China has introduced a progression of new traveler-friendly policies and strategies with expectations of drawing international tourists back to the country following the Coronavirus pandemic.
The country has been amping up efforts to bait international travelers since opening its doors following the pandemic toward the end of 2022 by introducing additional alluring strategies.
China now offers visa exemptions for many nationalities, as well as a 144-hour free visa travel strategy at a growing number of ports of entry.
Furthermore, mobile wallet giants like Alipay and WeChat have made their apps and payment processes more foreigner-friendly by simplifying their lengthy set-up processes and accepting international credit cards.
Hotels are also being asked to accept international credit cards, which aren’t so popular among merchants in China. Some cities like Beijing have launched all-in-one passes that allow travelers to electronically pay for things like attraction admissions and public transit.
China received around 14 million foreign guests in the first half of 2024, a 152.7% increase from 2023, as per the country’s National Migration Administration. Around half of those explorers entered the country under different kinds of free visa arrangements.
There has indeed been an increment of travelers in the country. In the first half of 2024, roughly 14 million visitors from other countries visited China, with half of them entering without a visa.
China has common visa exemptions agreement with 23 countries – including Singapore and Thailand – and another one-sided without visa policy for 15 extra international IDs.
The 15 countries who are getting a charge out of visa exemptions until December 31, 2025 are Austria, Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Spain and Switzerland.
Citizens of these countries can visit China for at least 15 days constantly without a visa.
China traveler visa application processes have been more straightforward for US citizens since January 2024. Candidates are not generally expected to submit verification of a full circle air ticket, inn reservation, schedule or invitation letter.
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Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the US are among the 54 countries qualified to travel through China for as long as six days.
Before entering China, travelers must present purchased travel documents, such as connecting tickets for flights, trains, and ships, as evidence of their subsequent stop—one that is distinct from their original country of departure.
However, travelers visiting under these visa-free transit programs have more restrictions in terms of places they can visit.
They can only travel within the 41 designated ports of entry in 19 Chinese provinces – including Beijing and Shanghai.
