Sources at Moscow’s diplomatic office have reported that Beijing may extend the visa-free policy for Russians by twelve months, possibly pushing it until 2027. Though this is a trial scheme, the Russians can stay in China without a visa for 30 days. This setup is bilateral and Russia had also introduced visa-free travel for Chinese nationals in 2025.
While the decision has not been finalized yet, both nations continue to support free movement across their borders by extending the policy by 12 months each year. Both countries are now aiming to improve their cross-border relations with such policies.
Business Trips From Russia to China Increase By 27%
The eased visa rules and expanded flights caused a significant surge in the business related travel from Russia to China in the year 2025. The experts believe that the government would ease travel rules, simplify the cross-border visits and deepen their financial relations to increase the number of tourists.
Beijing may prefer to extend this policy one year at a time instead of signing a permanent deal, mainly because of concerns about illegal border crossings. Although the authorities are cautious about the policies, the current visa-policy has already helped increase the number of tourists.
Russian Tourism to China Surges By 2026
Easier visa rules have made China more attractive to the Russian travellers. The travel bookings from Russia to China have increased in 2026 compared to the year before. The tourism in China is now not limited to cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. Lesser known places like Hainan Island have also become increasingly popular among tourists due to their warm weather, beaches and resorts.
Hainan especially saw a 120% increase in Russian visitors that crossed the 500,000 arrivals mark. Thus, the overall trend shows that Russians are not just sticking to the popular cities, they’re also exploring diverse experiences.
Travel Issues Faced By The Russians
Though China is getting more popular among the Russians, they still have to face some practical problems when travelling to China. The main issues are language barrier and payment difficulties. Apart from the tourist heavy spots, it’s difficult to communicate in English with the locals.
They also face payment friction as China heavily relies on WeChat Pay and AliPay for daily payments and Russian travelers cannot readily link their cards/bank accounts to these payment systems. Because of this, the Russians are stuck with improper payment methods in a country that barely uses cash anymore.
More Chinese Travelers Are Choosing Russia
Just like Russians are increasingly interested in visiting China, more Chinese nationals are travelling to Russia because of the easy visa rules. Most of them are attracted to well-known places like Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kremlin, Hermitage and other historical places. Beyond these famous cities, Lake Baikal is also quietly getting popular among Russian tourists.
Russia has aimed for 5.5 million Chinese tourists per year by 2030. Russia is also making several practical changes to reach the target – improving the transport and adding new air routes. China is also adding better practical services to improve the visitor experience for the Russians.
Visa-Free Travel Helps Strengthen China-Russia Relations
The two countries are using visa-free travel between their citizens to make it easier for them to travel between the two countries. By lowering entry barriers, they’re also strengthening the informal ties, alongside the business and economic relations. The policy is being renewed in shorter periods, building trust and familiarity between them.
The policy is being tested every year rather than permanently applied, and though there are no major headlines, this quiet update deepens cooperation while easing Russia Visa and China Visa travel access between both countries.
