Foreigners who are permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau and wish to visit China can now apply for multiple-entry visas with a five-year validity period after Beijing recently decided to ease visa rules to further develop semi-autonomous cities.
The new policy will come into force this month, on July 10, allowing citizens of these two cities to enter China for 90 days of stay per visit. The new facilitation applies to those who have lived continuously in Hong Kong or Macau for at least seven years, VisaGuide.World reports.
Special Visas or Residence Permits Required for Other Categories
According to China’s National Immigration Administration, other non-Chinese permanent residents, such as those who intend to work, study, and engage in news reporting on the mainland, must submit for other visas or residence permits.
The person in charge said that implementing the new policy would further promote extensive exchanges and contacts between the mainland and Hong Kong and Macao, facilitate the smooth progress of trade and investment, cultural tourism, education, and scientific research, and support Hong Kong and Macao’s better integration into the overall national development.
As the authority explains, those wishing to apply for the five-year travel permit can contact the China Travel Service, which will assist in obtaining the card from the China Exit and Entry Administration. This travel permit excludes the need for a special visa.
The China Travel Service will issue the card from the China Exit and Entry Administration to those who wish to apply for the five-year travel permit.
The special travel permit is also a boon for foreigners who are permanent residents of Macau and more so for Hong Kong, whose international appeal has faded amid criticism of the city’s handling of the pandemic and Beijing’s crackdown on street protesters in 2019-2020.
Marking a similar decision, China and Australia have also agreed to offer five-year multiple-entry visas for each other’s citizens for tourism and business purposes.
China Has Granted Visa-Free Travel Status to More Than 12 EU Countries
Over the past year, China has begun its visa-free scheme with many countries, including the EU destinations. As a result, it also extended free entry to 12 of them until December 2025.
VisaGuide.World previously reported that the EU members that can enjoy visa-free access to China are as follows:
- Austria
- Belgium
- France
- Germany
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Netherlands
- