China reinforces opening with visa exemption and measures for tourists

China has introduced a variety of measures to welcome international visitors in the post-pandemic era, including a landmark tentative policy launched a year ago offering unilateral visa exemptions to more countries. These efforts underscore the country’s dedication to global exchanges and mobility and reaffirm its commitment to greater openness as the world’s second largest economy. Below are key highlights of recent adjustments and their results.

• On 24 November 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced a one-year trial of visa-free entry for holders of ordinary passports from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia from 1 December 2023. The policy it was renewed in May. Under this policy, eligible individuals can visit China for business, tourism, family visits or simply transit without a visa, with stays of up to 15 days.
• Several subsequent additions expanded the coverage of China’s unilateral visa-free policy to 38 countries until November 30, 2024, and the maximum stay was doubled to 30 days. The policy also demonstrates greater flexibility by including travel for exchange purposes. China has also opened more ports to visa-free transit, allowing travelers from 54 countries to access 35 ports for 144 hours without a visa before continuing on to a third destination.
• Regional visa-free entry has also been expanded. China now allows visa-free entry for groups of foreign tourists aboard cruise ships through cruise ports in 13 Chinese cities, with a stay of up to 15 days. Travelers from countries with diplomatic relations with China can also visit the country’s southern island province of Hainan visa-free for 144 hours through tour groups registered in the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau.
• China has simplified its visa application process. The measures include a 34% cut in the number of items on the application form, the removal of the appointment requirement at all embassies, expanded exemptions for fingerprinting and a 25% reduction in visa fees.
• The international passenger flight schedule in the first half of 2024 has recovered to 81.7% of the level during the same period in 2019.
• China has refined its immigration process to increase efficiency at border control points. The average inspection time for a passenger in transit at the airport’s main checkpoints has been reduced from six minutes to just two.
• Payment services have become more accessible and inclusive for international travelers. They can link their credit cards, including Visa and Mastercard, to popular local payment platforms such as Alipay and WeChat Pay. In October, more than 2.93 million incoming travelers used mobile payment services in China.
• China has upgraded point-of-sale (POS) systems in many restaurants and added such facilities in airports, tourist spots and shopping malls to accommodate the use of credit cards. In October, the number and value of offline transactions made with foreign bank cards increased by 184% and 150%, respectively, compared to February figures.
• Foreign currency exchange services covered major international airports, hotels rated four stars and above, as well as major tourist attractions, resorts and leisure areas across China.
• International arrivals increased with the support of the measures. In the third quarter of 2024, China recorded nearly 8.2 million inbound trips made by foreigners, an increase of 48.8% year-on-year. Among these, around 4.9 million entered without a visa, a notable increase of 78.6% compared to the same period last year.