Putin pushes for permanent visa-free travel with China

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed making visa-free travel between Russia and China a

BISHKEK: Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed making visa-free travel between Russia and China a permanent arrangement, as Moscow and Beijing move to further strengthen tourism, economic links and people-to-people exchanges.

Putin made the remarks on Monday during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek.

The Russian president said Moscow was prepared to work with Beijing to turn the current visa-free system into a permanent arrangement, provided China considers the move practical and beneficial.

Russia introduced a reciprocal visa-free regime for Chinese citizens in December 2025. Under the arrangement, eligible Chinese travellers can stay in Russia for up to 30 days without obtaining a visa. The current regime is scheduled to remain in place until September 14, 2026.

China had earlier introduced a similar visa-free facility for Russian citizens. The two countries later agreed to extend visa-free travel arrangements for their nationals until the end of 2027.

Putin said the policy had already produced a significant increase in travel between the two countries. According to figures cited by the Russian president, tourist trips between Russia and China increased by 43% during the first half of 2026.

Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui had previously said that the number of Chinese tourists visiting Russia rose by nearly 50% in the first quarter of 2026 following the introduction of visa-free travel.

The proposed permanent arrangement would further simplify travel between the two countries and could provide a boost to tourism, hospitality, transport and other sectors linked to cross-border travel.

The initiative comes as Moscow and Beijing continue to expand their broader bilateral partnership. Both countries have increasingly focused on strengthening economic cooperation and direct links between their populations.

A permanent visa-free regime would represent another step in that relationship, potentially making travel between the two major neighbours easier while encouraging greater tourism and commercial exchanges.