China has announced that it will expand its visa free policy to allow visitors from up to 38 countries to remain for up to thirty days without requiring visas from November 30, 2020.
The new policy will be in place until December 31, 2025. According to reports, the experiment is meant to encourage tourism and exchanges with other countries. This change will double the 15-day visa-free stay previously allowed.
The list has been updated with the addition of:
- Bulgaria
- Romania
- Croatia
- Northern Macedonia
- Malta
- Estonia
- Latvia
- Japan
Visa-free stay extended
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that the visa-free period for eligible countries will be extended, and the maximum stay will increase from 15 to 30 consecutive days. This extension will attract more tourists, increasing China’s appeal as a destination both for leisure and business.
The extended stay period is designed to make it easier for professionals and tourists to visit China, without having to apply for a visa. This change is part of China’s ongoing efforts in order to promote tourism and facilitate international interaction.
China is expanding visa-free countries along with the extension of the stay period. This expansion creates more opportunities for foreign visitors and strengthens China’s relationship with the newly added countries.
Another experiment
China is also introducing a brand new reason to stay under the visa-free regime. Visa-free entry will be available for “Type F” exchanges starting November 30, 2024. These visits are intended to foster educational and cultural exchanges and reflect China’s commitment to fostering international understanding and cooperation.
The number of countries increasing
The visa-free program, which began in December 2023, initially covered six European countries—France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia. China has slowly expanded this list in the last year, hoping to attract a larger range of international tourists.
China recorded 8,19 million foreign visitors in the third-quarter of 2024. This represents a 48.8% growth from the year before. 4.89 million of these travelers entered the country without a visa, an increase of 78.6% from last year.
China is ready to welcome more international tourists, further boosting the tourism sector.
