Mainland China: More Nationals Eligible for Visa Exemption; Expanded Rights Under Exemption
November 25, 2024
From November 30, 2024, through December 31, 2025, the Chinese government is allowing nationals of Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Japan, Latvia, Malta, Northern Macedonia, Montenegro, and Romania to enter Mainland China visa-free for up to 30 days for business, tourism, family visits, or transit purposes.
With the addition of these nine countries, the following is the full list of countries (38 in total) for which this visa exemption applies: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, and Switzerland.
Also, effective November 30, 2024, nationals of these countries entering Mainland China visa-free will be allowed to stay for up to 30 days for business, tourism, family visits, or transit purposes. Currently, the maximum initial stay under the visa waiver is 15 days. Additionally, those entering under the visa waiver will be permitted to engage in cultural exchange activities, which is currently not permitted for those entering visa-free.
Fragomen in China is Fragomen (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., operating exclusively as an immigration consultancy and not as a law firm in China. This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].
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