Putin Proposes Permanent Russia-China Visa-Free Travel Regime
Bishkek, The Gulf Observer: Russia is ready to work with China to make the visa-free travel regime between the two countries permanent if Beijing considers such a move feasible and beneficial, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
Speaking at a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, Putin said Moscow was prepared to cooperate with Beijing to institutionalize the visa-free arrangement.
“We are ready to work together to make the visa-free regime permanent if the Chinese side considers this possible and useful,” Putin said.
The Russian president noted that the visa-free arrangement had contributed to a significant increase in tourism between the two countries, with tourist flows rising by 43 percent during the first half of the year.
On December 1, 2025, Putin signed a decree allowing Chinese citizens to enter Russia without visas for stays of up to 30 days until September 14, 2026, based on the principle of reciprocity. China had earlier introduced a similar visa-free arrangement for Russian citizens.
The two countries subsequently extended the visa-free entry arrangement until the end of 2027.
Chinese Ambassador to Moscow Zhang Hanhui previously said the abolition of visa requirements had contributed to a sharp rise in Chinese tourist arrivals in Russia, with the number increasing by nearly 1.5 times during the first quarter of 2026.
The proposed permanent visa-free regime could further strengthen people-to-people exchanges, tourism and broader bilateral relations between Russia and China.
