China inks visa-free agreement with another Asian country: Details inside

BEIJING – The authorities in China and Singapore have agreed to allow visa-free travel to citizens from both countries.

As part of the agreement signed on Thursday, a 30-day mutual visa exemption agreement would come into effect on February 9 and would surely benefit travelers and business people alike.

Under this agreement, ordinary passport holders from China and Singapore will be able to enter each other’s countries without requiring a visa and can stay for up to 30 days.

The announcement of this exemption was initially made in December last year during an annual high-level meeting between the two governments, and the visa scheme was anticipated to commence in early 2024.

China had previously reinstated a 15-day visa-free policy for Singaporeans in July last year after more than three years of suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Chinese media confirmed the signing of the agreement, highlighting that China now maintains “comprehensive” mutual visa exemption agreements with at least 22 countries, including Singapore.

It bears mentioning that China is fast opening up to the world especially as the social distancing protocols have been lifted.  The country inked a visa-free agreement with Belgium recently and also announced that it would allow visa-free entry to citizens from Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Malaysia. 

China has also facilitated its visa rules for US citizens under which Americans applying for a Chinese tourist visa are no longer required to submit proof of having secured a place to stay in China. China and Thailand would also allow visa-free exchanges on a permanent basis from March this year.

With more and more countries trying to attract tourists, China is also rebuilding itself in terms of facilitated visa regime for tourists from across the world.