Good news for foreign travelers planning to visit China soon. Traveling to China is becoming more and more convenient.
Yesterday, starting May 15, 2024, the China National Immigration Administration will allow groups of foreign tourists (consisting of two or more people) traveling by cruise ship to enter China without a visa, provided they are organized and accepted by domestic authorities. announced a new policy allowing entry into the country. Travel agency.
This visa-free policy applies to 13 coastal cities and allows tourists to enter and stay in these cities for up to 15 days.
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North Sea
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Dalian
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Guangzhou
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haikou
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Lianyungang City
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Qingdao
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Sanya
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Shanghai
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shenzhen
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Tianjin
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Wenzhou
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Xiamen
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Zhoushan City
It is important to note that the tour group must travel to the next port on the same cruise ship and continue the cruise until leaving China.
The activities of foreign cruise tourists are limited to coastal provinces, autonomous regions, and Beijing.
Additionally, to support the development of cruise tourism, the National Immigration Administration has added seven new cruise ports to the list of ports covered by China’s visa-free transit policy.
This will make it easier for foreign travelers who meet visa-free transit requirements to transit through China on cruise ships.
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North Sea
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Dalian
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Guangzhou
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Lianyungang City
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shenzhen
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Wenzhou
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Zhoushan City
Since December 2023, China has introduced a series of visa-free policies for several European countries, attracting tourists from Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia, and addressing various barriers for foreigners visiting China.
These strategic policy moves are making travel to China even more accessible.
Read more: Here’s how to travel to China without a visa…
The decision to fully implement visa-free entry for foreign cruise travelers appears to be a logical development. Since March 2024, German cruise ships have been arriving in Shanghai.
A German cruise ship arrives in Shanghai. Screenshot by That’s
Previously, the 15-day visa-free policy for Shanghai Port cruise passengers only allowed activities within Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai.
A new policy in December 2023 will allow these cruise travelers to book round-trip tours from Shanghai to Beijing.
Despite the tight schedule, the enthusiasm has been amazing, with more than 300 travelers booking for Beijing tours on almost every trip, and since the implementation of the visa-free policy, the number of German-speaking tourists to Beijing has been astounding. They became the largest group of tourists visiting Japan.
Cruise passengers are in a “race against time” from Shanghai to Beijing. Screenshot by That’s
The two-day high-speed rail round trip from Shanghai to Beijing has been described by CGTN News as a “race against time.”
The latest policy should give cruise passengers more time to explore mainland China.
After all, China is vast, so it’s worth your time to explore it thoroughly.
Do you welcome the new visa-free policy? Is a cruise your preferred method of travel? Let us know what you think.
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[Cover image via Billy Jiang/That’s]
