The Federal Law dated 03.07.2016 (No 253-FL) On Amendments to Russian Legislation to Improve the Legal Regulation of Relations Pertaining to the Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims and the Use of Foreign Vessels in the Internal Waters and the Territorial Sea of the Russian Federation developed by the Ministry of Transport in cooperation with and the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and the Ministry of Culture ensures a simplified regime for foreign cruise ships entering the ports of Russia, says the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East.
“New regulations for cruise activities require no border zone permits for tourists onboard the ships and ensure a one-stop shop principle for obtaining a permit to arrange cruises. This will increase the number of cruise routes and the number of tourists”, says the Ministry.
Border regime regulations are not applicable to foreign-flagged ships carrying tourists for the purpose of visiting one or several ports or points and allowed to perform activities in the sphere of tourism, to passengers and crewmembers of such ships calling the ports and (or) points in the internal waters and the territorial sea of the Russian Federation bordering the entities of the Russian Federation within its Arctic Zone and (or) the Far East Federal District.