Starting September 15, 2025, holders of Russian passports will be able to enter China without needing a visa, as long as they do not remain longer than 30 days. The new policy will last until September 14, 2026, and will be available for any type of trip: business meetings, vacations, visiting friends and family, and expections in a respective cultural exchange.
A Move that Strengthens Relations
Beijing was very clear that their intention is bigger than simply offering a visa-free option to Russians. According to a statement from Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, it is part of the effort to deepen the relationship between China and Russia as they enter what they have said is a “new era of comprehensive strategic partnership.” A euphemistic way of saying that they would like to see more people-to-people exchange, cooperation, and of course, more cross-border foot traffic in both directions.
Why Now?
While it may seem somewhat sudden, it isn’t totally out of nowhere. In August of 2023, the two countries had previously revived their visa-free group travel program after ending it during the pandemic. The response was immediate, increasing tourism between the two neighbours, and by 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin was boasting about the figures: cross-border tripled 2.5 times – to 2.8m total.
A Bit of Fine Print
While groups and now individual Russians benefit from the enjoyment of a 30-day visa-free period, this isn’t a completely open play area. For longer stays or specific activities the normal visa regulations still apply. But for Russia and a few specific others, China had already made things easy, expanding the transit stays without a visa to 10 days last December.
The Bottom Line
For the traveler this is a win, for China and Russia it’s another step in affirming their increasingly tight partnership. And for anyone with a Russian passport? Time to cleanup the suitcase because the Great Wall, Shanghai skyline and endless bowls of hotpot just got a whole lot closer.
