China | Visa exemption policy expanded

Chinese officials announced the expansion of its visa-free policy to nationals of Denmark, Cyprus, Greece, Portugal and Slovenia.

Key Points:

• Nationals of these countries with ordinary passports may enter China visa-free for business, tourism, family visits or transit purposes for up to 15 days, effective Oct. 15, 2024, 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.

Background: 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. As BAL previously reported, earlier this year tourists from Australia, New Zealand and Poland were also granted unrestricted entry to China until the end of 2025.

BAL Analysis: Visitors from 18 European countries can now visit China visa-free. The government is focusing on new visa-free schemes and enhancing tourism infrastructure to facilitate cross-border travel, increase inbound tourism to further economic development and encourage cultural exchanges.

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

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