Tourist migration in the law of the EAEU and CIS: the problem of harmonization of approaches and prospects for legal unification

this article analyzes the legal regulation of tourist migration within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Tourist migration is considered as a form of cross-border mobility in which entry is carried out for tourism purposes, but subsequently the migration intention changes, resulting in the transformation of the legal status. The lack of unified definitions, procedures, and legal mechanisms for supporting such transformation leads to regulatory fragmentation and an increase in visa violations. The aim of the study is to identify shortcomings in the existing treaty-based and national regulations, assess the prospects for digitalization of visa policy, and substantiate a model of regional legal unification. The article examines best practices from Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and the European Union, including the introduction of electronic visas, migration monitoring systems, and mechanisms for pre-entry authorization. The author proposes a concept of legal unification that includes a definition of tourist migration, a coordinated mechanism for changing the purpose of stay, and a draft international agreement regulating the actions of states toward individuals with a transformed migration status. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of applying the proposed model to the development of legal instruments within the EAEU and CIS, improving migration policy, and building a digital infrastructure for visa control.

tourist migration, visa policy, migration law, unification, electronic visa, regional cooperation