China’s Visa Policy Shift Attracts Foreign Tourists
China is witnessing a gradual return of foreign tourists as the country has significantly relaxed its visa policies. This move marks a major shift from previous regulations, allowing citizens from 74 countries to enter the nation for up to 30 days without a visa. The change is part of an ongoing effort by the government to boost tourism, stimulate the economy, and enhance its global soft power.
In 2024 alone, more than 20 million foreign visitors entered China without a visa, representing nearly one-third of total arrivals and more than double the number from the previous year. According to the National Immigration Administration, this policy has made travel more accessible and less cumbersome for international visitors.
Georgi Shavadze, a Georgian living in Austria, shared his positive experience during a recent visit to the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. “This really helps people to travel because it is such a hassle to apply for a visa and go through the process,” he said.
While most tourist attractions are still dominated by domestic visitors, travel companies and tour guides are preparing for a potential surge in foreign tourists, especially during the summer season. Gao Jun, a veteran English-speaking tour guide with over 20 years of experience, mentioned that he is overwhelmed with tour requests. “I’m practically overwhelmed with tours and struggling to keep up,” he said. To meet the growing demand, he has started a new business to train individuals interested in becoming English-speaking tour guides.
After lifting strict COVID-19 restrictions, China reopened its borders to tourists in early 2023. However, the number of visitors was still lower than pre-pandemic levels, with 13.8 million visitors in 2023 compared to 31.9 million in 2019.
Expanding Visa-Free Access
The visa-free entry policy has been extended to include more countries across Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. In December 2023, China announced visa-free entry for citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia. Since then, almost all of Europe has been added to the list.
Recently, travelers from five Latin American countries and Uzbekistan became eligible for visa-free entry, followed by four countries in the Middle East. On July 16, the list will expand further with the inclusion of Azerbaijan, bringing the total to 75 countries. About two-thirds of these countries have been granted visa-free access on a one-year trial basis.
For Norwegian traveler Øystein Sporsheim, this change has made traveling to China much more convenient. “My family no longer needs to make two round-trip visits to the Chinese embassy in Oslo to apply for a tourist visa, a time-consuming and costly process with two children in tow,” he said. “They don’t very often open, so it was much harder.”
Jenny Zhao, managing director of WildChina, noted that the new visa policies have had a positive impact on their business. “We’re quite optimistic,” she said. “We hope these benefits will continue.” Her company has seen a 50% increase in business compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Impact on Tourism and Travel Agencies
Trip.com Group, a Shanghai-based online travel agency, reported a significant boost in tourism due to the visa-free policy. Air, hotel, and other bookings for travel to China doubled in the first three months of this year compared to the same period last year. Approximately 75% of these visitors came from visa-free regions.
Despite these gains, no major African country is currently eligible for visa-free entry, even though China maintains strong ties with many African nations. For travelers from 10 countries not included in the visa-free scheme, there is an alternative: entering China for up to 10 days if they depart for a different country than the one they arrived from. This policy is limited to 60 ports of entry.
The transit policy applies to 55 countries, but most of them are also on the 30-day visa-free entry list. However, it offers a more restrictive option for citizens of the 10 countries not included: the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Sweden, Russia, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Indonesia, Canada, the U.S., and Mexico.
Sweden is the only high-income European country that did not make the 30-day list. Ties between China and Sweden have been strained since the ruling Chinese Communist Party sentenced a Swedish book seller, Gui Minhai, to prison for 10 years in 2020. Gui disappeared in 2015 from his seaside home in Thailand but was later found in police custody in mainland China.
