China Extends Visa-Free Policy for 12 Countries, Including 11 European Nations
China has recently extended its visa-free policy until December 2025 for citizens of 12 countries, including 11 European nations. In response, the Luxembourg Chinese Language and Culture Center organized a spring camp for Luxembourgish students to visit China during the Easter holidays in April. Over 20 Luxembourgish students were able to discover Beijing, Shanghai, and other Chinese cities. Some students joined the camp a few days before departure, thanks to this new visa-free travel facility.
"This new travel policy will encourage more Luxembourgish citizens to visit China and contribute to strengthening human and commercial exchanges between our two countries," said Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister, in a statement.
This visa-free policy allows ordinary passport holders from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg to enter and stay in China without a visa for 15 days. This applies to business trips, tourism, visits to friends and family, and transits.
Since the introduction of this policy, the results have been impressive. In the first quarter of 2024, Chinese immigration authorities handled over 141 million inbound and outbound trips. Among them, foreign national trips reached nearly 13.1 million, a 305.2% increase compared to the previous year, according to China's National Immigration Administration (ANI).
This policy facilitates travel and strengthens international ties, contributing to increased cultural and economic exchanges between China and the concerned countries.