Overview
- Announcing the plan at a Kremlin meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Vladimir Putin said reciprocal entry for Chinese citizens would begin in the very near future.
- Putin said the measure would deliver significant economic and humanitarian benefits and strengthen people-to-people contacts.
- No start date or specific terms were disclosed, and the change has not yet been enacted into law or regulation.
- China has allowed Russian passport holders to visit visa-free for up to 30 days since Sept. 15 as part of a one-year trial program.
- Russia and China previously had a mutual visa-free regime for group tours that was paused during the pandemic, and China permits up to 10 days of visa-free transit for Russian travelers.