Do Hong Kong passport holders need a visa to visit RU?

HKSAR ordinary passport holders can enter Russia visa-free for up to 14 days per visit (with a cumulative cap of 90 days per 180-day period) for tourism. Since 30 June 2025, all visa-free visitors must pre-register in the RuID app and present a QR code on arrival. Holders of an ordinary Hong Kong SAR passport do NOT need a visa for short tourist visits to Russia. Under the bilateral visa-waiver arrangement, HKSAR passport holders may stay visa-free for up to 14 calendar days per entry, counted from the day of crossing the border, provided the cumulative stay does not exceed 90 days within any 180-day period. The waiver covers tourism, business, and private visits but does NOT permit paid work, study, or residence. Russia is not part of the Schengen area, so the Schengen 90/180 rule and ETIAS do not apply here. The most important recent change: effective 30 June 2025, every foreign national entering Russia visa-free (including HKSAR passport holders) must register in advance through the official RuID mobile app, uploading personal and biometric data (facial image) to receive a QR code that is scanned at the border. No visa fee applies. Travel medical insurance is strongly recommended though not legally mandated, and border officers commonly ask to see return/onward tickets and proof of funds or accommodation. If you intend to stay longer than 14 days, work, study, or settle, you must obtain an appropriate Russian visa (including the unified e-visa, which is NOT needed by HKSAR holders for short tourism but is an alternative for longer single stays up to 30 days).