From June 9, China will pilot a visa-free policy for people with ordinary passports to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain, and China will unilaterally exempt the visa-free "circle of friends". From June 9, 2025 to June 8, 2026, those with ordinary passports from the above countries will come to China for business, tourism, visit relatives and friends, and exchange visits. Those who pass through the country for no more than 30 days can be exempted from visa entry.
Together with the GCC member states UAE and Qatar, which had fully exempted visas in 2018, China has achieved full coverage of visa-free coverage for GCC countries.
Questions about visa-free policy
A set of questions and answers can help you solve
Do you need to report in advance through Chinese embassies and consulates abroad?
Answer: Foreigners who meet the conditions apply the visa-free policy to come to China without reporting to the Chinese embassy and consulate abroad in advance.
Is there any special requirements for minors to come to China?
Answer: The visa-free policy applies to minors and adults. The conditions for coming to China are the same.
Are there any requirements for the type and validity period of entry documents?
Answer: Foreigners must come to China with a valid ordinary passport, and the validity period must meet the needs of traveling in China. Foreigners who hold travel permits, temporary or emergency documents and other ordinary passports do not apply to the visa exemption policy to come to China.
How to calculate the 30-day stay period?
Answer: The visa-free entry period is calculated from the day after entry, and you can stay for 30 consecutive natural days.
Can tour groups be used for visa-free entry?
Answer: Foreigners who meet the visa-free conditions for coming to China, whether they participate in a tour group or individual travel, can apply for the visa-free policy to enter the country.
Is it possible to enter multiple times, and are there any requirements for the entry time interval?
Answer: If foreigners meet the visa-free conditions for coming to China, they can apply the visa-free policy to come to China multiple times. At present, there is no limit on the number of visa-free times and the total number of stays, but it should be noted that they should not engage in activities that do not match the reason for entry.
Source: China Government Website Editor: Zhai Yujie
