New visa-free countries
Armenia
Visa policy highlights:
According to the announcement of the Chinese Embassy in Armenia, the "People's Republic of China and the Government of Armenia and the Government of Armenia *** and the State of the mutual exemption from the ordinary passports of persons visa agreement" will be in January 19th of this year will enter into force formally.
After the entry into force of the Agreement, Chinese citizens holding valid ordinary passports can enter Armenia visa-free and stay for a total of no more than 90 days within every 180 days from the date of entry; if they intend to enter Armenia to engage in activities such as work, study, news reporting, etc. or to settle down, they should apply for a visa before entering the country.
Pre-travel reference:
At present, there are no direct flights from China to Armenia; if you need to go there, you can transfer to other cities such as Moscow, Novosibirsk and Kiev.
Iran
Visa policy highlights:
According to Iran's official news, since July 16, holders of ordinary passports of the People's Republic of China, the People's Republic of China Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macao Special Administrative Region passport holders to travel to Iran for sightseeing and business visits can be exempted from the visa entry, and can stay for 21 days after each entry.
Pre-trip reference:
International flights to and from Iran are mainly to Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport. Iran's Mahan Air offers direct flights to Tehran from China's Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and China Southern Airlines has direct flights to Tehran from Urumqi. Chinese travelers from other cities can connect to Iran in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai and Moscow.
Chinese citizens in Iran are reminded to pay attention to safety!
The Chinese Embassy in Iran reminds Chinese citizens and organizations in Iran to pay close attention to the security situation in the region, raise alertness and pay attention to safety precautions. In case of danger or emergencies, please report to the police and contact the Chinese Embassy in Iran. This reminder is valid until April 8 of this year.
Uzbekistan
Highlights of visa policy:
Since Jan. 1, 2012, Uzbekistan has granted Chinese citizens with round-trip tickets and arriving in Uzbekistan on international flights visa-free entry for a maximum stay of seven days. However, the Uzbek side has not yet announced the implementation details of the policy, including how to calculate the seven-day period, what are the requirements for air tickets, and how to go through exit procedures after the deadline. LP will continue to monitor and update the implementation details of Uzbekistan's visa-free policy.
Pre-trip reference:
At present, there are direct flights to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, from Beijing and Urumqi, and from Guangzhou, Shanghai and other cities, you can take a connecting flight from Urumqi, or take a connecting flight from Almaty.
New electronic visa countries
Saudi Arabia
First open tourist visa
Visa policy highlights:
Saudi Arabia will be since September 28, 2010 officially open to citizens of 49 countries, including China, to apply for a tourist visa, which is the first time Saudi Arabia to foreign tourists open tourist visa. Tourist visas are only applicable to short-term sightseeing trips to Saudi Arabia, and foreign nationals going to Saudi Arabia to engage in other activities such as work, study, medical treatment and hajj pilgrimage are required to apply for visas that match the purpose of their entry into the country.
Pre-trip reference:
At present, only Guangzhou in China has direct flights to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, and Jeddah, a key city.
Russia
Kaliningrad Oblast, St. Petersburg, Leningrad Oblast open e-visa
Visa policy highlights:
-Kaliningrad Oblast-
Since July 1 of this year, the Russian side of the Russian side of China and other 53 countries citizens to go to the Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia to handle a one-time entry and exit of the validity of the business, humanities and tourism category of electronic visas.
Chinese citizens holding ordinary passports or official passports can log on to the website of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to apply for an electronic visa to the Kaliningrad Oblast free of charge. The e-visa is valid for 30 days from the date of issuance and the holder can stay in the Kaliningrad Oblast for 8 days from the date of entry.
Electronic visa holders are allowed to enter and leave the territory of the Oblast only through the specified air, sea, road and railroad ports, and only in the Kaliningrad Oblast, and are not permitted to enter or leave the Oblast through any other part of the country, including transit.
-St. Petersburg, Leningrad Oblast-
The Russian Embassy in Beijing told, since October 1 of this year, the Russian side of China and other 53 countries to go to St. Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast, Russia for a 30-day validity of 1 entry, the period of stay of 8 days for the business, humanities and tourism category of electronic visas.
Electronic visa holders can through the city of St. Petersburg and Leningrad region of Pulkovo air port, Vysotsk, St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, passenger port port port, Ivangorod, Tolfianovka, Brusnichnoye, Svetogorsk highway crossings to enter and exit the Russian border, and only in the city of St. Petersburg and Leningrad region activities.
