TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - China has expanded its visa-free policy to a large number of countries in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and most of Europe. The latest to join the list is Sweden, which gained visa-free access to China on November 10, 2025, valid until December 31, 2026.
According to a report by the National Immigration Administration of China, there were 178 million arrivals and departures in the third quarter of 2025, with a 48.3 percent increase in foreign arrivals without a visa.
In 2024, more than 20 million foreign visitors entered the country without a visa, which is more than double the number from the previous year. In an effort to boost tourism, the economy, and its soft power, the local government continues to expand visa-free policies.
Positive Impact of Visa-Free Access
Georgian citizen Giorgi Shavadze welcomed the visa-free policy to China. "This really helps people to travel because it is such a hassle to apply for a visa and go through the process," he said, as reported by Euronews.
A similar sentiment was expressed by Oystein Sporsheim from Norway. Thanks to the visa-free policy, he no longer needs to make two trips to and from the Chinese embassy in Oslo. "They don’t very often open, so it was much harder," he said.
For travel agents, the policy has also had a positive impact. Jenny Chao, the executive director of WildChina, said her business increased by 50 percent compared to before the pandemic. She is quite optimistic that this visa policy can have a long-term effect. "The new visa policies are 100 per cent beneficial to us," she said.
List of Countries with Visa-Free Access
The visa-free access policy for many European citizens visiting China began in December 2023, particularly for citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia. The list expanded, and as of last month, five Latin American countries and Uzbekistan became eligible for visa-free access. In addition, four Middle Eastern countries, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, also gained visa-free access. Entry without a visa has been granted to around 75 countries, including Azerbaijan, which was recently added.
European countries with visa-free access to China include Austria, Andorra, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland.
According to Travel and Leisure Asia, Russian citizens also gained entry to China without a visa for up to 30 days on September 15, 2025. This provision will remain in effect until September 14, 2026.
Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that Canada will also have visa-free access to the People's Republic of China. However, there have been no official statements or provisions regarding this visa-free agreement.
As for major countries not included in the list of visa-free access to China, they include the Czech Republic, Lithuania, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Indonesia, the United States, and Mexico. Passport holders from these countries can take advantage of the transit policy, which allows for a stay of up to 10 days.
Read: How to Apply for a New Zealand Working Holiday Visa in 2026
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