On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree enabling visa-free entry for up to 30 days to Russia for select categories of Chinese citizens, including tourists, businesspeople, academics, artists, and athletes. The move is expected to expand economic cooperation and deepen cultural and people-to-people ties, reinforcing the foundation for long-term China-Russia relations. The announcement coincided with a year of sustained high-level engagement, as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was slated to visit Russia from Monday for the 20th round of China-Russia strategic security consultations. Observers say the convergence of high-level diplomacy and easier travel reflects growing mutual trust and a shared push to strengthen security cooperation and inject stability into the region and beyond.
The visa exemption is reciprocal and runs from September 15, 2025 to September 14, 2026. Eligible purposes include personal or business visits, tourism, scientific, cultural, socio-political, economic, and sporting events, as well as transit. A valid PRC passport suffices for visa-free entry and exit, according to a Kremlin document cited by TASS.
China will pilot a visa-free policy for Russian citizens holding ordinary passports from September 15, 2025 to September 14, 2026. Those coming for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, exchange visits, or transit for no more than 30 days may enter China without a visa, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun at a September 2 press briefing.
The reciprocal visa-free arrangement is already facilitating travel and boosting enthusiasm for exchanges and tourism, which in turn is expected to expand economic cooperation and deepen cultural links, said Wang Xiaoquan of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies. “People-to-people exchanges are expanding in both scale and depth, with public enthusiasm at an all-time high. The visa-free policy gives this momentum an even stronger boost,” he told the Global Times.
Travel platforms reported a surge in searches for Russian destinations. Tongcheng Travel said that since November, searches for flights from China to Russia have continued to rise, with hotel bookings for Russia as the main destination up over 40 percent year-on-year.