Pre-trip reference:
To Kaliningrad Oblast, you can change planes in Minsk, Warsaw and other cities; at present, there are flights to St. Petersburg from all major cities in China.
Laos
Opening of eVisa
Visa policy highlights:
Since July 9, Laos has started to provide eVisa service to the public, and the eVisa is valid for 60 days after the receipt of the eVisa approval letter. After entering Laos with eVisa, you can stay in Laos for 30 days. Under normal circumstances, the application can be processed within 3 working days after submitting the application and paying the visa fee. Applicants can check the progress of the process online, and if the application is rejected, the Lao side will notify the applicant by email.
At present, foreign nationals holding eVisa can only enter Laos through Vientiane Wadei International Airport and Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge No. 1. In the next phase, the Lao side plans to open the eVisa entry service at Luang Prabang International Airport, Pakse International Airport, Mardin International Port, Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge No. 2, Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge No. 4 and other international ports.
Pre-trip reference:
Lao Airlines monopolizes most of the inbound and outbound routes, including flights to Bangkok, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh City and Kunming. China Eastern Airlines has daily flights from Vientiane to Kunming and Nanning. Those who want to fly to Vientiane from other Chinese cities also need to change planes in Kunming and Nanning.
Pakistan
Opening e-visa
Visa policy highlights:
The Pakistani government announced on March 14, 2012 that it will implement an e-visa application system for tourists from 175 countries, and tourists will be able to complete the application, material submission and payment of fees through the website of Pakistan's Data Registry Authority (DRA), and will be able to obtain a Pakistani Visa. Successful travelers will receive visa confirmation by email and SMS and will be able to enter the country after completing the verification upon arrival in Pakistan.
For pre-trip reference, there are flights to Pakistan from Beijing, Guangzhou, Urumqi and other cities in China.
Ukraine
Opening of e-visa
Highlights of the visa policy:
According to the announcement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, starting from January 1, 2012, e-visa will be implemented for the Chinese citizens who enter Ukraine for the following purposes: business purposes/private purposes/tourist purposes/medical purposes/purpose of carrying out activities in the field of culture, science, education and sports/foreign media. Representation in the performance of official duties. The applicant can obtain an e-visa for a single entry of up to 30 days within 9 working days. To apply for an e-visa you need to present documents such as a valid travel medical insurance (coverage ≥ 30,000 EUR, proof of deposit, proof of travel, etc. The visa fee is 85 USD.
Pre-travel reference:
Currently, only Beijing in China has direct flights to Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, and from other cities you can arrive with connecting flights from Almaty, Nursultan, Istanbul and other cities.
Madagascar
Open electronic visa
Visa policy highlights:
April 24, 2009, Madagascar Ministry of Public Security e-visa application system on the line, visitors to Madagascar tourists can be exempted from the pain of queuing up at the airport for the visa-on-arrival, their own on-line advance application for a tourist visa for the Malagasy, with a maximum validity period of 90 days; the cost of a visa for stays of up to 30 days is 115,000 ariary / 37 dollars / 35 euros.
Pre-travel reference:
Currently there are no direct flights from China to Madagascar, you can connect in Paris, Addis Ababa or Mauritius.
Kazakhstan
Open e-visa continuous 72-hour visa-free transit
Visa policy highlights:
Since January 1 of this year, Kazakhstan has implemented a single-entry e-visa system. According to the provisions of the mainland Chinese citizens can apply for a single tourist e-visa (but still need to apply online with the invitation letter number presented by the Kazakh side, you can enter and exit Kazakhstan through the international airport of Nursultan, Almaty, Chimkent, Aktau, Karaganda or Taraz 6 cities. Note that the validity of the transit visa-free policy is currently extended until December 31, year.
Pre-trip reference:
There are currently direct flights from China's Beijing and Urumqi to Almaty and Nursultan, and you can also arrive in transit in cities such as Moscow and Novosibirsk.
Papua New Guinea
Open e-visa
Visa policy highlights:
Papua New Guinea's official website has put out an announcement on e-visa, which allows Chinese nationals with ordinary passports to enjoy an e-visa for tourism, with a single entry and a stay of 30 days, at a cost of US$50.
Pre-trip reference:
Currently, there are no direct flights from China to Papua New Guinea, which can be transferred from Brisbane, Manila and other cities.
