CHINA has further extended the amount of time visitors can spend in the country without a visa in a move to boost its openness and offer convenience to international travelers. The National Immigration Administration (NIA) announced the country will expand its visa-free layover period to 240 hours (10 days) across the board. Previously, there were two tiers, allowing eligible travelers to visit for 72 hours (3 days) or 144 hours (6 days) depending on the destination. The transit program, a popular “hack” for foreign tourists who want to visit China but find the visa process too complicated or overwhelming, allows visitors who have existing flight bookings from China to a third country or territory to snag a visa on arrival at a Chinese airport and travel for a short period before departing. Citizens of more than 50 countries, including Russia, Brazil, Britain, the United States, and Canada, are eligible for the program. These travelers can now enter through any of the 60 ports across 24 provinces, regions, and municipalities — up from 39 ports in 19 provincial-level regions — and stay within the designated areas for up to 10 days. “The new policy allows foreign visitors to move freely across the designated areas of 24 provincial-level regions, so that they can better plan their itineraries and arrange more flexible travels,” said Liu Jia, an NIA official. The regions newly covered by the visa-free policy each have their unique appeal, such as Shanxi with its ancient architecture, Jiangxi with renowned ceramics, and Guizhou abound in natural heritage sites. Areas alongside major economic zones like the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area are included in the new scheme. Complementing other visa policies, such as regional visa exemptions, unilateral visa waivers, and mutual visa agreements, the new measures aim to promote tourism, facilitate business exchanges and enhance China’s openness, according to officials. Meanwhile, Hong Kong and Macao both count as third destinations for those entering under the 240-hour visa-free transit program. China recorded nearly 29.22 million inbound foreign visits between January and November 2024, up 86.2% year on year. Of these, 17 million entered under the visa-free program, a year-on-year increase of 123.3%. Traveling around China has become increasingly convenient these days, as the country’s two biggest e-payment apps, WeChat and AliPay, both accept non-Chinese credit cards, have built-in translation software and streamlined identity verification processes. (SD-Xinhua) | 