Visa-free travel between Russia and SA
South Africans travelling to Russia without the intention of working, studying or living in the country will be free from visa requirements as of 1 April.
The same goes for Russian citizens visiting South Africa.
Department of Home Affairs spokesperson Mayihlome Tshwete says: "It means less inconvenience, less administration when you want to travel to Russia."
The Department of Home Affairs (DOH) has been engaging with Russia on the issue for a number of months.
Tshwete says the department believes South African travellers don't pose many risks and should be afforded more convenient travel arrangements.
"South Africans don't travel to countries to stay their indefinitely. We travel for visiting purposes and where we are travelling to stay for work, we travel through regular means. You don't get many South Africans being deported back to South Africa," he says.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation has issued a statement on the matter, saying: "Under the Protocol’s provisions, citizens of Russia and South Africa travelling without the intention of working, studying or living in the other country’s territory, are free from visa requirements."
The DOH has extended an invite to the EU and other countries with which it has a no visa requirement to reciprocate those travel arrangements.