On 17 November, during the 2023 China International Tourism Fair, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism hosted a press conference on China's inbound tourism policies. Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Immigration Administration briefed overseas travel agencies and domestic and foreign media on recent measures to optimize visa processes and enhance the convenience of inbound tourism.
The Consular Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted efforts to provide more channels and convenience for foreigners visiting China. The department actively adjusted visa and entry policies to restore the implementation of unilateral visa-free policies. Continuous optimization of the visa application experience includes simplifying procedures for applicants and temporarily exempting fingerprint collection for eligible applicants.
Substantial improvements have been made to the China visa application form, reducing reporting requirements by 34%, with a gradual phase-out of visa application appointments. Nearly 100 diplomatic missions abroad have already adopted a "walk-in" approach, and by the end of this year, it is expected that all global diplomatic missions will cancel visa application appointments. Additionally, 260 diplomatic missions worldwide maintain accessible application channels, focusing on improving the quality of visa services, allowing applicants to submit their applications at any visa application location in most cases.
The Foreigner Management Department of the National Immigration Administration introduced measures to facilitate high-level opening-up, streamline the movement of domestic and foreign personnel, and promote international exchange and cooperation. This includes port visa policies, with visa services available at 99 open ports in 72 cities with significant inbound traffic. Transit visa exemptions are implemented for citizens of 54 countries at 72/144-hour intervals at 31 ports in 23 cities across 18 provinces. Regional inbound visa exemptions include 144-hour stays in Guangdong for foreign groups from Hong Kong and Macau, 144-hour stays in Guilin for ASEAN tourist groups, 15-day cruise stays in Shanghai, and 30-day stays in Hainan for citizens of 59 countries.
Specific countries included in these policies are as follows:
Europe (40 countries): Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, Russia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Belarus, Norway.
Americas (6 countries): United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile.
Oceania (2 countries): Australia, New Zealand.
Asia (6 countries): South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, UAE, Qatar.