Oct 8,2024
China has decided to include Finland in the scope of its unilateral visa exemption policy, and welcomes more Finnish friends to come to China for business, tourism, and study.
Source: CCTV News, 29 Oct 2024
To further facilitate exchanges between Chinese and foreign nationals, China has decided to expand the scope of visa-free countries, and will implement a trial visa-free policy for holders of ordinary passports from Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, and Slovenia. From October 15, 2024 to December 31, 2025, individuals from the aforementioned countries with ordinary passports coming to China for business, tourism, family visits, and transit for no more than 15 days may enter China without a visa. Those who do not meet the visa-free criteria will still need to obtain a visa to enter China before their trip.
There is also news about granting visa-free access for holders of ordinary passports from Norway and Denmark, which has not been officially announced yet.
On October 8, 2024, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning presided over a regular press conference. A reporter asked about the warming of inbound tourism during the National Day holiday.
Mao Ning stated that the surge in "Travel to China" indicates Chinas attractiveness and open posture. China has achieved comprehensive visa exemption with 24 countries, implemented visa-free entry policies for 16 countries, and offers 72-hour or 144-hour visa-free transit for 54 countries. The process for foreign tourists coming to China continues to be streamlined, and their experience in China is continuously optimized.
Starting from July 30, 2024, citizens of countries that have diplomatic relations with China, holding ordinary passports, who travel to Hong Kong or Macao and join a tour group organized by a legally registered travel agency in Hong Kong or Macao (with 2 or more people) to visit Hainan, can enter without a visa and stay for no more than 144 hours (those who meet the visa exemption agreement signed with China or other visa exemption policies of the Chinese government can follow their regulations). Entry and exit ports are all the ports open to the outside world set up by the state in Hainan Province. The group must enter and exit as a whole, and the activity area is within the administrative region of Hainan Province. The stay period is calculated from midnight the day after entry.
At present, 41 open ports located in 19 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government) implement a 72-hour or 144-hour visa-free transit policy for personnel from 54 countries. Find details on https://charmission.cn/news_d.aspx?id=233.
According to CCTV news, on June 25th, the Chinese government has decided to implement a 15-day unilateral visa-free policy for Polish citizens.
According to CCTV news, on June 17th, China announced that it will include Australiain the unilateral visa-free country list.
According to Xinhua News Agency, on the afternoon of June 13 local time, Premier Li Qiang held talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Luxon at the Government House in Wellington. Li Qiang stated that New Zealand will be included in the unilateral visa-free country list.
On May 15th, the National Immigration Administration held a press conference to announce the comprehensive implementation of the visa-free policy for foreign tour groups arriving by cruise ship.
The National Immigration Administration has decided to fully implement the visa-free policy for foreign tour groups arriving by cruise ship in China’s coastal provinces. Effective immediately, foreign tour groups (consisting of two or more people) arriving by cruise ship and organized by domestic travel agencies can enter and stay in China without a visa for 15 days from all cruise ports in coastal provinces. These groups must travel with the same cruise ship to the next port and continue with the cruise until it leaves the country. Their activities are restricted to coastal provinces and municipalities, including Beijing.
The visa-free entry ports include 13 cruise ports established by the state in Tianjin, Dalian in Liaoning, Shanghai, Lianyungang in Jiangsu, Wenzhou and Zhoushan in Zhejiang, Xiamen in Fujian, Qingdao in Shandong, Guangzhou and Shenzhen in Guangdong, Beihai in Guangxi, and Haikou and Sanya in Hainan.
To support the development of cruise tourism, seven additional cruise ports—Dalian, Lianyungang, Wenzhou, Zhoushan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Beihai—are now included in the 54-country visa-free transit policy. This facilitates foreign travelers who transit through these ports by cruise ship.
Additionally, the National Immigration Administration has introduced several supporting measures to promote the development of the cruise industry. These measures aim to facilitate the clearance of international cruise passengers, landing of crew members, cruise ship manufacturing and maintenance, comprehensive service guarantees, and new business developments. The goal is to further improve the convenience of cruise ship entry and exit, enhance the efficiency and quality of cruise operation services, and promote high-quality development of the new cruise tourism industry.
According to the WeChat public account of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China on May 7, 2024, in order to further promote exchanges between Chinese and foreign personnel, China has decided to extend the visa-free policy for France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg to December 31, 2025. Citizens of the above-mentioned countries holding ordinary passports can enter China for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit purposes without a visa for a stay not exceeding 15 days.
According to the WeChat public account of the "Chinese Embassy in Georgia" on April 29, 2024, the agreement on mutual visa exemption for holders of ordinary passports between China andGeorgiawill officially come into effect on May 28. According to the agreement, holders of a valid Georgian ordinary passport or a valid Peoples Republic of China ordinary passport, when entering, exiting, or transiting through the territory of the other contracting party, are exempt from visa requirements for a single stay not exceeding 30 days or an aggregate stay not exceeding 90 days within any 180-day period.
From March 1, 2024，China and Thailand mutually exempt visa requirements for holders of ordinary passports.
From March 14 to November 30, 2024, individuals holding ordinary passports from the Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg can enter China visa-free for purposes such as business, tourism, visiting relatives, and transit for up to 15 days.
As of November 17, 2023, China has implemented a 72/144-hour transit visa-free policy for Norwegian citizens, expanding the scope to include 54 countries.
Currently, the cities of Changsha, Harbin, and Guilin offer a 72-hour transit visa-free policy, while Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Jieyang, Shenyang, Dalian, Qingdao, Chongqing, Chengdu, Xi’an, Xiamen, Wuhan, and Kunming provide a 144-hour transit visa-free policy.
From December 1, 2023, to November 30, 2024, ordinary passport holders from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysiawho come to China for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit for no more than 15 days, can enter without a visa. From February 9, China and Singapore mutually exempt visa requirements for holders of ordinary passports.
Starting from January 11, the National Immigration Administration has officially implemented five measures to enhance convenience for foreign nationals visiting China. These measures aim to further streamline entry processes for business, study, and tourism, ensuring high-level openness and promoting quality development.
o Foreign nationals urgently visiting China for business cooperation, exchange visits, investment, family reunions, or personal matters unrelated to diplomatic or official activities can apply for port visas upon arrival. This facilitates entry for those who couldn’t obtain visas overseas in time.
o At key international airports like Beijing Capital Airport, foreign travelers with international connecting flights within 24 hours can transit directly without undergoing border inspection procedures. This streamlined process simplifies transit for passengers.
o Foreign nationals temporarily staying in China for business, exchange visits, investment, family reunions, tourism, or personal matters unrelated to diplomatic or official activities can apply for visa extensions or reissuance at nearby public security exit-entry administration offices.
o Foreign nationals requiring multiple entries into China due to legitimate reasons can apply for multiple-entry visas. Relevant proof, such as invitation letters, is necessary for the application.
o For visa applications, foreign nationals whose accommodation registration records and business licenses can be verified through information sharing are exempt from presenting related paper documents.
o When applying for short-term family reunion visas, an invitation letter can replace formal proof of family relationship.
Starting from February 9, 2024, the visa-free policy for Hainan has been expanded. It allows people from 59 countries to enter Hainan visa-free for business, trade, visits, family reunions, medical care, exhibitions, sports competitions, and other purposes (except for work and study), with a stay of up to 30 days. The countries include:
Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Norway, Ukraine, Italy, Austria, Finland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Monaco, and Belarus.
China will grant unilateral visa-free treatment to Switzerland and Ireland.
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