Tourism statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics of China

China Resumes 30-Day Visa-Free Travel for Japanese Nationals Starting November 30

Nov 22, 2024, 07:22 AM

China announced it will expand its visa-free policies, resuming short-term visa exemptions for Japanese nationals and extending visa-free entry to several other countries. From November 30, 2024, to December 31, 2025, Japanese citizens can visit China without a visa for up to 30 days, doubling the previous visa-free stay of 15 days. The move reinstates arrangements suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and aims to boost trade and tourism between the two nations. Additionally, China will extend visa exemption to Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, and Latvia. The Foreign Ministry stated that China has established visa-free agreements with 157 countries and regions, including mutual visa-free agreements with six countries such as Singapore, Thailand, and Kazakhstan, and offers full visa-free access to 25 countries. China has implemented unilateral visa-free policies for 29 countries, including France and Germany.