Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed making visa-free travel between citizens of Russia and China permanent during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Bishkek.
Putin said that if the Chinese side considers the arrangement feasible and beneficial, Russia is ready to work with China to make visa-free travel permanent. He made the remarks during a meeting held on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
Visa-free travel arrangement extended through the end of 2027
Russia launched a reciprocal visa-free travel arrangement for Chinese citizens in December 2025. Under the arrangement, Chinese citizens can stay in Russia for up to 30 days without obtaining a visa until September 14, 2026.
China had previously introduced a similar arrangement for Russian citizens. Moscow and Beijing later agreed to extend the arrangement for visa-free travel by their citizens through the end of 2027.
Tourist travel increased by 43 percent
Putin said that visa-free travel had increased movement between Russia and China. Tourist travel between the two countries rose by 43 percent in the first half of 2026.
Zhang Hanhui, China’s ambassador to Russia, had also announced that tourism from China to Russia increased by approximately 50 percent in the first quarter of 2026 after the visa-free travel arrangement was launched.
Moscow and Beijing are working to expand people-to-people contacts and economic ties. Tourism is among the areas of broader bilateral cooperation between the two countries.