Countries exempted from visa when visiting China

For many years, China has only exempted visas for 22 countries. Citizens with ordinary passports from these countries are allowed to enter China without a visa for up to 30 days for tourism, business and family visits. In Asia, citizens of the following countries are exempt from visas to enter China for up to 30 days: Brunei, Singapore, Qatar, UAE, Maldives and most recently Malaysia. In addition, the following countries are exempt from visas to enter China for up to 30 days: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ecuador, Fiji, Georgia, Grenada, Mauritius, Moldova, Russia, Serbia, Seychelles, Suriname, Tonga.

China is lacking international visitors so it has relaxed its visa policy (Internet photo)

China recently implemented a one-year visa exemption policy for citizens from six countries, including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia - starting from December 1, 2023, bringing the total number of countries exempted from Chinese visas to 28. Residents from the six countries holding ordinary passports can enter China without a visa and stay for up to 15 days for business, sightseeing, visiting family and friends, and transit. "Foreign tourists from these six countries are expected to visit China during the upcoming Christmas holiday, which is traditionally a peak tourist season," he said, calling on relevant parties, including travel agencies and airport authorities, to do more to prepare for the arrival of more foreign tourists. In addition, under the 144-hour visa-free transit policy, foreign visitors from 54 eligible countries can apply for an entry permit six days in advance of their arrival in certain Chinese cities. To qualify, they must prove they have a connecting ticket to a third country and will continue their journey after leaving China. China's tourism market has seen an uneven recovery this year. While the outbound tourism market is recovering rapidly, inbound foreign tourists are expected to recover only 12% year-on-year in the first half of 2023. The visa-free policy for five European countries and Malaysia comes amid increasingly close bilateral economic and trade ties between China and the European bloc as well as China and Southeast Asia. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the EU ranked as China's largest and second-largest trading partners in the first 10 months of 2023. A Foreign Ministry official said China will continue to improve policies related to visas and inbound tourism, including optimizing Chinese visa application procedures and gradually eliminating visa appointments.

Bich Huong