Suriname
Opening of e-visa
Visa policy highlights:
On April 15, 2009, Suriname began to implement the policy of e-visa and e-tourist card, and opened an online application website for the world. The e-Tourist Card is only available to visitors from China and other selected countries for tourism purposes and is valid for 3 months with a single entry and a stay of no more than 90 days. The e-Tourist Visa is available to visitors from all over the world for tourism purposes and is categorized into various types according to validity, number of entries and period of stay. The documents required for the e-Tourist Card are simpler than those for the e-Tourist Visa. The transition period of the new policy is 6 months, during which applicants can still apply for paper visas through Suzhou embassies and consulates abroad or apply for tourist cards on arrival through Suzhou ports of entry and other existing means. After the expiration of the transition period, applicants must complete the e-visa or e-tourist card in advance through the website, and the original tourist card on arrival policy is canceled.
Pre-trip reference:
At present, there are no direct flights from China to Suriname, and you can change planes in Amsterdam and other places.
New visa regulations
Malaysia
eNTRI extension
Visa policy highlights:
The Malaysian government made an announcement on Dec. 26 that it will continue to implement the eNTRI visa waiver program for Chinese tourists from Jan. 1 of this year to Dec. 31 of this year.
Chinese tourists coming to Malaysia through the visa waiver program are required to meet the following conditions:
(a) register in the eNTRI system in Malaysia;
(b) travel to Malaysia within 3 months after successful registration;
(c) stay in Malaysia for a maximum of 15 days, which can not be extended;
(d) enter and exit the country from the following airports:
1. Kuala Lumpur International Airport;
2.
2. Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2;
3. Penang International Airport;
4. Kedah Langkawi International Airport;
5. Malacca International Airport;
6. Johor Bahru Serenity International Airport;
7. Kuching Sarawak International Airport;
8. Kota Kinabalu Sabah International Airport;
9. Labuan International Airport.
Or from the following ports:
1. Iskandar, Johor;
2. Johor Bahru Railway Station Port;
3. Sultan Abu Bakar, Tanjung Kubang, Johor;
4. Padang Besar, Jalan Batu Pahat;
5. Heki Hills, Kedah Changlun;
6. Sarawak Sungai Tuk Kau Border Crossing;
7. Sarawak Lim Meng Border Crossing.
(5 Have return or third country air tickets;
(6 Prove that you have sufficient cash or present a credit card, UnionPay card, Alipay or e-wallet with sufficient amount of money and your itinerary in Malaysia at the time of entry.
(vii) Re-application for re-entry only after 45 days of departure from Malaysia.
(viiiChinese tourists who apply for entry in this way may not apply for another type of visa.
Pre-trip reference:
Kuala Lumpur International Airport, located 75 kilometers south of Kuala Lumpur, is the main gateway for a large number of international flights to and from Malaysia. There are flights to Kuala Lumpur from all major cities in China. If you need to travel to other destinations in Malaysia, it is most convenient to change planes in Kuala Lumpur.
Singapore
96-hour visa-free transit
Visa policy highlights:
Since January 28, 2009, Chinese citizens who meet the following conditions are eligible for 96-hour VFTF when traveling to a third country or departing from a third country and need to transit through Singapore:
You can enter Singapore by any means of transportation, but you must Depart by air or sea; and must have a valid renewal air ticket, ferry ticket or boat ticket to depart Singapore within 96 hours;
- Must hold a valid visa or long-term pass (valid for at least one month from the date of entry into Singapore under the VFTF program, the validity of the visa is dependent on the availability of the visa to enter any of the above countries: Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States.
-Travelers holding Single Entry Visas (SJV) for the above countries can also avail of the VFTF when they are in transit to Singapore on their return journey (i.e. if the OWV has been used and lapsed), provided that the following conditions are met: the traveler is travelling directly from the country that issued the SJV, passing through Singapore, and then returning directly to his/her country of origin; and has not yet returned to his/her country of origin since the last time that he/she used his/her SJV (this applies to Schengen visas issued by Germany and Switzerland only). Schengen visa issued by Germany and Switzerland only, not Schengen visa issued by other countries.
-VFTF can be used for either the outbound or the return trip, but not for both trips.
Note that when traveling from mainland China to Hong Kong and Macau via Singapore, there may be cases where the mainland ports do not release the passengers.
For pre-trip reference, there are flights to Singapore from all major cities in China.
