The fee covers both doses of the vaccine, Health Minister Roberto Ciavatta told a press conference.

The Russian jab will be made available to anyone who books a hotel for at least three nights and returns within three or four weeks for the second dose.

The scheme, which launches from May 17, aims to take advantage of travel restrictions in surrounding Italy to attract more tourists than usual to the tiny landlocked country.

The Sputnik V vaccine has not been authorised by European Union authorities, but San Marino is not a member of the bloc and has been dispensing it since early March.

The tiny hilltop republic of San Marino, landlocked between Le Marche and Emilia-Romagna, has around 34,000 citizens and since starting the vaccination campaign has immunised 25,000 people, officials said on a briefing on Wednesday, mostly with the Russian vaccine.

Foreign Minister Luca Beccari said on Wednesday that the republic was close to being “COVID free”.