According to a decree signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, starting immediately and valid through September 14, 2026 (inclusive), Chinese citizens can travel to Russia visa-free for tourism or business, with a stay of up to 30 days.
Data from Fliggy shows that less than an hour after the policy was announced, flight searches for Russia surged more than eightfold compared with the previous day, while bookings jumped nearly fivefold. On the Qunar platform, searches for Russia-related air tickets also spiked instantly.
The visa-free policy is also a major boost for airlines. Unlike many European and U.S. routes, China-Russia routes have already fully recovered, with flight volumes surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
According to DAST data from Flight Master, in October 2025 there were 2,096 round-trip flights between China and Russia—up 24.2% year-on-year from 2024 and 6.1% from 2019. The top three routes by flight volume in October were Shanghai Pudong–Sheremetyevo (207 flights), Beijing Daxing–Sheremetyevo (169 flights), and Beijing Capital–Sheremetyevo (124 flights).
Among operating carriers, Aeroflot had the highest number of flights (554), followed by China Eastern (320) and S7 Airlines (179).
Many Chinese airlines have also significantly increased flights to Russia. Compared with 2019, Chengdu Airlines’ China–Russia flights more than doubled, while Hainan Airlines, Air China, and China Eastern all increased capacity by over 100%.
According to data from Umetrip, from January 1 to January 3, 2026, ticket bookings from China to Russia rose about 32% year-on-year. Major departures were concentrated at Guangzhou Baiyun, Beijing Capital, and Shanghai Pudong airports, with Moscow Sheremetyevo as the primary destination.
