(RUSSIA) — Russia launched a temporary visa-free entry regime for citizens of the People’s Republic of China, a policy shift that took effect in January 2026 and is expected to drive a sharp rise in arrivals from Russia’s biggest inbound tourism market.
The move, paired with China’s reciprocal visa waiver for Russians, has reshaped travel planning between the two neighbors at a time when Russian outbound options to Europe remain constrained by sanctions-related disruptions to flights and payment networks.
Visa-free regime for Chinese citizens
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an executive order on December 1, 2025 titled “On the Temporary Procedure for Entering in and Exiting from the Russian Federation for Citizens of the People’s Republic of China,” setting out the framework for Visa-Free Chinese Tourism and spelling out what travelers can and cannot do under the waiver.
The executive order made visa-free entry available to Chinese citizens holding ordinary passports and set a maximum stay of 30 days, while limiting the waiver to specific purposes: tourism, business meetings, scientific, cultural, and sporting events.
Despite the “visa-free” label, travelers still face border entry checks and must stay within the permitted activities, with the order framing the arrangement as a temporary procedure rather than a blanket removal of entry controls.
Moscow set the regime’s duration as running from December 1, 2025, until September 14, 2026, describing it as time-limited even as tour operators and local businesses prepare for the arrival surge through 2026.
Official rationale and presidential remarks
Putin linked the measure to broader ties with Beijing in remarks released by the Kremlin. “I am confident that this will have very significant consequences in both the economic and humanitarian spheres. In my view, this will be a positive boost to the development of our relations,” he said during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
Reciprocity and China’s policy
China’s corresponding policy, which Russia said mirrored Beijing’s earlier move, began with a September 15, 2025 decision to grant Russian citizens 30-day visa-free entry to China.
The reciprocal waivers have become central to travel planning for Russians who have increasingly looked to China as a destination described as “politically uncontroversial,” while direct access to Europe has been disrupted by blocked routes and the suspension of Visa and Mastercard networks in Russia due to sanctions.
Impact on tourism and the economy
Tourism officials and the industry expect the largest impact on inbound travel to Russia. The Association of Tour Operators of Russia predicted Chinese arrivals would reach 2 million in 2026 after the waiver, up from an estimated 1.3 million in 2025.
Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development has identified China as its “top inbound market,” tying the visa-free move to broader efforts to support a tourism sector described as still recovering from pandemic-era disruptions and Western sanctions.
- Major hubs expected to benefit include Moscow and St. Petersburg
- Northern destinations such as Murmansk were cited for Aurora viewing
- Hotels, transport firms, retailers and tour operators stand to see a larger customer base
Concerns about “gray tourism”
The expansion in Visa-Free Chinese Tourism has fed concerns highlighted in reporting about “gray tourism,” a term used for arrangements in which Chinese-owned businesses in Russia handle Chinese tourists, leaving little profit for local Russian firms.
Those concerns have practical implications for travelers as well as businesses. Visitors who want to avoid unlicensed or opaque services can focus on clearly identified, legally operating providers for accommodation, transport and guided tours.
- Choose legally operating, clearly identified providers
- Verify accommodation and transport providers before booking
- Ensure travel purpose fits the permitted categories under the waiver
Eligibility and practical rules for travelers
For Chinese citizens traveling to Russia, the executive order’s eligibility baseline is ordinary passport status and a stay plan that does not exceed 30 days, with the trip purpose staying within tourism, business meetings, scientific, cultural, or sporting events.
Travelers should treat “visa-free” as eliminating the visa application step, not as removing entry screening, and they should prepare documentation consistent with the stated purpose of travel and the temporary nature of the regime.
In practice, travelers on either side who plan longer stays, repeated visits, or activities outside tourism and short business-type meetings may still need to consider visa options rather than relying on the waiver, because the regime described here is limited both by time and by allowed purposes.
Cost implications
Cost can also shape decisions, because Chinese travelers could now visit with only an ordinary passport, reducing travel costs by an estimated saving of $150-$200 in fees.
Spending in-country still depends on itinerary, transport and accommodation choices, and travelers should factor those elements into trip budgets despite the saving on visa fees.
For Russians traveling to China under Beijing’s waiver
For Russian citizens heading to China under Beijing’s September 15, 2025 decision, the same basic logic applies: the waiver supports short stays of up to 30 days, but travelers still need to plan their itinerary and activities around the conditions of visa-free entry and avoid work or other activities that fall outside the permitted scope of a short-term visit.
The key practical constraint for Russians using the China waiver remains the 30-day window and the requirement to avoid activities that would require a work or other longer-term status, even if the visa step itself is removed for short visits.
U.S. government action affecting travelers from Russia
The Russia-China visa-free regime is also unfolding alongside a separate U.S. government action that affects Russians who plan travel or migration to the United States, adding another layer of uncertainty for mixed itineraries that include a U.S. leg.
Effective January 21, 2026, the U.S. Department of State implemented an “indefinite pause” on immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries, including Russia, a move tied to “public charge” concerns under INA Section 212(a)(4).
That U.S. step draws a sharp line between immigrant visas and nonimmigrant visas. The pause affects immigrant visas tied to permanent residence, while nonimmigrant visas such as tourism and student categories remain available for Russians, though they are subject to “heightened security-focused screening and vetting procedures.”
For travelers and families, the distinction changes how they plan. Russians seeking to immigrate to the United States now face an indefinite freeze on applications at embassies and consulates, while Russians pursuing temporary travel may still apply but should anticipate scrutiny, documentation checks, and the possibility of longer processing timelines.
China is “notably not included on this specific 75-country pause list,” though it remains under other vetting programs, a contrast that can affect itinerary planning for families with multiple nationalities.
For the U.S. action, the Department of State has posted updates on its travel site, cited as “Suspension of Visa Issuance to Protect the Security of the United States,” at Suspension of Visa Issuance to Protect the Security of the United States.
Even with official pages available, travelers often face fast-moving changes, and the most reliable approach is to use official domains, check any last-updated timestamps shown on those pages, and cross-check details with embassy and consulate traveler notices, which can vary by post and by where an application is submitted.
Practical implications for travelers
For Russian travelers who want to keep U.S. options open, realistic planning now hinges on whether the purpose is temporary travel or immigration. An immigrant-visa pause, coupled with continued availability of nonimmigrant visas under heightened screening, points travelers toward contingency planning and careful preparation of supporting documents.
Administrative processing, appointment availability, and travel planning uncertainty become more important under those conditions, because a trip built around tight dates can unravel if additional vetting or delays occur, particularly for applicants who need to coordinate travel for family members.
For Chinese travelers focused on Russia, the temporary regime’s dates and stay limit make trip length and timing the central constraints. The order runs until September 14, 2026, and travelers who arrive near the end of that window still need to ensure they fit within the policy as it stands at the time of entry.
Travelers on both sides also need to treat the regime as conditional and time-limited, because the policy is defined as a temporary procedure with a start and end date rather than a permanent removal of visa requirements.
For Russians weighing U.S. plans on January 21, 2026, the new reality is more restrictive for immigration, with nonimmigrant travel still possible but under the “heightened security-focused screening and vetting procedures” described above.
