China to allow visa-free entry to citizens from 5 EU countries

The Chinese government on Friday announced that French, German, Italian, Dutch, Spanish and Malaysian citizens will be able to travel visa-free to China for a year starting December 1.

“China has decided to apply unilateral visa-free policy to more countries on a trial basis, which involves extending visa-free treatment to travelers holding ordinary passports from six countries, namely France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia,” Chinese foreign ministry’s spokesperson Mao Ning said in a statement. She added that citizens from the named countries could stay for no more than 15 days for business, tourism, family visit and transit purposes.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, who is in Beijing, welcomed the announcement, saying on X: “Excellent news announced during my visit by my counterpart Wang Yi!”

German Ambassador in Beijing Patricia Flor said the decision will facilitate travel to China for many German citizens to an unprecedented extent. “We hope that the Chinese government will implement the measures announced today for all EU member states. This would be an important improvement of our citizens’ mobility, enabling deeper personal, cultural, and economic relations between China and the EU, she posted on X.