China Visa-Free Travel Extended to 30 Days
Travelers can benefit from China’s unilateral visa-free policy; 9 new countries have been added, and the stay has increased from 15 to 30 days since November 30, 2024.
Chinese diplomacy announced the decision to extend the list of visa-free countries and added exchange visits (type “F”) as a purpose of legal stay without a visa.
The expansion of visa-free countries was introduced in order to facilitate exchanges between China and foreign countries, as well as to boost the economy.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed that the experimental policy will take place from November 30, 2024, to December 31, 2025.
Besides, thanks to the optimization of entry rules, the visa-free stay period was extended from 15 to 30 days.
Countries Eligible for the Visa-Free Policy of China
The visa waiver program was introduced in December 2023 in China for visitors from Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, and Malaysia who travel for purposes related to tourism and business. They had 15 days to stay in the country without a visa.
Later, China added more countries to the list of nationals eligible for visa-free entry.
Also, from November 2024, travelers from 38 countries can visit China for 30 days and don't need a visa:
- Andorra
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Korea
- Spain
- Switzerland
The 9 newly added countries now available for the China visa waiver are:
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Estonia
- Japan
- Latvia
- Malta
- Montenegro
- Northern Macedonia
- Romania
Conditions for Visa-Free Entry to China
The visa exemption in China is designed only for short-term trips related to business or tourism.
To be eligible for a China visa waiver, you must be a national of the visa-exempt country and have a passport valid for at least 6 months.
What is more, documents justifying the stay, such as an invitation letter, return ticket, and evidence of accommodation, are necessary during the visa application process.
You can use any of the control points (air, sea, or land) to enter China and stay there for up to 30 days.
It’s good to know that there are no restrictions on number of entries. However, you must remember that only immigration officers can authorize crossing the border.