India
Implementation of five-year multiple e-visa
Visa policy highlights:
According to the Indian Embassy, the Indian government has decided to further liberalize its e-visa policy for Chinese citizens. The policy relaxation is in terms of validity and cost of e-visa.
1. From October, Chinese citizens can apply for an electronic tourist visa (e-TV), which is valid for five years and allows multiple entries, at a cost of 80 U.S. dollars.
2. In addition, tourists can use the 30-day single-entry e-TV, the cost of which has been reduced to 25 U.S. dollars, and the 30-day e-TV costs only 10 U.S. dollars from April to June.
3. One-year multiple-entry e-TVs will continue to be issued at a reduced fee of US$40.
4. In addition to the above mentioned e-Tourist Visa (e-TV, the existing e-Medical Visa, e-Conference Visa and one year multiple entry e-Commerce Visa will continue to be issued on the India Visa Online platform.
Pre-travel reference:
Direct flights to New Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai, India are currently available from several Chinese cities.
India Guide Portal:
Five-year multiple visa is here! In-depth tour of this mysterious country is now
Turkey
Opening of 180-day multiple-entry e-visa
Visa policy highlights:
Turkey's official e-visa platform has changed the 180-day single-entry to multiple-entry with a maximum stay of 30 days per visit at a cost of $60.
Pre-trip reference: Flying from China to Turkey usually enters through Istanbul. There are daily direct flights to Istanbul from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
Ireland
Five-year multiple-entry visas available
Visa policy highlights:
On June 22, 2009, Ireland's Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan, announced a new policy of issuing five-year multiple-entry visas for Chinese citizens. The new five-year multiple-entry visa came into effect on July 1 of this year.
Applicants applying for a visitor's visa will have the opportunity to obtain a five-year multiple-entry short-stay visa if they can demonstrate a good history of entry and exit, for example, from Ireland, the UK, the Schengen states, Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the US, and have complied with the requirements of the visa.
Applicants applying for a visitor's visa with a limited history of entry and exit and who are assessed to be genuine will have the opportunity to obtain a one, two or three year multiple entry short stay visa. All applications can be made online.
For pre-trip reference: direct flights to Dublin are available from cities such as Beijing and Shenzhen, or you can choose to arrive with a connecting flight in cities such as London or Dubai.
Japan
Visa simplification
Visa policy highlights:
Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs from January 1, 2010, the implementation of the policy of further relaxation of visas for Chinese students or Chinese tourists who have visited Japan several times in the past three years.
Previously, for China's Ministry of Education directly under the university (75 undergraduate and graduate students and graduated within three years of former students, in the application for a single visa, the implementation of simplified application procedures, this time the target colleges and universities will be expanded to 1,243 colleges and universities; over the past three years with individual tourist visas to Japan more than two times the Chinese tourists, in the future to apply for a multiple-entry visa when the procedures will also be simplified.
Pre-trip reference: At present, a number of Chinese cities have direct flights to Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka and other cities in Japan.
Schengen visa
Visa simplification
Visa policy highlights:
01: can be applied half a year in advance
According to the program, the application time for Schengen visas will be extended, from the current can only be applied for three months ahead of time to be applied for half a year in advance.
02: Online application
The application process will be electronic, and applicants will be able to fill out, submit and even sign the application form online.
03: Unification of the Schengen countries long-term multiple validity period
For the multiple-entry visa, the program intends to change the current Schengen area member states "their own" situation, the unified multiple-entry visa validity period, the minimum of one year, and then with the applicant to apply for the number of times to increase the number of years, but the maximum shall not exceed five years.
04: Visa fees may increase
In order to increase manpower, updated equipment, strengthen security checks, the proposed short-term Schengen visa fee of no more than 90 days from the current 60 euros to 80 euros.
05: Schengen visa and a country's readmission of illegal immigrants "linked"
The program expressly stated that the Schengen visa will be issued depending on a country's readmission of illegal immigrants, i.e., whether or not a country cooperates with the European Union to readmit the repatriated illegal immigrants, which will affect the length of the country's Schengen visa processing, the visa validity period, the visa fee level. The program states that the issuance of Schengen visas will depend on whether a country cooperates with the EU in the readmission of illegal immigrants.
For your information, there are direct flights from many cities in China to major cities in Europe.
Sri Lanka
Visa fee waiver
Visa policy highlights:
The Sri Lankan government announced on July 31, 2010 that it would waive visa fees for tourists from more than 40 countries, including China, starting from August 1, 2011, and that the policy would be valid for six months.
