In the aftermath of some of the strictest Covid-19 travel restrictions in the world, China has been taking a number of measures to increase its appeal to international travellers since it started reconnecting with the world last year. Piloting visa-exemptions for 6 countries at first, both the duration and scope of the scheme have been extended over the past months.
In the latest expansion, five more countries have been included – Cyprus, Denmark, Greece and Slovenia last week, and, today, Portugal. The new exemptions apply from 15 October 2024 until 31 December 2025. This means that there are now 20 countries, 17 of which in Europe, that enjoy visa-free travel to China for tourism, business, visiting relatives or transit purposes, for stays of up to 15 days.
“I now notify the Slovenian side with great excitement that the Chinese government has decided to grant visa-free entry to Slovenian citizens, which is good news for the peoples of both countries and will greatly promote friendly exchanges between the two sides and deepen friendship and mutual trust”, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon during a meeting in New York on Wednesday.
| Visa-exempt countries to China | |||
| Austria | France | Italy | Norway |
| Australia | Germany | Luxembourg | Portugal |
| Belgium | Greece | Malaysia | Slovenia |
| Cyprus | Hungary | Netherlands | Spain |
| Denmark | Ireland | New Zealand | Switzerland |
The move started in November 2023, with just 5 EU countries (France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain) and Malaysia. More countries were gradually added and, in May 2024, the trial was extended until the end of 2025, from the initial 30 November 2024 deadline. Then, in June, Australia and New Zealand were included and, earlier in September, Norway joined the list.
The benefits of the agreements is already noticeable. Fuelled mostly by domestic travel, but with international visitors also steadily increasing, air travel in China is expected to reach record levels this year, with 700 million air trips, Zhiyong Song, head of the Civil Aviation Administration (CAA), said at the Asia Pacific Summit for Aviation Safety in Beijing on 13 August.
In the first half of the year, just domestic flights already accounted for 350 million passengers, a 24% increase compared to last year and 9% over pre-pandemic year 2019, according to the CAA. Although no precise number has been provided for international passengers, the CAA has confirmed the figure has rebounded to 79% of pre-Covid levels.
