Visa-free stay for Uzbek truck drivers in Russia may be extended

The visa-free stay period for Uzbek truck drivers in Russia may be extended from 90 days to 180 days. This was announced by Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to Russia, Botirjon Asadov, during a meeting with ambassadors and entrepreneurs on January 17 this year.

During the meeting, one of the entrepreneurs noted that Uzbek citizens are currently allowed to stay in Russia visa-free for 90 days, a period that truck drivers often exhaust very quickly. According to him, once the permitted period expires, drivers are either denied entry into Russia or those already in the country are deported.

For this reason, the entrepreneur requested that the visa-free stay period for truck drivers be extended from 90 to 180 days, or from three to six months.

Asadov said that the Russian government has instructed the Ministry of Internal Affairs to address the issue. At present, procedures to extend the 90-day period to 180 days are being developed. However, changes are also being made to the list of required documents. The new regulations for truck drivers are expected to come into force later this year.