Vietnam Expands Visa-Free Travel in Two Directions: Russia Deal and Chinese Tourist Pilot
Updated: 3 hours ago
HANOI, October 18, 2026 — Vietnam has moved on two visa fronts in a single week, securing visa-free entry for its citizens travelling to Russia while opening a limited visa exemption for Chinese group tourists visiting the coastal province of Khanh Hoa.
Both measures were formalised on October 12, 2026, and together signal a broader strategy of using visa policy to drive tourism recovery and diplomatic reciprocity.
Russia Opens Visa-Free Entry to Vietnamese Citizens
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed Decree No. 730 on October 12, 2026, granting visa-free entry to Vietnamese ordinary passport holders.
Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the move, describing it as a reciprocal arrangement that reflects the strength of bilateral ties. The ministry noted that Vietnam had already extended unilateral visa exemptions to Russian citizens, making Russia's decision a natural corollary.
For Vietnamese nationals, the decree removes a longstanding procedural barrier to travel to Russia. The practical effect is that business travellers, students, and tourists can now enter Russia without applying for a visa in advance.
The two countries have maintained a visa-free arrangement for holders of diplomatic and service passports for several years. Extending that arrangement to ordinary passports represents a significant expansion.
Khanh Hoa Pilot: Chinese Group Tours Exempt Until End-2027
On the same day, Vietnam's government issued Resolution No. 325/NQ-CP, establishing a pilot visa-free scheme for Chinese group tourists visiting Khanh Hoa province.
The province, home to Cam Ranh International Airport and the resort city of Nha Trang, is one of Vietnam's most popular coastal destinations.
Key conditions:
Requirement | Detail |
Duration | October 12, 2026 – December 31, 2027 |
Group size | Minimum two persons |
Booking | Through a Vietnamese international travel agency |
Maximum tour length | 30 days |
Entry point | Direct flights from mainland China to Cam Ranh International Airport |
Exit point | Same port of entry |
The pilot is explicitly limited in geographic scope. It does not open visa-free entry to Chinese nationals travelling to other parts of Vietnam, nor does it cover independent travellers.
Who Is Not Eligible
Two exclusions are worth noting.
Hong Kong and Macau SAR passport holders are not covered by the pilot. Their existing visa arrangements remain unchanged.
Chinese nationals not travelling in organised group tours also fall outside the scheme. Individual travellers, business visitors, and those arriving via land or sea routes are unaffected by the exemption.
What the Pilot Signals
The Khanh Hoa scheme is a targeted intervention rather than a wholesale reopening.
China was Vietnam's largest source market for international visitors before the pandemic. Recovery has been uneven, and group tour traffic has been a particular bottleneck. By exempting organised groups bound for a single airport, Vietnam is testing whether visa-free entry stimulates volume without opening the door to labour migration concerns that have historically accompanied broader exemptions.
The 30-day tour cap and the requirement to use a Vietnamese travel agency add layers of oversight. Tour operators bear responsibility for their groups, and entry and exit must occur through Cam Ranh — a closed loop that simplifies monitoring.
The scheme expires at the end of 2027, giving authorities a defined period to assess results before deciding whether to extend or expand it.
Reciprocal Diplomacy in Practice
The two October 12 announcements, taken together, illustrate how visa policy is being used as a foreign policy tool.
Russia's decree provides Vietnamese citizens with entry to a significant market. In contrast, Vietnam's resolution allows Chinese tourists access to just one province. One approach is broadly reciprocal, while the other is specifically targeted.
For Vietnamese citizens, the agreement with Russia is a tangible benefit. For Vietnam's tourism industry, the Chinese pilot project serves as a controlled experiment.
Both reflect a government willing to use visa rules flexibly — rather than applying a single blanket policy — to serve different bilateral relationships.
What Travellers Should Know
Vietnamese citizens travelling to Russia: The decree removes the visa requirement for ordinary passport holders. Standard entry conditions — passport validity, purpose of travel, duration limits — continue to apply.
Chinese nationals travelling to Khanh Hoa: The exemption applies only to group tours of two or more persons booked through a Vietnamese international travel agency, arriving on direct flights from mainland China to Cam Ranh, and exiting through the same airport. Tours may not exceed 30 days.
Hong Kong and Macau SAR passport holders: The pilot does not apply. Existing arrangements remain in force.
Read Also
Quick Reference Summary
Item | Detail |
Russia Decree | No. 730, signed October 12, 2026 |
Russia Beneficiaries | Vietnamese ordinary passport holders |
Vietnam Resolution | No. 325/NQ-CP, dated October 12, 2026 |
Khanh Hoa Pilot Period | October 12, 2026 – December 31, 2027 |
Khanh Hoa Eligibility | Chinese group tours, 2+ persons, 30 days max |
Khanh Hoa Entry Point | Cam Ranh International Airport, direct flights from mainland China |
Excluded | Hong Kong and Macau SAR passport holders |
Vietnam Response | Foreign Ministry welcomed reciprocal arrangement |
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