Official tourism statistics from Chinese authorities or major news outlets

China Grants 30-Day Visa-Free Entry to Japan, Australia, and Eight European Nations from Nov. 30

Nov 25, 2024, 02:50 AM

China has announced the expansion of its visa-free entry policy to include citizens from Japan, Australia, and eight European countries, effective November 30, bringing the total number of countries with visa-free access to 38. Japanese citizens and those from Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, and Latvia will be able to enter China without a visa for stays of up to 30 days. The visa-free stay for Australian citizens has been extended from 15 to 30 days until the end of 2025. This move aims to boost business, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges as China seeks to strengthen ties with these nations. Following the announcement, the popularity of direct flights from various Japanese cities to China has surged. The Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed hope that Japan would work towards improved personnel exchanges.