Russia to cancel simplified visa regime for tourists visiting Kaliningrad as of Jan. 2015

Russian authorities will cancel a simplified procedure for issuing 72-hour tourist visas to visit the Kaliningrad region, the Russian Foreign Ministry office in Kaliningrad said on its website.

Since February 1, 2002 the citizens of the Schengen zone, as well as the UK and Japan nationals have had the opportunity to visit the Kaliningrad region as tourists and get short-term visas at automobile border crossing points Bagrationovsk and Mamonowo and at airport checkpoint Khrabrovo.