News 1: To further facilitate international exchanges and support high-quality development and high-level opening-up, China has decided to expand the range of countries eligible for unilateral visa-free entry. Citizens holding ordinary passports from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia will be eligible for unilateral visa-free entry. From 1 December 2023, to 30 November 2024, citizens of these countries holding ordinary passports can enter China for business, tourism, family visits and transit for up to 15 days without a visa. Those who do not meet the visa-free conditions will still need to obtain a visa before entering China.

News 2: From 14 March 2024 to 30 November 2024, China will implement a visa-free policy for citizens holding ordinary passports from Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg. This follows the trial implementation of a unilateral visa-free policy for citizens holding ordinary passports from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia starting on 1 December 2023. Citizens holding ordinary passports from these 12 countries can enter China for business, tourism, family visits, and transit for up to 15 days without a visa.

Additionally, on 9 February and 1 March 2024, visa exemption agreements between China and Singapore and China and Thailand for ordinary passport holders came into effect. Citizens holding ordinary passports from Singapore and Thailand can enter China for tourism, family visits, business, and other personal affairs without a visa for up to 30 days.

News 3: To further facilitate international exchanges and support high-quality development and high-level opening-up, China announced on 7 May its decision to extend the visa-free policy for citizens holding ordinary passports from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg until 31 December 2025.

Citizens holding ordinary passports from these countries can enter China for business, tourism, family visits, and transit for up to 15 days without a visa. Those who do not meet the visa-free conditions will still need to obtain a visa before entering China.

On 20 June, China and Malaysia issued the "Joint Statement by the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of Malaysia on Deepening and Enhancing Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Building a China-Malaysia Community of Shared Future." The statement mentioned that China agreed to extend the visa-free policy for Malaysian citizens until the end of 2025, and as a reciprocal arrangement, Malaysia will extend its visa-free policy for Chinese citizens until the end of 2026.

Responses to Common Questions About Visa-Free Entry:

1. Can anyone holding an ordinary passport from a country covered by the visa-free policy enter China without a visa? Not necessarily, as it also depends on the purpose of entry. The visa-free policy covers purposes such as business, tourism, family visits, transit, attending meetings, short-term training and inspections. Citizens holding ordinary passports from the countries covered by the visa-free policy can enter China without a visa if their purpose of entry matches the conditions and they are approved by the Chinese border inspection authorities. For purposes such as work, study and journalism, a visa is still required before entry.

2. What other materials are needed for visa-free entry besides a passport? Border inspection authorities will verify the purpose of entry for those holding ordinary passports from visa-free countries. Depending on the situation, they may check invitation letters, flight and hotel reservations, or contact persons within China for verification. It is best to have relevant proof materials that match the visa-free purpose of entry readily available, whether in paper or electronic form. An entry card must also be filled out upon entry.

3. How should the foreigner entry card be filled out and where can it be obtained?

The entry card has two parts, front and back. One part contains "important tips" for foreign nationals, which should be retained by the traveler after reading and complying with the instructions. The other part is to be filled out by the traveler, including personal and travel information on the front and questions on the back. The personal information on the front should be filled out accurately according to passport details; select "visa-free" for the visa-free option. The "purpose of entry" should be marked accurately based on the actual reason, choosing the most significant purpose if there are multiple reasons; the "address in China" should be detailed, specifying the exact address if staying in a chain hotel. The back includes questions about the exit itinerary, the inviting unit or person in China and countries visited in the past two years, which should be filled out truthfully. After completing all information, the traveler must sign in the bottom left corner on the back of the card to confirm the information.

4. How long can visa-free individuals stay in China each time they enter? What if they want to stay longer? The stay period for visa-free individuals in China starts from the day after entry. If the visa-free stay is for 15 days, the stay period extends to the 16th calendar day at 24:00. For example, if you enter on 1 January at any time, you must leave by 24:00 on 16 January.

If a foreigner intends to stay in China longer than the visa-free period allows, they should apply for an appropriate visa at a Chinese embassy or consulate before entering China. If they need to continue their stay after entering China under the visa-free policy for legitimate reasons, they should apply to the local public security exit-entry administration for a residence permit. Specific enquiries can be made to the local public security exit-entry management department.

5. Are there special requirements for passport validity, entry frequency, interval, and total stay days for visa-free entry to China? For nationals from countries with unilateral visa-free agreements, as long as their ordinary passport is valid at the time of entry and they are permitted entry, they can go through the normal entry procedures. If the passport's validity is less than 15 days, border inspection authorities will remind the individual to leave China within the passport's validity period or apply for a new passport at their country's embassy or consulate in China.

Currently, there are no restrictions on the number of entries, intervals between entries, or total stay days for individuals entering China under the unilateral visa-free policy. According to the "Agreement between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand on Mutual Visa Exemption for Ordinary Passport Holders," Thai nationals holding ordinary passports can enter China visa-free for a single stay of up to 30 days (cumulative stay of no more than 90 days within any 180 days).

6. This entry card is generally available on flights to China. You can fill it out with the guidance of the flight attendants or at the "card-filling station" in the immigration inspection waiting area. On-site border inspection officers will guide and assist you in filling it out!