China-Russia Mutual Visa Exemption Implemented! Russian Citizens Can Enter China Visa-Free for Up to 30 Days from September 15, Boosting Cross-Border Tourism and Trade
“”
On September 2, at a regular press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun officially announced that to further promote international personnel exchanges and cooperation, China has decided to implement a unilateral visa-free policy for Russian citizens holding ordinary passports. This trial policy will be in effect from September 15, 2025, to September 14, 2026. This means Russian nationals can enter China without a visa for business, tourism, family visits, exchanges, or transit stays not exceeding 30 days.
This policy is a significant facilitation measure for personnel exchanges achieved under the strategic guidance of the leaders of China and Russia. Guo Jiakun stated that China consistently attaches great importance to bilateral people-to-people exchanges between China and Russia. This move will vigorously promote the continued deepening of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era and extend a welcome to more Russian friends to "visit China often and regularly."
The market response was swift after the announcement. According to data from the online travel platform "Qunar," within half an hour of the policy's release, search volume for flights from Moscow to China nearly doubled week-on-week, with peak instantaneous searches reaching nearly four times the usual level. Among these, the Moscow-to-Beijing route saw the highest search activity, with the current average ticket price including taxes being around RMB 1,415. A significant increase in flight bookings is expected once the policy officially takes effect.
Since the beginning of this year, cooperation between China and Russia in trade, economy, culture, tourism, and other fields has been continuously warming. Based on Qunar's data on summer inbound travel, Russia already ranks among the top three source countries for inbound tourism to China. The implementation of this visa-free policy is anticipated to further stimulate the desire of Russian tourists to visit China, boosting passenger flow in the inbound tourism market, particularly in northern cities and border regions, in the fourth quarter and throughout 2026.
Analysis suggests that this policy will not only promote non-governmental exchanges and tourism recovery between China and Russia but also provide a more convenient channel for bilateral economic, trade, and cultural exchanges. In the future, China and Russia are expected to engage in more frequent and in-depth interactions in areas such as cross-border business, exhibition cooperation, and cultural exchanges.
It has been learned that multiple travel agencies and business service providers have already begun actively preparing tourism products and business reception plans targeting Russian tourists. The market is expected to welcome the first peak of visa-free entries after the policy officially takes effect in mid-September.
