Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
Beijing, December 2 (Xinhua) — The first group of Chinese citizens planning to visit Russia under the visa-free regime arrived at the Heihe checkpoint in Heilongjiang Province, northeast China, on Tuesday. Russia officially announced the establishment of a visa-free regime for Chinese citizens yesterday, allowing them to stay in the country for up to 30 days without a visa. This regime will be in effect until September 14, 2026.
Heihe, China, and Blagoveshchensk, Russia, are separated by the Heilongjiang (Amur) River. The minimum distance between them is just over 700 meters. According to the news portal chinanews.com.cn, on Tuesday morning, a long line of Chinese tourists formed at the departure hall of the Heihe checkpoint, many of whom were from the country's southern provinces, where snow is rare.
As one tourist from Zhejiang Province stated, "At first, we didn't know that Russia had introduced a visa-free regime for Chinese citizens. We were only informed about it upon arrival at the checkpoint. It's great that border control will now be much easier." Another tourist from Jiangsu Province was also delighted with the visa-free regime: "We learned about the visa-free regime on the news, and we were able to take advantage of it today. Traveling to Russia with just a passport is very convenient and pleasant!"
According to checkpoint officials, the Heihe section of the Heilongjiang River is currently not frozen, so passengers are transported between the two countries by hovercraft.
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a decree allowing Chinese citizens to travel to Russia visa-free for stays of up to 30 days until September 14, 2026. The decree comes into effect on the day it is signed—December 1.
On September 2, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the introduction of a trial 30-day visa-free regime for one year (from September 15, 2025 to September 14, 2026) for holders of ordinary passports. This applies to those planning trips to China for tourism and business purposes, as well as to participate in humanitarian exchanges, visit relatives, or for transit purposes. -0-
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