It’s now very much easier for citizens of many countries to visit China. If you’ve ever visited China, you’ll know that, up to now, you need to apply for your China visa first , which entails filling a very comprehensive form. You must then print it out, fix a recent passport photo and visit their nearest Embassy or Consulate to pay the fee and give fingerprints (if required). This is easing for many visitors, who are taking advantage of extra flights between many Chinese cities and other countries.
Post Covid, China has relaxed their entry requirements considerably and bilateral agreements have resulted in citizens of many more countries having visa free entry to China for tourism. We confirmed with one recent Malaysian traveller that this really does mean buying your ticket, booking your accommodation and getting on the plane to China. There was no fee charged at any point.
Chinese visitors to many other countries have also benefited with reciprocal arrangements in place. Singaporeans, Australians and New Zealanders also benefit as do passport holders from many European countries including Poland, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg. If you have more questions, please click HERE. They are general in nature and will apply to most who are eligible for visa free entry.
We are not affiliated with this site, but find it very helpful and up to date when checking if you need a visa. Just enter your passport at the top and it will show you below, which countries require what entry documents. If you require an eVisa, they will direct you to the official site.
Applying for a China Visa
If you are from a non-visa free country, wish to stay longer than the time permitted, or are travelling for other than any of the purposes noted above, you will still need to apply for a China Visa. Here’s the link for a China visa. If you are travelling for business, tourism, family visit or transit and just need to check whether or not you need a visa, use the same link. Select the country you are applying from and the city you are making the application. Enter your country of passport instead, if it’s different from where you live.
Before you begin, check the panel on the right of the ‘News’ for the additional information you’ll need for visa types and fees. Scroll down to check all the items to see if you have been accorded Visa free status. This may be available for a limited time, so do read the whole report.
For Malaysians, read the announcement HERE. If you have an Australian passport, here’s the current information. For Indonesians, at the time of writing, you still need to apply for a visa, but you don’t have to be fingerprinted.
Open a sample application form to ensure you have all the information handy. The forms seems to be similar, regardless of where the application is being made. They may be completed in Chinese or English. You may be asked to report to the nearest Embassy or Consulate for fingerprinting, form submission and payment.
While it isn’t an official government source, this website seems to have the most up to date on the latest exemptions lists for China Visas. The updates also note additional cities which have been added to the list of entry points. This will give ease of access to regional centres without adding extra travel. Yunnan province is the latest to have extra entry points apart from Kunming with the addition of eight other cities – Lijiang, Yuxi, Pu’er, Chuxiong, Dali, Xishuangbanna, Honghe, and Wenshan. Yunnan’s Lucky Air has not wasted time with their inaugural service from Lijiang to Kuala Lumpur International Airport touching down at Terminal 2 on 11th September 2024. Weekly flights every Wednesday take you to this ancient city, which is an excellent base to explore the Jade Snow Mountain, Shangrila and discover the culture of the local people.
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