The Chinese government has extended the visa-free entry period for holders of South Korean ordinary passports from the current 15 days to 30 days, and has reinstated Japan, which had been excluded from the visa-free policy due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as a visa-free eligible country.
On the 8th, when visa-free entry to China was implemented, a citizen was walking toward a travel agency in Seoul that handles Chinese visa issuance. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that from today until December 31 of next year, a visa-free policy will be applied to holders of ordinary passports from nine countries, including South Korea. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lin Zhen, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced at a regular briefing on the 22nd that the visa-free visit purposes, currently limited to business, tourism, and visiting relatives, will include "exchange visits," and the duration of stay in China without a visa will be extended from 15 days to 30 days.
Spokesperson Lin said, "To facilitate people-to-people exchanges between China and foreign countries, China has decided to expand the scope of visa-exempt countries," adding, "From the 30th of this month until December 31 of next year, holders of ordinary passports from Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, and Japan (a total of 9 countries) will also be included in the visa exemption."
The expansion of visa-free visit purposes and duration applies to the newly added 9 countries as well as the previously existing 38 visa-free countries, including South Korea.
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