9 Additional Countries & 30 Days | China Visa-Free Policy
On 22 November 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China announced that China’s unilateral visa-free entry policy will be expanded to include 9 more countries, including Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, and Japan.
Effective 30 November 2024, citizens holding ordinary passports from these nine countries will qualify for China’s unilateral visa-free entry program.
In addition, China will enhance its unilateral visa-free policies by including exchange visits as a valid reason for entry and extending the visa-free stay duration from the current 15 days to 30 days. These updated policies will apply to all countries eligible for China’s unilateral visa-free entry and will generally remain in effect until 31 December 2025.
History & Timeline of visa-free countries
[2023/11/24] 6 Countries:
- Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia
- 2023/12/1 to 2024/11/30
- Reference
[2024/03/07] plus (+) 6 Countries:
- Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg
- 2024/3/1 to 2024/11/30
- Reference
[2024/05/07] For the 12 Countries:
- extend to 2025/12/31
- Reference
[2024/06/25] plus (+) 3 Countries:
- New Zealand, Australia, Poland
- 2024/7/1 to 2025/12/31
- Reference
[2024/09/30] plus (+) 4 Countries:
- Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Slovenia
- 2024/10/15 to 2025/12/31
- Reference
[2024/11/02] plus (+) 9 Countries:
- Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, South Korea
- 2024/11/8 to 2025/12/31
- Reference
[2024/11/22] plus (+) 9 Countries:
- Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, Japan
- 2024/11/30 to 2025/12/31
- Reference
Starting from 30 November 2024, taking Brunei into account, 38 countries in total are eligible for unilateral visa-free entry policy to China.
As the world continues recovering from travel disruptions caused by the pandemic, China’s proactive measures are set to make it a prime destination for international travelers.
Please get in touch with us for more information.
