Mainland China: More Nationals Eligible for Visa Exemption; Expanded Rights Under Exemption
November 5, 2025

China continues to expand its visa-exemption program, offering temporary and long-term visa-free entry to travelers from an increasing number of countries. As a brief summary, the current visa-exempt arrangements are as follows:
- Visa-exempt for up to 30 days (under a temporary policy in effect until September 14, 2026): Russia
- Visa-exempt for up to 30 days (under a temporary policy in effect until December 31, 2026): Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Uruguay
- Visa-exempt for up to 30 days: Brunei, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Dominica, Ecuador, Fiji, Grenada, Maldives, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Tonga, United Arab Emirates
- Visa-exempt for up to 30 days, with a cumulative stay of up to 90 days in a 180-day period: Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Malaysia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Thailand, Uzbekistan
- Visa-exempt for up to 60 days: Mauritius
- Visa-exempt for up to 90 days: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina San Marino
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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