China’s visa-free regime is aimed at promoting tourism and international relations.
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China has extended visa-free travel to 11 European countries and Malaysia until the end of 2025.
The visa-free scheme has been announced in stages from the beginning of 2024 and was originally scheduled to last for one year. The aim is to encourage more people to visit China for business and tourism, and to promote exchanges between Chinese and foreigners.
Citizens of Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland will be able to enter the country without a visa until the end of next year.
At a press conference about the initial announcement in November, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the aim was to “promote the high-quality development of people-to-people exchanges and high-level opening to the outside world”.
The trial program allows visa-free entry for up to 15 days.
Overseas travel to China has not yet recovered
China’s strict pandemic measures, including mandatory quarantine for all arrivals, have deterred many people from visiting for nearly three years. Although restrictions were lifted early last year, international travel has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.
China previously allowed citizens of Brunei, Japan and Singapore to enter the country without visas, but suspended this in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Visa-free entry to Brunei and Singapore resumed in July, but entry to Japan has not yet resumed.
According to immigration statistics, China recorded a record number of 35.5 million foreigners entering and exiting the country in 2023. By comparison, last year before the pandemic, he had 97.7 million for all of 2019.
Business leaders such as Tesla’s Elon Musk and Apple’s Tim Cook are also attending trade shows and meetings as the government seeks foreign investment to boost the struggling economy. Compared to pre-pandemic times, foreign tourists remain rare.
How else is China simplifying travel for Europeans?
Over the past year, interest in China as a tourist destination has increased among Europeans.
Overall bookings from Europe to China increased by 663% compared to 2022 and almost 29% compared to 2019, according to data from online travel agency Trip.com.
According to the data, the UK and Germany are among the top 10 sources of inbound tourists to China in the world.
Due to its attractive blend of modernity and tradition, Shanghai remains the most popular destination among Europeans, followed by Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
Sanya, a seaside city on the southern tip of China’s Hainan Island, and Chengdu, the capital of southwest China’s Sichuan province, are emerging as new destinations.
Besides the new visa-free regime, the country is further encouraging inbound tourism by partnering with Trip.com to promote cultural and historical attractions. China is also strengthening its tourism infrastructure by investing in technology, travel guides and electronic payment systems.
