Visa-Free Countries

China has fully reopened its borders, promising recovery of international tourism and travel. Many of the visa-free travel policies that were in place prior to the pandemic have therefore come back into effect, enabling people from a wide range of countries to visit China on a short-term basis.

UPDATES (March 7, 2024): According to official news, China will expand its unilateral visa-free travel policy to six additional European countries including Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg, during the period from March 14 to November 30, 2024. Ordinary passport holders from the above countries may enter China visa-free for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit for no more than 15 days.

UPDATE (January 25, 2024): China and Singapore have officially agreed to implement a visa-free entry policy for their citizens, allowing stays of up to 30 days. Starting from February 9, individuals holding ordinary passports and traveling for tourism, family visits, or business purposes will benefit from this new agreement. The agreement, signed in Beijing, marks a significant step in creating closer ties between the two nations and facilitating smoother travel for their citizens.

UPDATE (January 8, 2024): China and Thailand have agreed to a permanent visa-free policy starting March 2024, fostering diplomatic relations and stimulating economic activity in their respective tourism sectors.

UPDATES (November 24, 2023): According to the official announcement on the website of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China will grant unilateral visa-free travel for holders of ordinary passports from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia, during the period from December 1, 2023, to November 30, 2024. Holders of ordinary passports from the above countries may enter China visa-free for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit for no more than 15 days.

Countries with mutual visa exemption agreements with China

China has also signed agreements on mutual visa exemption with over 150 countries, which enables certain citizens to travel to China without a visa. However, for the majority of countries, visa-free arrangements apply only to diplomatic or official passports.

A few countries do enable visa-free travel to China for citizens holding ordinary passports. Citizens from these countries are allowed to travel to China without a visa for up to 30 days for the purposes of tourism, travel, business, and visiting family or friends.

These countries are:

Citizens from the above countries will still need to apply for a corresponding visa to China if they intend to work, study, or settle in China, or intend to stay for longer than 30 days.

Countries with 30-day visa-free travel to China

China and Singapore have officially agreed to implement a visa-free entry policy for their citizens, allowing stays of up to 30 days.

Starting from February 9, 2024, individuals holding ordinary passports and traveling for tourism, family visits, or business purposes will benefit from this new agreement. The agreement, signed in Beijing, marks a significant step in creating closer ties between the two nations and facilitating smoother travel for their citizens.

Countries with 15-day visa-free travel to China

In the past, citizens with a valid ordinary passport from Japan, Brunei, and Singapore have been permitted to travel to China for a period of up to 15 days without applying for a visa for the purposes of tourism, business, visiting relatives and friends, or transiting to a third country. However, this policy was suspended since the end of COVID-19 restrictions in China.

On July 26, 2023, the 15-day visa-free travel to China policy was resumed for citizens of Brunei and Singapore, the latter of which has been upgraded to a 30-day visa-free travel since February 2024, as introduced earlier.

On November 24, 2023, China announced that its 15-day visa-free travel policy was expanded to five European countries and Malaysia. During the period from December 1, 2023, to November 30, 2024, Holders of ordinary passports from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia may enter China visa-free for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit for no more than 15 days.

Then on March 7, 2024, China announced that it had decided to expand its 15-day visa-free entry policy to another six European countries, including Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg. During the period from March 14 to November 30, 2024, holders of ordinary passports from the above countries can enter China visa-free for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit for no more than 15 days.

To note, citizens from these countries would previously also have had to apply for a visa in advance if they:

Expect to stay in China for more than 15 days; or

Intend to study, work, settle down, or attend an interview in China.

At the time of writing, it’s still not clear when this policy will be resumed for citizens of Japan. This means citizens from Japan still need to apply for a Chinese tourist, business, or another type of visa to enter China at this time.

144-hour visa-free transit

Under the 144-hour visa-free transit policy, foreign travelers can apply for a six-day entry permit to certain Chinese cities upon arrival at the port of entry, provided they hold a passport from one of the 54 eligible countries. They also must show that they are traveling to a third country after leaving China, which means they must show a connecting ticket to a third country when arriving in China. This is a great option for people who want to make a short stop-over to explore various areas of the country.

The 54 countries are:

25 countries in the Europe Schengen area: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

15 other countries in Europe: Russia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Monaco, and Belarus.

Six countries in the Americas: the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile.

Two countries in Oceania: Australia and New Zealand.

Six countries in Asia: South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.

Eligible travelers can only apply for the 144-hour visa-free transit if they enter through one of the 29 designated ports of entry in 20 mainland Chinese cities. In addition, travelers are only allowed to travel within a certain area on the entry permit and exit the country through designated ports as well. People who travel outside the permitted area and exit the country through a non-designated port may face certain penalties.

Source: https://www.china-briefing.com/news/china-visa-free-travel-policies-complete-guide/

Note: For accurate details, refer to the latest regulations from the local embassy.