President Putin signed Decree No. 730 on 12 October 2026. It lets citizens of Vietnam enter Russia without a visa for up to 30 days. The decree starts on 15 October 2026 and runs until 15 October 2027 inclusive. It is a one-year, unilateral measure.
This note is for OTAs and airlines selling Russia to Vietnamese passport holders. It is not legal advice.
What the decree says
The decree does not set a cumulative limit such as 90 days in 180. It only sets a maximum of 30 days per stay.
What OTAs and airlines should do
Update the rule from 15 October. For Vietnamese ordinary passports on trips to Russia, switch from visa required to visa-free up to 30 days for arrivals from 15 October 2026. Arrivals before that date still need a visa or e-visa.
Check trip length. Stays longer than 30 days still need a visa. Flag itineraries where the return date is more than 30 days after arrival.
Check trip purpose. Students, workers, journalists and people moving to Russia are excluded. Keep the visa path for them.
Store the end date. Put 15 October 2027 into your rules engine so the exemption does not silently stay on after it lapses, unless Russia extends it.
Stop upselling the e-visa for this route. Do not sell a Russian e-visa to eligible Vietnamese tourists from 15 October unless the trip falls outside the decree.
Remind about stay rules. Visa-free does not remove Russian migration registration rules during the stay.
Related: Tajikistan and Iran move to 30-day visa-free travel, Timatic and modern visa APIs, and eVisa API for OTAs and airlines.
Coverage alerts send one email per rule change for the destinations you pick, from the partner console. Systems can take the same events as webhooks; the shape is in the developer docs. The live requirement for any passport is always in the requirements checker.
Information taken from the sources below. Not legal advice. Confirm the decree text before you switch a Vietnam-to-Russia rule.
Kremlin, 12 Oct 2026, executive order verified 14 Oct 2026 · Decree of the President No. 730, 12 Oct 2026 verified 14 Oct 2026 · TASS, 12 Oct 2026 verified 14 Oct 2026