Foreign tourists have a group photo taken at the Palace Museum in Beijing on September 5, 2024. Photo: VCG

China's Foreign Ministry said on Friday to extend visa-free policy to nine more countries. Between November 30, 2024 and December 31, 2025, the visa exemption policy will be implemented for ordinary passport holders from Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia and Japan on a trial basis, Lin Jian, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said during a regular press conference.

In addition, China has optimized the visa-free policy, including exchange visits as the reason for visa-free entry, and extend the visa-free stay period from the current 15 days to 30 days. Starting from November 30, 2024, holders of ordinary passports from 38 visa-free countries, including the above nine countries, can enter China without a visa for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, exchange visits and transit for no more than 30 days, Lin said.

Global Times