China Expands Visa-Free Entry to 74 Countries to Boost Tourism

In its push to revive its struggling economy, China has started dishing out visa-free entry programs to many countries, with the exception of North America and Africa.

Currently, 74 countries in Europe, Asia, Latin America and Middle East have now attained the free pass to visit China for up to 30 days without a visa.

For travelers whose countries are not on the 30-day visa-free list, a transit visa exemption is still available. These visitors can stay in China for up to 10 days, provided they are transiting to a third country different from the country they were coming from.

The countries that did not make the 30-day visa-free list include Czech Republic, Lithuania, Sweden, Russia, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Indonesia, Canada, the U.S and Mexico.

Azerbaijian will be the upcoming addition to candidates on the visa-free list, pushing the total count to 75 countries.

China Reviving Its Economy Post Pandemic

This initiative was a stark contrast to pre-pandemic, where China only allowed three countries-Singapore, Japan, Brunei-to travel to China visa-free.

But these agreements paused when China closed its borders during the pandemic, but have now resumed.

China has since been steadily extending visa-free entries to more countries, starting with France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands in December 2023.

It later added Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, And Bahrain on Jun 9, 2025. China’s decision to ease visa restrictions is part of a broader strategy to revive its tourism economy, which suffered a dramatic decline during the pandemic.

Strict travel bans led to just 13.8 million foreign visitors in 2023, compared to 31.9 million in 2019. Following the expansion of the visa-free program at the end of 2023, China welcomed 20 million visa-free visitors in 2024.

The impact has been particularly notable in major cities. In the first half of 2025, Shanghai saw three times as many visa-free international visitors compared to 2024.

Similarly, Beijing experienced double the number of such tourists. The streamlined process, which eliminates the lengthy paperwork and costs associated with traditional visas, has been a key factor in this surge.

The simplified entry requirements have placed additional pressure on local tour operators, who are now preparing for even larger influxes of tourists, especially during peak travel seasons.

The cost and complexity of obtaining a Chinese visa—previously requiring extensive paperwork and fees ranging from S$80 to S$221 for Singaporeans, and even higher for other nationalities—had long been a barrier for many potential visitors.

With the continued expansion of its visa-free policy, China is positioning itself as a more accessible and attractive destination for global travelers, signaling a strong commitment to reviving and growing its tourism industry in the post-pandemic era.