New China 30-day visa-free policy

[Kalpazan]

From November 30, citizens of the following 38 countries and territories will be able to enjoy a 30-day visa-free stay in China:

Andorra
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Brunei
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Malta
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands
New Zealand
North Macedonia
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Korea
Spain
Switzerland

[nemesis464]

Ffs no UK.

Would have made Tajikistan/Kyrgyzstan > Pakistan so much easier rather than having to buy some stupidly expensive long term visa pre-trip just to cross a tiny corner of China.

[Atkudabrat]

Great news! Any chance this 30days could be extended at a PBS office ? Or does a flight out to Taipei (for example) and back (the same day or next) would grant another 30days ?
Waiting for feedbacks from you travellers

2025 will be back in wonderful China

[Teinosuke]

I was in China (Guangdong) in the spring, using a German passport already eligible for visa-free entry, but at that point only for 15 days. There were in fact only 14 days between my arrival and departure by air in late March and early April respectively. However, during that 14 days, I twice popped over the "border between two systems" - once into Macau and once into Hong Kong. On both occasions, I was stamped in anew, and on the second occasion, crossing into mainland China at Hong Kong West Kowloon Station, a computerised voice explicitly declared "The duration of the present stay is 15 days."

So it seems that yes, leaving mainland China, even to the SARs, does recharge your visa-free eligibility. The only trouble I had, in fact, was exiting China on the way to Hong Kong. On arrival at Guangzhou, I'd given my final date of departure from China (the date I was scheduled to fly home), and hadn't thought to mention my plans to visit Macau and HK. Nothing happened on the way to Macau, but when I went to HK, I was held on the Chinese side of the border while the immigration officers went to consult in their secret office. I'm pretty sure this came about because I was leaving mainland China in a direction I'd not mentioned on my arrival, and they didn't like the fact that my departure didn't tally with the information on their systems.

In other words, even visitors who are planning to make cross-border trips within the original period of eligibility probably ought to make sure that exit to Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan goes down on the entry card. Of course, travellers who want to use that departure point to recharge their period of stay will have no choice but to do so.

[Lagerfeld]

@ Teinosuke : Thank you for your report. Very interesting.
You remember which hotel you stayed in Hongkong and Macau?
There is still a catamaran going to this places?

[Teinosuke]

@ Teinosuke : Thank you for your report. Very interesting.
You remember which hotel you stayed in Hongkong and Macau?
There is still a catamaran going to this places?

I stayed in Macau Masters Hotel, quite well located and not too expensive (I was sharing a twin room with a friend, though, so might be costlier if you're a solo traveller). The room was quite small, but I think that's probably normal in Macau where there's not much space! In HK, where I was staying on my own, I ended up in one of the cheap backpacker places in Chungking Mansions in Kowloon - I think it was called "Holiday Guest House".

There is a fast ferry (not sure if it's a catamaran) linking the two cities, but actually I didn't take it; for scheduling reasons, I ended up visiting Macau and HK on successive weekends with a period in mainland China in between. So I crossed over on foot both times.

I personally found Macau quirkier and more charming than Hong Kong.

[Lagerfeld]

Thank's a lot for your information.
When I was in HKK it still was brirish kolonie and I have got a chinese visa in HKK in a travel agency. Than I went by taxi to the border and I asked the taxi driver ro bring me to the next hotal. But he said: I can not - because I don't have a visa. So I went alone to HKK looking for a guest house.

To Macau I used a catamaran. may be 50 min at the water - it was fantastic. This was the time when a lot of casinos were in Macau the HKK-people went there for playing, I think this was not allowed in HKK and China.

Thank you very much.