Travelers wanting to visit Russia could soon benefit from a single-entry, electronic visa initiative which officials in Moscow are considering in order to boost tourism.

According to the Moscow-based Kommersant newspaper, President Vladimir Putin instructed the government to introduce the e-services initiative by January 1, 2021.

The initiative is based on positive experiences from the Far East and Zabaykalsky Region bordering China where citizens from 18 countries in Asia and the Middle East since 2017 are allowed to apply for e-visa for a stay up to eight days. Russia’s Foreign Ministry has a dedicated portal for e-visa applications.

By January 1, 2021 the system will be extended to entire Russia, head of the Federal Agency for Tourism Zarina Doguzova said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Kommersant reports.

E-visa will then be possible to apply for all passport holders from China, South Korea, Japan, EU countries and non-EU countries that are Schengen members, like Norway and Iceland.

In the beginning, e-visa will be granted to people entering Russia via larger cities like Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan and a few others. The number of entry points will increase, as necessary equipment will come to other border checkpoints.

The e-visa regime will be introduced for the Kaliningrad region already by July 1 this year.

Doguzova says the duration of a visa will be up to 16 days and the service cost will be $50.

You will not need invitations when applying for the new electronic visa. Today, invitations are requested even when applying for a tourist single-entry visa.