Russia and China to ease visa rules for smaller tourist groups
Russia and China are working on new visa-free travel regulations. Currently, groups of five people can travel without visas. The planned changes aim to allow travel for groups starting from three people and to extend the length of stay, writes "Kommersant."
Russia and China are discussing easing the rules for visa-free travel.
Russia discusses visa-free system with China
At present, tourists from both countries can travel in groups of at least five people without needing visas. According to "Kommersant," in 2024, over 1 million tourists took advantage of this option.
The Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Russia, Dmitry Vakhrukov, announced plans to allow visa-free travel for groups starting from three people. Additionally, the length of stay on such terms is to be extended by half. Vakhrukov emphasized that these changes are being discussed with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Thanks to the introduction of the electronic visa, more than 400,000 Chinese tourists have already visited Russia. The Far East is particularly active in this area, with the development of tourism infrastructure including new airport terminals and resorts. In the Khabarovsk region, a new international terminal and a large ski resort, "Hechcir," have been established.
