China erweitert den visumfreien Zugang zu mehr als 70 Ländern, um den Tourismus und die Wirtschaft zu steigern

> Foreign tourists are trickling back to China after the country loosened its visa policy to **unprecedented levels**. Citizens from 74 countries can now enter China for up to 30 days without a visa, a big jump from previous regulations.

> More than 20 million foreign visitors entered without a visa in 2024 — almost one-third of the total and more than double from the previous year, according to the National Immigration Administration. “This really helps people to travel because it is such a **hassle to apply for a visa** and go through the process,” Giorgi Shavadze, a Georgian living in Austria, said on a recent visit to the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.

> In December 2023, China announced visa-free entry for citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia. Almost **all of Europe has been added since then**. Travelers from five Latin American countries and Uzbekistan became eligible last month, followed by four in the Middle East. The total will grow to 75 on July 16 with the addition of Azerbaijan.

> About two-thirds of the countries have been granted visa-free entry on a one-year trial basis. Those from 10 countries not in the visa-free scheme have another option: entering China for up to 10 days if they depart for a different country than the one they came from. It does offer a more restrictive option for citizens of the 10 countries that aren’t: the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Sweden, Russia, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Indonesia, Canada, **the U.S.** and Mexico.