China announced plans to expand visa-free travel to nine additional countries, including seven from Eastern Europe: Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Romania. Malta and Japan round up the list.

According to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, this initiative aims to enhance international exchanges and promote more accessible travel between China and participating countries.

From November 30, 2024, to December 31, 2025, citizens with ordinary passports from Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, and Japan will qualify for visa-free entry. This trial will include visits for purposes such as tourism, family visits, business, transit, and cultural exchanges.

In addition to enhancing accessibility, updated entry policies will allow foreign nationals to visit China without a visa for more purposes. Exchange visits will now be included as valid reasons for visa-free entry, while the maximum stay permitted will increase from the current 15 days to 30 days.

Starting November 30, 2024, citizens from all 38 countries already eligible for China’s visa-free entry, including the newly added nations, can enter China without a visa for business, tourism, family visits, or transit stays of up to 30 days. Visitors failing to meet these visa-free criteria must still obtain a visa before arrival.

In 2024, China saw a significant rise in foreign tourism, coinciding with the introduction of visa-free travel to China for certain countries.

Key data from the third quarter of the year includes:

• 8.19 million international travelers visited China, reflecting a 48.8% increase compared to the previous year.
• Among them, 4.89 million entered under the visa-free policy, an exceptional 78.6% year-on-year rise.