Russia in talks with Kuwait on visa-free travel deal

If you’ve ever looked into flying to Moscow or St Petersburg and groaned at the visa paperwork, there’s some news worth watching. Russia says it is talking to Kuwait about dropping visa requirements between the two countries altogether.

The announcement came from Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Borisenko, who said Moscow is working with both Kuwait and Bahrain on a visa-free arrangement. It’s not a done deal yet, but it follows a pattern Russia has already set with other Gulf states, and it comes at a time when Kuwait has been exploring other visa-free options too, including progress on Kuwait’s push for Schengen visa-free travel.

Here’s everything Borisenko said, what it means for trade between the two countries, and what it could mean for you if these talks go anywhere.

What exactly did Russia say?

Borisenko, speaking in his role as Deputy Foreign Minister, said: “currently, work continues with Bahrain and Kuwait on implementing a visa-free regime. This is already in effect with Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates for holders of ordinary passports. We hope Bahrain and Kuwait will follow the lead of their regional partners.”

In plain terms, four of Kuwait’s GCC neighbours already let Russian passport holders, and in most cases their own citizens, enter without a visa. Russia wants Kuwait and Bahrain to sign up to the same kind of deal. For now, it’s a stated goal, not a signed agreement, so nothing changes immediately for anyone holding a Kuwaiti or Russian passport.

This isn’t the only visa news Kuwait has been part of lately. Kuwaiti nationals also feature on the list of countries that can travel to Japan visa-free, and the region has seen several similar moves recently, including the new Oman-Pakistan visa exemption deal.

Why is Kuwait part of these talks?

The source report points to trade as a big part of the picture. Bilateral trade between Kuwait and Russia is valued at around US$1.7 billion, and it has grown in both 2025 and 2026. Kuwait mainly sells electrical products to Russia, while Russia exports iron, copper and chocolate to Kuwait.

The report also notes that Kuwait wants to diversify its economy and build some form of association with the BRICS group of nations, which includes Russia. Both countries are reportedly looking to scale up cooperation in energy projects, petrochemicals, and agricultural and food exports. There’s also talk of joint investment mechanisms, possibly through the Kuwait Investment Authority working alongside Russia’s Roscongress Foundation.

Trade ties between the two are described as likely to stay conservative for now, meaning growth will probably be gradual rather than dramatic, even with a possible visa-free deal in place.

And what about Bahrain?

Bahrain is in the same boat as Kuwait, still negotiating rather than signed up. Russia already runs a trade surplus with Bahrain, selling metals, industrial goods and pulp and paper products, while Bahrain exports aluminium and petroleum-related goods back to Russia.

Bilateral trade between Russia and Bahrain sits at about US$115 million, smaller than the Kuwait figure, but it grew by roughly 15% during 2025. Both countries are also working on expanding correspondent banking networks and alternative financial settlement channels, essentially ways to move money between the two countries outside the usual international banking systems. There’s also discussion about Russian pharmaceutical companies setting up localised production inside Bahrain.

Tourism already flows well between the two: more than 35,000 Russian tourists visit Bahrain every year, helped by growing direct flight connections. The report says agriculture, food, tourism and transport are the main areas both sides want to build on further.

What would this mean for people in Kuwait?

If this deal eventually goes through, Kuwaiti passport holders could travel to Russia without applying for a visa in advance, similar to how things already work for Saudi, Omani, Qatari and Emirati ordinary passport holders. Russian citizens would likely get the same treatment coming into Kuwait.

The source report doesn’t give specific numbers for how many Russian tourists currently visit Kuwait directly, though it says tourism exchanges between the two countries have grown significantly overall. A visa-free arrangement would likely make that number easier to track, and probably push it higher.

For now, if you’re planning travel to Russia from Kuwait, you’ll still need to go through the usual visa process. Our guide to applying for a Kuwait visa and this site’s wider international news coverage are worth bookmarking if you want to catch any formal update when it lands.