Russia Expands E-Visa Program: Two New Border Crossings in Yakutsk and Amur

In a government decree dated June 23, 2026, Russia added two more border crossings to the official list of entry points for holders of an electronic visa (e-visa): Yakutsk International Airport and the Kani-Kurgan land border crossing in the Amur Region. This continues a trend that travelers and visa applicants have been observing since early 2026, as Kysyl Airport in the Republic of Tuva had been integrated into the system just a few months earlier. In total, three new crossing points have been added since the beginning of the year, bringing the list published by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to 109 authorized entry and exit points at airports, land border crossings, train stations, and sea and river ports.

Yakutsk Airport is the main gateway to the Republic of Sakha, better known as Yakutia, one of the largest and, at the same time, most sparsely populated regions in northeastern Russia. The city is known for its permafrost landscape, a mammoth museum, and a historic district with traditional wooden houses. Yakutsk also serves as a starting point for excursions into the Lena Valley and to the impressive Lena Pillars, a rock formation listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Important for travel planning: The airport’s inclusion on the official list does not automatically mean that direct flights to Yakutsk are available from every country of origin—travelers should check the actual flight connections in advance.

The second new entry point, Kani-Kurgan, is not an airport but a road border crossing in the Amur Region near the city of Blagoveshchensk. Via the road bridge spanning the Amur River, this crossing connects the Russian city with Heihe on the Chinese side. Its inclusion on the official list now allows eligible travelers to enter or exit Russia at this location with an e-visa—including as part of a land travel route between the two countries. For travelers planning a combined trip to China and Russia, this opens up an additional, hassle-free option for crossing the border.

For applicants, this expansion primarily means greater flexibility in route planning: Those who previously had to rely on traditional entry points such as Moscow or St. Petersburg can now also travel directly to more remote regions of Siberia and the Russian Far East with an e-visa. The e-visa for Russia remains a digital process that is applied for online and is intended for short-term tourist, business, or private stays—without the need for a personal visit to government offices.

It is important to note that the inclusion of a port of entry on the e-visa list does not guarantee the availability of an international flight connection. Travelers planning to enter via Yakutsk or depart via Kani-Kurgan should check the availability of the respective connection well in advance and adjust their itinerary accordingly. If you’re unsure which visa type is appropriate for your planned stay, our visa overview for Russia provides a breakdown of the various categories, ranging from tourist to business stays.

We handle the entire process of reviewing and submitting documents for e-visas as well as traditional visa categories on behalf of our customers, so that travelers can focus on planning their actual trip. Given the growing number of entry points, it’s worth coordinating the choice of visa type and itinerary with us well in advance to avoid delays and ensure a smooth entry into the country.