To boost tourism and international relations, the Chinese government plans to extend visa-free travel to 11 European countries by the end of 2025. Find out more about which countries tourists can travel to China without a visa

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China has extended the visa-free regime for citizens of 11 European countries and Malaysia until the end of 2025. This initiative will be introduced in stages from the beginning of 2024 and was initially envisaged for a period of one year. The main goal of this regime is to stimulate a greater flow of people visiting China for business and tourism, as well as to facilitate exchanges between Chinese and foreign citizens.

Citizens of Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom will be able to visit China without the need for a visa until the end of next year. 

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that the visa-free program is designed for up to 15 days and is a trial. 

Resumption of international travel to China after the pandemic

During the Covid-19 pandemic, China took strict measures such as mandatory quarantine for all arrivals. This scared off many tourists. Restrictions were lifted early last year, but international travel has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Previously, China granted visa-free entry to citizens of Brunei, Japan, and Singapore, but suspended this option during the pandemic. In July, the visa-free regime was restored for Brunei and Singapore, but not for Japan.

According to immigration statistics for 2023, the number of foreigners entering and leaving China totaled 35.5 million, a significant decline from 97.7 million in 2019.

The Chinese government is actively seeking foreign investment to stimulate the economy. Therefore, some businessmen come to trade shows and meetings, including Elon Musk of Tesla and Tim Cook of Apple. However, foreign tourists remain rare compared to before the pandemic.

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Simplifying travel to China for Europeans

Last year, there was an increase in European interest in traveling to China, in particular, according to the online travel agency Trip.com. During the reporting period, the number of bookings from Europe to China increased by 663% compared to 2022, and by almost 29% compared to 2019.

Research has shown that the UK and Germany have become one of the main sources of inbound tourists to China. As for popular destinations, Shanghai remains the leader among Europeans due to its unique combination of modernity and tradition. Other popular destinations include Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Sanya, located in the south of Hainan Island, and Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province in southwestern China, have become new attractive destinations for European tourists.

In addition to introducing new visa-free programs, China is investing in improving tourism infrastructure, technology, and electronic payment systems to provide convenient conditions for European tourists. Such initiatives are aimed at promoting China's multifaceted cultural and historical heritage through a partnership with Trip.com.