From November 8, 2024 to December 31, 2025, China will implement a visa-free policy for travelers holding ordinary passports from Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein and South Korea. Ordinary passport holders from these nine countries will be exempted from visa requirements to enter China and can stay for up to 15 days for business, tourism, family visits and transit purposes. So far, a total of 29 countries can enjoy China's unilateral visa-free policy, together with the 20 countries that have been given or resumed visa-free treatment on a trial basis, including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Poland, Australia, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Slovenia, and Brunei.
Customs officials at the Changsha Port Exit-Entry Station carry out inspections for inbound tourists. (Photo/Cao Wang)
Data from the Hunan General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection showed that from January to October 2024, a total of 806,000 foreigners from 79 countries entered and exited China through Hunan’s ports of entry, a year-on-year increase of 195.7%, and a year-on-year increase of 16.7% over the record set in 2019. The total number of arrivals from Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore that have enjoyed visa-free access increased by 423% year-on-year in 2023, up 141% over the record set in 2019.
As of October 31, Hunan’s ports of entry handled nearly 1.4 million inbound and outbound trips, including more than 900,000 at Changsha and nearly 500,000 at Zhangjiajie. The number of cross-border trips handled at Zhangjiajie increased by 35% compared with the highest level in 2019, ranking first among non-provincial capital ports of entry in central China.
From October 27 to November 2, the first week of operation of the winter and spring season, Hunan’s ports of entry operated 177 international passenger flights, including 76 flights to and from South Korea, 40 flights to and from Thailand, 29 flights to and from Malaysia, 12 flights to and from Singapore, and 20 flights to and from Vietnam, Laos, Kenya, the United Kingdom, Indonesia and other countries. Passenger flights to and from South Korea reached six cities, including Seoul, Cheongju, Muan, Busan, Daegu and Yangyang.
To cope with growing inbound and outbound passengers, especially a large number of South Korean passengers who are about to enter China visa-free, the Hunan General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection has urged Changsha and Zhangjiajie entry-exit border inspection stations to thoroughly implement the various policies and measures of the National Immigration Administration to facilitate the flow of people and the conduct of business. The measures are as follows:
--Making scientific forecasts of passenger flows, and accordingly adjusting working staff arrangements, optimizing service modes, and increasing customs clearance passages;
--Setting up foreign language service teams to provide border inspection and customs clearance service for foreigners;
--Organizing and carrying out policy presentations, and reminding travel agencies and airlines of relevant precautions;
--Establishing a system for applying for arrival cards on a regular basis on demand, so that passengers can make relevant preparations before arriving at the port of entry, and strengthening across-department coordination to reduce on-site waiting times; and,
--Intensifying efforts to promote the 12367 immigration service platform, reminding inbound passengers to make relevant preparations for inspection in advance, and creating a safe and smooth environment for customs clearance at ports of entry.
This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.
Translator: Xiao Juan
Chinese source: China National Radio
