Polish citizens are the latest to benefit from China's visa-free scheme, which aims to boost tourism. China has extended visa-free travel to Poland, Australia and New Zealand until the end of 2025. Since the start of 2024, the scheme has been announced in stages, with 11 other European countries and Malaysia also gaining visa-free access.
It aims to encourage more people to visit China for business and tourism, and promote exchanges between Chinese citizens and foreign nationals. Citizens of Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland are among the European countries allowed to enter China without a visa until the end of next year. citizens will join the list on 1 July.
The aim is “to facilitate the high-quality development of Chinese and foreign personnel exchanges and high-level opening up to the outside world,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a briefing on the initial announcement made in November. Visa-free entry will be granted for up to 15 days in the trial programme. China's strict , which included required quarantines for all arrivals, discouraged many people from visiting for nearly three years.
The restrictions were lifted early last year, but international travel has yet to bounce back to levels. China previously allowed citizens of Brunei, Japan and Singapore to enter without a visa but suspended that after the outbreak. It resumed visa-free entry for Brunei and Singapore in July.
