Governments of both states officially adopt visa-free access for their citizens for up to 90 days
October 22, 2019 — The visa waiver signed between the Russian Federation and Antigua & Barbuda officially comes into force today, following nearly 30 years of diplomatic relations between the Russian Federation and Antigua & Barbuda.
According to the agreement that was signed earlier in June 2019, the two countries ‘desire to further develop the friendly relations and seek to facilitate the travel procedures for the citizens of both states’.
Why do countries grant visa waivers?
Representing more than a mere travel document, passports have the ability to encourage positive engagements between countries. This isn’t the first time two governments reinforce their relations through the facilitation of visa-free mobility. More and more leaders are utilizing their passports as a tool to strengthen ties with other nations, as well as encourage tourism and boost investments and economic activity.
How does this agreement affect the power of their passports?
With this agreement in effect, Antigua and Barbuda’s passport reaches a Global Mobility Score of 138, making it the 5th most powerful in the Caribbean region, and 22nd in the world. As for the Russian passport, with a 121 Global Mobility Score, it becomes the 11th most powerful passport in Asia, and sits in the 36th global position.
Do any other Caribbean islands have visa-free access to Russia?
Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, and Jamaica are amongst the list of welcomed Caribbean countries into Russia. You can find the full list of countries that don’t require a visa prior to entering Russia, here.
The Passport Index Welcoming Rank depicts how many visa waivers the country has granted, and essentially, how ‘welcoming’ they are in respect to the rest of the world. With Russia’s low-ranking Welcoming Score (WS) of 56, signing more visa waivers will help increase their ranking.
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