(RUSSIA) Russia has launched a temporary visa-free regime for Chinese citizens, allowing short stays in the country without a visa from December 1, 2025, to September 14, 2026, in a move that underlines growing ties between Moscow and Beijing. The measure, introduced by a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin, applies to Chinese nationals holding ordinary passports and permits stays of up to 30 days per visit.
Scope and permitted activities
The new rules open the door to the following short-term activities in Russia:
- Tourism
- Business trips
- Family visits
- Transit
- Participation in scientific, cultural, socio-political, economic, and sports events
Officials in both countries present the policy as part of a broader effort to bring more visitors, trade missions, and cultural groups across the border during the trial period. Major Russian cities such as Vladivostok, Moscow, and St. Petersburg are expected to draw many of these visitors, especially tour groups and small business delegations.
Clear limits and exclusions
The visa-free regime is explicitly limited and does not permit:
- Employment (including journalistic work)
- Study
- Long-term residence
- International road transportation activities (drivers, crew members, freight forwarders, interpreters)
Chinese citizens who plan to work in Russia, enroll in Russian educational institutions, or settle for a longer period still need regular visas and, in many cases, additional permits. Russian border officers will remain responsible for checking that people entering under this regime are using it only for the allowed purposes.
Important: The trial period is temporary and does not offer any path to work authorization or permanent status. Any activity outside the allowed categories will continue to require a proper visa.
Purpose and political context
The trial period is framed as a tool to support short stays and cross-border movement at a time when Russia faces heavy Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine and is turning more toward Asia for trade, tourism, and political backing.
- According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, focused visa waivers like this are often used to promote tourism and small business travel without opening the door to broader migration.
- Russian officials have tied the move directly to a similar step taken by Beijing earlier in 2025, describing Moscow’s decision as reciprocal.
China’s matching policy
On September 15, 2025, China began its own trial visa-free policy for Russian citizens, also running until September 14, 2026, and allowing stays of up to 30 days.
- Under China’s program, Russians can visit for business, tourism, family visits, exchange, and transit, but not for work or study.
- Moscow’s matching privilege for Chinese citizens underscores the close alignment of the two governments’ border policies.
Early implementation and border cooperation
The arrangement produced visible changes immediately:
- Chinese authorities recorded the first visa-free entries at the Suifenhe Highway Port in Heilongjiang Province on December 1, 2025, the first day the Russian waiver came into effect.
- Local officials in the border area have upgraded service facilities and are coordinating with Russian partners to design new short-trip tourism products, such as:
- Weekend shopping tours
- Coastal visits to Vladivostok
- Combined cultural programs on both sides of the border
Impact on businesses and transport operators
For small traders and tour operators, the policy could lower costs and cut waiting times because short-stay visas are not required during the trial window.
- Travel agencies focusing on northeastern China ↔ Russian Far East routes are expected to adjust packages around the 30-day limit, promoting frequent brief trips rather than long stays.
- Airlines, railway companies, and bus operators that serve cross-border routes may see higher demand as Chinese citizens take advantage of easier entry rules.
Remaining immigration controls and penalties
The visa-free regime keeps many core immigration controls intact:
- No change to rules on Russian work permits, student visas, or residence permits
- No effect on background checks at the border
People who try to use visa-free entry to work informally or stay beyond 30 days risk:
- Fines
- Removal (deportation)
- Future difficulties entering Russia
The decree makes clear that any activity outside tourism, business meetings, family visits, events, or transit will continue to require a proper visa.
Broader strategic relevance
The policy ties into a broader political strategy as Moscow deepens ties with partners more open to cooperation since Western sanctions were imposed.
- Looser travel rules for Chinese citizens aim to increase Chinese tourism in Russian cities, boost attendance at fairs and trade shows, and foster personal links between families and students.
- For Beijing, the matching policy for Russian travelers supports similar economic and cultural goals, encouraging hotel bookings, shopping, and business deals.
Practical guidance for travelers
Chinese citizens planning to use the visa-free entry to Russia should note:
- Must hold an ordinary passport
- Purpose of visit must fit within tourism, business, family, events, or transit
- Trips must not exceed 30 days
- The regime expires on September 14, 2026 — visits starting near that date could be affected if the policy is not renewed
For the latest official instructions, travelers can check notices from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and from Chinese consular services.
Legal status and outlook
- The decree establishing the Russian regime was published on the official website of the Russian Federation, confirming its status as national law rather than a small regional pilot.
- Both governments present the arrangement as an experiment with a clear end date, not a permanent change to immigration systems.
Key takeaway: The visa-free regime is a practical symbol of closer political relations between Russia and China. It gives Chinese citizens a limited but meaningful way to visit Russia more easily for tourism and business, while providing Russian citizens a matching benefit in China.
What comes next
Whether the policy will be extended, expanded to include more travel categories, or allowed to expire on September 14, 2026, will depend on:
- Political decisions in Moscow and Beijing
- The volume and nature of traffic generated during the trial period
The outcome will reflect how successful the short-term opening proves to be in generating tourism, business, and cultural exchange without undermining existing immigration controls.
Russia launched a temporary visa-free regime for Chinese ordinary passport holders from December 1, 2025, to September 14, 2026, allowing visits up to 30 days for tourism, business, family visits, transit, and events. The program excludes employment, study, long-term residence, and international road transport activities; those activities still require standard visas and permits. The policy mirrors a Chinese matching program and aims to boost short-term tourism and trade while preserving immigration controls and monitoring for abuse during the trial period.
