China | Temporary visa exemption policy expanded to more nationals

Chinese officials announced the expansion of the country’s visa-free policy to nationals of Andorra, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovakia and South Korea.

Key Points:

• Nationals of these countries with ordinary passports may enter visa-free for business, tourism, family visits or transit purposes for up to 15 days, effective Nov. 8 through Dec. 31, 2025.
• Individuals who do not meet the visa exemption criteria are still required to obtain a Chinese visa prior to entry.
• There are no limits on the total number of entries as long as an individual does not exceed 15 total days and they are traveling for permitted visa waiver activities.

Additional Information: As BAL reported, the Chinese government has introduced various measures recently to increase inbound travel from foreign tourists and drive business in its economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, including expanding the list of countries eligible for visa-free travel.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

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