On August 20, according to Xinhua news agency, China added Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam to the 240-hour visa-free transit program, bringing the total number of countries benefiting from this policy to 57.
According to the National Immigration Administration of China (NIA), from August 20, Kyrgyz and Vietnamese citizens holding ordinary passports, with confirmed dates and routes to a third country or territory, can enter China through any of the 65 designated border gates nationwide.
Qualified people are allowed to stay in China without a visa for a maximum of 240 hours, equivalent to 10 days.
This policy applies to transit passengers and requires entry passengers to continue their journey to a third country or territory. This is not a general visa exemption policy for all Vietnamese citizens to China.
Also from August 20, ordinary passports of Vietnamese and Kyrgyz citizens are added to the 30-day visa exemption policy for Hainan province, southern China.
Accordingly, citizens of the two countries can enter Hainan through open border gates of the province and stay without a visa for a maximum of 30 days. The addition of Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan has increased the number of countries eligible for Hainan's visa-free policy to 61.
During the visa exemption period according to the above policies, tourists are allowed to perform activities such as tourism, work, exchanges, and visiting relatives.
However, visa exemption policies do not apply to people coming to China to work, study or participate in journalistic activities. These cases still have to apply for appropriate visas as prescribed.
The Chinese National Immigration Administration said that expanding visa-free policies is part of efforts to promote international travel and strengthen exchanges between China and other countries.
Vietnam's inclusion in the 240-hour visa-free transit program also opens up more options for Vietnamese citizens with connecting routes through China to another country or territory, provided that they fully meet the requirements for passports and tickets to continue.
