Putin signed a decree on visa-free entry for Chinese citizens

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree according to which Chinese citizens will be able to enter Russia without a visa for up to 30 days. The relevant document was published on December 1 on the official Internet portal of legal information.

The document, which entered into force from the moment of signing, is valid until September 14, 2026 and grants the right to visa-free entry, stay and exit on the basis of reciprocity. The basis for crossing the border is a valid passport of a citizen of the People's Republic of China.

The visa-free regime applies to guest and business trips, tourism, participation in scientific, cultural, socio-political, economic and sporting events, as well as transit through the territory of Russia.

The exception is Chinese citizens who enter the Russian Federation to work, study, live, or carry out international road transportation as drivers, crew members, freight forwarders, or interpreters accompanying vehicles. The visa procedure remains in place for these categories.

Beijing, while it's hot: Russians are buying tickets to China due to the introduction of visa-free travel

The average cost of a two-person tour for a week is 120-150 thousand rubles, depending on the destination

The introduction of the PRC visa-free regime for citizens of the Russian Federation with a regular passport for up to 30 days became known on September 2. Then Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated the next day that Russia would reciprocate China's move.

The official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Maria Zakharova, said on September 18 that Russia was working on the issue of introducing a visa-free regime for Chinese citizens.

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