China has decided to experiment with a new 15-day visa-free entry regime for ordinary passport holders from major European countries including Italy, France, Germany, Holland and Spain, as well as Malaysia, although it involves Asia. The measure will take effect from December 1 to November 30, 2024, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning announced during the daily briefing.
Mao said the measure was adopted to “facilitate exchanges between Chinese and foreigners, promote high-quality development and wide opening” of the country to the outside world. In this regard, the initiative is an expression of a “unilateral exemption policy”, according to which citizens of the beneficiary countries can enter China “for business or tourism purposes, for visits to relatives and friends” or simply for transit for a maximum of 30% 15 days, without that a formal application is required. Currently, the majority of travelers require a visa to enter China. Rare examples of an exemption include citizens of Singapore and Brunei, who currently have a 15-day visa waiver.
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