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 19 (Xinhua) — Since China introduced a visa-free regime for Russian citizens with regular passports, as of December 15, customs officials at Harbin Taiping International Airport, the capital of Heilongjiang Province in northeast China, have processed 353 value-added tax (VAT) refunds for Russian tourists exiting China, accounting for 98.1 percent of the total number of such refunds during the reporting period, according to the local newspaper Harbin Daily.
As a reminder, China has introduced a trial visa-free regime for Russian citizens holding regular passports from September 15, 2025 to September 14, 2026.
Russian citizens holding valid passports may visit China visa-free for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, exchanging visits, and transit purposes. Their stay in China should not exceed 30 days.
According to data from the Taiping Airport Customs Office, in the first quarter since China introduced visa-free travel for Russian citizens, a total of 360 VAT refund transactions were processed through the office, representing a 185.7 percent increase compared to the previous quarter. In these transactions, goods valued at 1.81 million yuan (approximately $257,200 USD) were inspected for Russian citizens, and VAT refunds totaling 227,000 yuan were issued.
When it comes to Russian tourists' shopping preferences, clothing and household chemicals are their top priorities. VAT refund applications for these items accounted for 97.5 percent of all applications submitted by Russians, and the share of VAT refunds for these items was 95.3 percent. Meanwhile, the share of VAT refund applications for electronics and the VAT refund amount for these items was 2.5 percent and 4.7 percent, respectively.
Taiping Airport Customs is deepening coordination and collaboration with tax authorities by opening dedicated VAT refund processing channels using QR codes at 45 stores in central areas of the city that provide VAT refund services, so that VAT refund applications can be submitted “anytime and anywhere.”
The airport has also set up special VAT refund windows for foreign citizens exiting China, which are open 24/7 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week). Currently, each individual VAT refund transaction must be processed within three minutes.
China began implementing this policy in 2015. Since then, the VAT refund rate for outbound Chinese tourists has continued to grow annually, benefiting even more overseas travelers. -0-
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