Please register at www.eta.gov.lk网站申请ETA并准确选择自己的出行目的 before entering the country and refrain from engaging in activities that are incompatible with the purpose of the selected trip after entering the country. Those who have been granted an ETA will be issued with a visa for a period of stay not exceeding 30 days at the port of entry. If you need to extend your stay, you may apply to the Immigration Department for an extension after entering the country and pay the relevant fee.
Please ensure that your passport is valid for at least 6 months. Upon arrival, the immigration officer may ask you to present a round-trip or connecting air ticket, a hotel reservation, and sufficient funds to live in the country (a minimum of US$50 per day for the duration of your stay in the country).
If the entrants have not obtained ETA in advance, they can apply for it at the ETA counters of Bandaranaike International Airport and Hambantota International Airport in Colombo, the capital city of Sri Lanka, but there is a risk of visa refusal. It is recommended that Chinese citizens traveling to Sri Lanka for a short period of time apply for an ETA online in advance.
Pre-trip reference: there are direct flights to Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, from a number of Chinese cities.
Thailand
No visa on arrival fee policy extension
Visa policy highlights:
In order to attract Chinese tourists to Thailand during the Chinese New Year period, the Thai government has decided after deliberation that Thailand's no visa on arrival (VOA visa fee policy will continue to be extended. That is, from the expiration of October 31, from November 1, until April 30, 18 countries and regions, including China, inbound tourists, without having to pay the visa-on-arrival fee.
November 21, 2009, Thailand announced that the electronic visa-on-arrival (EVOA application system is officially online. In the future, tourists from 21 countries and regions, including China and Taiwan, will be able to apply for a visa on arrival online. The introduction of this measure eliminates the need to queue up for the cumbersome visa-on-arrival on-site, which greatly facilitates the visa-on-arrival application of Chinese tourists.
Pre-trip reference:
There are direct flights from many Chinese cities to Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Koh Samui.
Myanmar
Visa-on-arrival policy extended
Visa policy highlights:
According to the notice of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar, the visa-on-arrival policy of Myanmar will be extended for one year until September 30, 2012 for Chinese citizens holding ordinary passports for short-term travel to Myanmar on a trial basis. Myanmar visa-on-arrival port of entry for Yangon, Naypyidaw and Mandalay international airports, visa fee of 50 U.S. dollars, can stay no more than 30 days, the required materials see the website of the Myanmar Department of Immigration.
Pre-trip reference: Currently there are several Chinese airlines operating international flights to Naypyidaw, Mandalay and Yangon.
U.S.
New visa rules
Visa policy highlights:
As of May 31, 2012, all U.S. visa applicants, except for some diplomatic and official visa applicants, will be required to provide their personal accounts for the past five years on 20 social networking pages, with China's major social media outlets included.
Pre-trip reference:
Direct flights to U.S. cities such as Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco are now available from several Chinese cities.
Countries and regions with visa exemption and visa-on-arrival for Chinese passport holders
Countries with visa exemption and visa-on-arrival for ordinary passport holders (15 countries)
United Arab Emirates, Barbados, Bahamas, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ecuador, Fiji, Grenada, Mauritius, San Marino*** and the State of Seychelles, Serbia, Tonga, Belarus, Qatar and Armenia.
Unilaterally allowed Chinese citizens visa-free entry to the list of countries or regions (17
Asia (4: Indonesia, Jeju Island (South Korea, Iran, Uzbekistan
Africa (3: Morocco, French Réunion, Tunisia
America (7: Antigua and Barbuda, Haiti, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (British Overseas Territories, St. Kitts and Nevis, Turks and Caicos Islands (British Overseas Territories, Jamaica, Dominica
Oceania (3: U.S. Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan, etc., Samoa, French Polynesia
Unilaterally allowed Chinese citizens to apply for visas on arrival list of countries and regions (41
Asia (19: Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Laos, Lebanon, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Brunei, Jordan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia
(Note: Indonesia has both visa-free and visa-on-arrival policies
Africa (15: Egypt, Togo, Cape Verde, Gabon, Comoros, C?te d'Ivoire, Rwanda, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, S?o Tomé and Príncipe, Tanzania, Uganda, Benin, Zimbabwe
America (3: Guyana, Suriname, St. Helena (British Overseas Territory)
Oceania (4: Palau, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea
)