Russia imposes visas on Chinese tourists because of "Corona"

Russia on Saturday forced Chinese tourists to obtain visas to enter its territory and halted the granting of Chinese work visas to Chinese citizens due to the outbreak of the new Corona virus.

The Russian government stated on its website that these measures are aimed at "ensuring the security of the country, protecting public health and preventing the spread of the new Corona virus."

The official document, dated Friday, said that the Russian security services, to which the border guards belong, will start implementing the new procedure regarding tourist visas from midnight on Saturday.

Since 2000, Chinese tourists have the right to travel to Russia without a visa.