China Extends Visa Waiver Policy To These Countries

Citizens of nine other countries can enter China without a visa to travel to the country, starting Friday, November 8.

Ordinary passport holders from eight European countries, including Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco and Liechtenstein, as well as South Korea, can travel to China for professional or leisure purposes for a maximum period of 15 days without requiring a visa.

The visa is expected to remain valid until December 31, 2025.

South Korea is a major source of tourism for China. In 2019, about 4.3 million South Koreans visited China.

The Korean Foreign Ministry reported less than 1.3 million in 2023. The prices of Chinese and Korean travel industry executives rose after Beijing announced on Friday the expansion of the visa waiver program.

Many efforts are being made to boost tourism in China, and these are the latest country to be added to China’s expanding visa waiver program, which is designed to boost tourism that has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.

China’s Tourism Sector Is Still Strong And Kicking!

In 2019, China welcomed about 49.1 million foreign tourists globally. As of July this year, about 17.25 million foreigners have arrived, according to state news agency Xinhua.

China’s visa-free policy has helped attract foreigners. In the third quarter of 2024, 8.2 million foreigners arrived, an increase of 49% compared to 2023, where about 4.9 million people use this program.

Chinese authorities are also seeking to restore air traffic control to levels that led to the pandemic. Chinese carriers are adding flights to Europe this winter, following the cancellation of services to China by major global carriers due to low demand and ongoing problems with -operation caused by Russian air embargo.