Russia and China to abolish visa regime

Russia and China are gradually moving toward the abolition of the visa regime, Zhang Wei, chargé d'affaires of the Chinese embassy said in an interview with TASS.

Photo: pixabay.com by windhorsetourchina, https://creativecommons.org/public-domain/pdm/

China

"We want to make travel more convenient for people from both countries so that they can meet more often and visit each other. This is only beneficial. I believe this is also the desire of every citizen of China and Russia," the official said. 

He also assured that the issue of lifting visa requirements is currently being discussed and that progress is being made. However, Zhang Wei noted that it is still too early to talk about results, as the decision-making process takes time.

At present, a visa-free regime with China applies only to travelers entering the country as part of tourist groups of 5 to 50 people for up to 15 days. Additionally, in February of this year, the Russian government expanded the simplified visa regime with China for long-haul truck drivers. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin noted at the time that truck drivers would be able to obtain multiple-entry visas, which would be valid regardless of their place of residence. The duration of each individual visit for truck drivers was limited to 30 days.

Details

The visa policy of mainland China deals with the requirements which a foreign citizen must meet to travel to, enter, and remain in the mainland of the People's Republic of China. Several categories of visas are available, depending on the purpose and length of stay. Chinese visas are issued outside China by the Chinese diplomatic missions and in China by the exit and entry administrations (EEAs) of the county-level public security bureaus (PSBs). Visa exemptions exist for citizens of certain countries based on bilateral agreements and unilateral decisions. Hong Kong and Macau maintain independent visa policies, so foreign nationals travelling to these regions must apply for separate visas if not exempt. Permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau and citizens of Taiwan may travel to mainland China with a mainland travel permit rather than a passport or visa.