China's Foreign Ministry has announced that it will exempt visas for Russian citizens holding regular passports for a one-year trial period, starting on September 15. Russians can enter China for up to 30 days for tourism, work, sightseeing, exchange and transit purposes.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesman - Mr. Quach Gia Khon - said that this decision reflects the high level of development in bilateral relations and aims to strengthen people-to-people connections between the two countries.
The announcement was made during Russian President Vladimir Putin's four-day visit to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit, where he met with General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping and many other international leaders.
Shortly after the announcement, the Association of Russian Travel syndicators said that searches for flights and hotels to China had doubled. Association President - Mr. Aleksandr Bragin - predicted that demand could increase by over 30%.
Previously, Russian citizens who wanted to go to China had to apply for a visa through centers in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Petersburg or the Chinese Embassy in many other cities. The fee ranges from 2,500 to 3,300 rubles ($31 - $41) for a one-time visa, while multiple- visits cost $12.92 or more, with an average processing time of one week.
Bilateral tourism relations have been promoted since August 2023 when the two countries launched a visa-free group tourism exchange program, attracting nearly 130,000 participants in just the first year.
According to the Russian Travel Association, the number of tourists between the two countries continues to increase thanks to favorable policies and electronic visa services. Currently, 8 Russian airlines operate 36 routes to China, while 10 Chinese airlines operate 24 routes to Russia, a total of 230 flights per week.
Russian national airline Aeroflot said that the number of passengers coming to China will nearly trip in 2024, reaching about 830,000 people, focusing on destinations such as Hainan, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong (China).
