Moscow and Beijing are considering extending the visa-free stay period for tourists to 21 calendar days. This was stated to Rossiyskaya Gazeta by the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova.
He recalled that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation is constantly working with the Chinese side to liberalize the conditions of mutual travel of citizens of the two states.
“The countries have an Agreement on Facilitation of Travel of Citizens of 2013, which provides for a simplified procedure for issuing visas, as well as agreements on the mutual abolition of visa requirements with the special administrative regions of the People’s Republic of China Hong Kong (2009) and Macau. (2012)”, – said the diplomat.
As you know, starting in August 2023, citizens of the People’s Republic of China will be able to use a single electronic visa, which gives them the right to stay in the Russian Federation on a guest or business visit, as a tourist, as well as to participate at scientific events. , cultural, sociopolitical, economic and sporting events within a period of 16 days.
As Zakharova noted, China is included in the list of countries whose citizens are issued a tourist visa for a period of up to six months “on the basis of confirmation of booking a place in a hotel or other accommodation establishment , whose information appears in the unified register of classified hotels, ski slopes, beaches. »
“The bilateral intergovernmental agreement on visa-free group tourist travel of 2000 was renewed last year. Currently, the Russian Ministry of Economic Development and its Chinese partners are exploring the possibility of lowering the threshold for the minimum composition of a tourist group. to three people and increase the period of visa-free stay in the territory of the host State to 21 calendar days. “ – further said the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.
