5 More European Countries Added to China Visa-Free Travel List

By Billy Jiang, October 8, 2024

In just five days, from September 26 to 30, China announced the implementation of visa-free or trial visa-free policies for citizens of five European nations: Denmark, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, and Slovenia.

This move further facilitates travel and business exchanges between China and Europe.

On September 26, during a meeting with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen at the UN General Assembly in New York, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi revealed that Denmark would receive unilateral visa-free entry to China.

Wang Yi emphasized Denmark’s significance as China’s only comprehensive strategic partner in Northern Europe, and noted that the two countries have led China-Nordic relations for years.

Wang stated that China looks forward to commemorating the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Denmark next year, which will inject new momentum into bilateral ties.

While announcing the visa-free policy for Denmark, Wang also expressed hopes that Denmark would introduce more favorable measures for Chinese citizens traveling to Denmark.

Following this announcement, on September 30, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian confirmed that China had decided to further expand its visa-free country list to citizens from Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, and Slovenia.

The above four countries will be granted trial visa-free access to China from October 15, 2024, through December 31, 2025, for up to 15 days without a visa for business, tourism, family visits, or transit.

This expansion follows the earlier visa-free policy announcement for Norway on September 9, which similarly granted visa-free entry to Norwegian citizens.

With these additions, China now offers 15-day visa-free entry to citizens from 18 European nations:

• Austria

• Belgium

• Cyprus (from October 15)

• Denmark (starting date to be confirmed)

• France

• Germany

• Greece (from October 15)

• Hungary

• Ireland

• Italy

• Luxembourg

• Norway (starting date to be confirmed)

• The Netherlands

• Poland

• Portugal (from October 15)

• Slovenia (from October 15)

• Spain

• Switzerland

Interestingly, October 15 not only marks the start of the new visa policy, but is also the opening date of the 136th Canton Fair, which runs until November 4.

Despite the expansion of the visa waiver program, direct passenger flights between China and the newly added visa-free countries may not be as convenient as one might expect.

Denmark remains one of the more accessible destinations, with direct flights from Beijing and Shanghai to Copenhagen operated by Scandinavian Airlines.

For Greece, Air China currently operates five direct weekly flights between Beijing and Athens, and recent data from Athens International Airport reveals that Chinese tourist visits have recovered to 90% of pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

Additionally, Juneyao Airlines launched three weekly direct flights between Shanghai and Athens on April 2 this year.

As for Portugal, the only direct route connects Lisbon and Hangzhou, a flight operated by Beijing Capital Airlines with a frequency of four weekly flights.

Meanwhile, Cyprus and Slovenia currently do not have direct flights to China, but both countries have signed agreements with China to introduce direct flights in the future.

Travelers from these countries can currently choose to transit via Hong Kong or other major hubs to reach China.

China has recently introduced similar policies for various other nations; the visa-free initiative is part of a broader effort to boost international tourism and strengthen its global ties post-pandemic.

For those planning trips to China, the Chinese National Immigration Administration has provided official clarifications on various aspects of the visa-free policy.

For all your travel tips, visa advice, and insider recommendations on exploring China, stay tuned to our China Travel Tips series.

With visa-free travel expanding, which country do you hope China will add next? Share your thoughts with us, and stay tuned for more travel updates by following our official WeChat account, ThatsGBA.

[Cover image by Billy Jiang/That's]