China to extend in 2026 unilateral visa-free policy for over 40 countries, with Sweden newly added
China will extend its unilateral visa-exemption arrangements for more than 40 countries to December 31, 2026, according to a spokesperson from the Chinese ministry of foreign affairs. The information was provided at a regular news briefing as the unilateral visa-free policy for some of those countries is due to expire at the end of this year.
China also announced to include Sweden in the visa-free scheme. The measure has been effective since November 10, 2025. Earlier this year, it already extended its visa-free policy to Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait.
Under the policy, holders of ordinary passports from those countries, including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Ireland and Hungary, will be exempted from visa requirement if they enter China for the purpose of business, tourism, family or friend visits, exchange and transit. They can stay in China for no more than 30 days without a visa.
According to reports from Chinese media, foreign nationals made 38.05 million cross-border trips to and from China in the first half of 2025. This represented a growth of 30.2% year-on-year as reported by the National Immigration Administration (NIA) .
Visa-free entries continued to rise sharply, with 13.64 million foreigners entering China without a visa in the first six months of the year. This category accounted for 71.2% of total foreign entries and represented a 53.9% year-on-year increase.
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