China has announced a new policy allowing travellers entering the country via international cruises to stay in some provinces in the country for up to 15 days without a visa. This announcement falls in line with the country’s efforts to boost tourism in Beijing.
The new policy requires tourists to enter through one of 13 coastal cruise ports in the country, according to China’s National Immigration Administration (CNI).
Tourists can enter the country at any of the cruise ports in the following regions: Tianjin, Dalian (Liaoning Province), Shanghai, Lianyungang (Jiangsu Province), Wenzhou and Zhoushan (Zhejiang Province), Xiamen (Fujian Province), Qingdao (Shandong Province), Guangzhou and Shenzhen (Guangdong Province), Beihai (Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), and Haikou and Sanya (Hainan Province).
Moreover, tourists must be traveling with a tour group of at least two people that a Chinese travel agency organizes and depart the country on the same cruise. Tour groups can travel to Beijing, coastal provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions.
“To promote cruise tourism, China has expanded the coverage of its visa-free transit policy to include seven new cruise ports… streamlining the transit process for eligible foreign passengers by cruise ships,” added the statement.
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In line with its efforts to bolster tourism, China has also recently extended visa-free travel for 11 European countries and Malaysia until the end of 2025. Citizens from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany and Hungary will now be allowed to enter the country without a visa until the end of next year. Moreover, China included citizens from Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland in the announcement.
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