Visa-free country +4! This year, more than 116,000 foreigners entering Hangzhou have entered the visa-free market

In order to further facilitate personnel exchanges between China and foreign countries, China has decided to expand the scope of visa-free countries. From June 9, 2025 to June 8, 2026, a visa-free policy will be implemented for Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain. People with ordinary passports from the above four countries can be exempted from visa entry when traveling to China for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, exchanges and visiting, and transit for no more than 30 days. In addition to the UAE and Qatar, a member states of the Gulf Arab Cooperation Committee (hereinafter referred to as the "GCC"), which has fully exempted visas in 2018, China has achieved "full coverage" of visa-free countries for GCC countries.

"I am very happy to come to China, a country full of 'mysterious' charm." Mr. Ali Riami, a traveler from Oman, is a travel blogger. Yesterday morning, the plane he was on arrived at Hangzhou Airport. This is his first time to come to China. This time he plans to shoot some beautiful Chinese scenery and upload it to his personal social platform to share it with netizens. After learning that China's visa-free policy has been further expanded, he said excitedly: "With the visa-free policy, it will be more convenient and frequent for my friends and I to come to China in the future."

Affected by China's unilateral visa-free policy and mutual visa-free agreement, and the implementation of the "buy and refund" facilitation measures for departure tax refunds, the inbound and outbound passenger flow at Hangzhou ports has shown a significant growth trend since this year. At present, 29 regular routes have been opened to Madrid, Spain, Melbourne, Sydney, Italy, Rome and other countries (regions). Up to now, more than 200,000 foreigners entering Hangzhou this year, and more than 116,000 foreigners entering Hangzhou without visa, an increase of 30% and 110% respectively year-on-year. Data shows that the countries with the largest number of foreigners coming to China are South Korea, Malaysia and Thailand, with more than 37,000 visitors, more than 27,000 visitors and more than 19,000 visitors respectively. Most of the purposes of coming to China are trade and tourism.

"In response to this new visa-free policy, we have selected immigration management police who are proficient in foreign languages ​​such as Arabic and English to expand the strength of the foreign language volunteer service team, and United Airlines has increased the promotion of the self-service declaration system for foreign entry cards to provide policy interpretation and customs clearance guidance for passengers, and through a series of measures to ensure efficient and orderly customs clearance for passengers." A relevant person in charge of the Hangzhou Border Inspection Station said.