China expands visa-free programs, adds Ireland and Switzerland to the list

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

China has dramatically expanded its visa-free programs in the past three months.

Beijing last week added Ireland and Switzerland to the list of countries whose passport holders can enter without visas.

This is indicating a growing effort to boost tourism and cross-border business as the economy slows.

Beijing last week added Ireland and Switzerland to the list of countries whose passport holders can enter without visas.

This expands China’s outreach to European travellers.

China recently granted visa-free tourism and business access to citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain for 15 days.

China is also courting Asian travellers. It is granting the same exemption to Malaysians and striking an agreement earlier this month with Thailand to waive reciprocal visa requirements.

Traffic at the borders remains well below the levels before the COVID-19 pandemic.

China’s National Immigration Administration recorded 35.5 million entries and exits by foreign nationals in 2023. It is about 36% of the 2019 figure.

The new travel policies come as foreign investment into China has dropped amid tense relations with Western governments.

Three years of tight zero-COVID restrictions and an uncertain regulatory landscape have also eroded business confidence and kept visitors away.

The visa changes have been welcomed by foreign chambers of commerce, though some experts are skeptical of the impact.

Beijing fully reopened its borders in March last year. Then authorities reinstated visa-free travel for visitors from Singapore and Brunei.

They also announced the nation would streamline landing visas for overseas business travelers coming for exhibitions or meetings.

At the end of the year, visa fees were slashed by 25%.

Norway was recently added to an expanded list of 54 countries. The nationales of these countries can enter without a visa on layovers of up to 144 hours.

Europe is a strategic focus for the Chinese government, political observers note, as relations with the U.S. remain frosty.

Premier Li Qiang wrapped up a European tour in Dublin this month after attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he pitched China as an investment opportunity.

Beijing appears to be being selective. Japanese, for example, used to enjoy the 15-day exemption like Singaporeans, but this has yet to be restored.

Yet even American travellers are getting somewhat easier treatment. It is showing that energizing the flagging economy is the top priority despite geopolitical friction.

U.S. citizens are still required to get visas.

But Chinese authorities no longer require tourists to provide proof of hotel reservations, round-trip air tickets and an invitation letter.

The new policies could help to boost cross-border exchanges and increase flights.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China estimated the number of international passenger flights could rise to 6,000 per week by the end of the year.

That would be up from 4,600 at the end of 2023- 62.8% of the number before COVID.

A senior China economist at Natixis, said capital flows from inbound tourism “remain subdued,” hovering around 45% of pre-pandemic levels in the second half of 2023.

He noted that the country will need to start making up for a revival in outbound travel to sustain its own tourism industry.

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