China: Visa-free policy expanded to new cities as of January 1 /update 1

Event

China announced it will expand its visa-free policy to include the cities of Xiamen (Fujian province), Qingdao (Shandong province), Wuhan (Hubei province), Chengdu (Sichuan province), and Kunming (Yunnan province) beginning January 1, 2019. The policy will allow passport holders from 53 countries to stay in China for 144 hours, or six days, when arriving at the five abovementioned cities. The policy is already in place for travelers to Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Hangzhou (Zhejiang province), Nanjing (Jiangsu province), Shenyang (Liaoning province), and Dalian (Liaoning province). Travelers must have a passport valid for three months after travel reservations and have confirmed travel arrangements to a third country within 144 hours of arriving in China. Other restrictions may apply.

Citizens from the following countries are eligible for this policy: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, South Korean, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, Ukraine, and the US.

Advice

Individuals from the abovementioned countries who are traveling through China are advised to confirm entry requirements and adhere to instructions and advice issued by local authorities and their home governments before traveling through China.