporary measure, diplomatic missions and consular agencies of the Russian Federation will stop accepting documents, and cease the processing and issuing all categories of visas, except visas for the above-mentioned persons. They will also suspend the processing of e-visas.

These absolutely temporary measures are motivated by extraordinary circumstances.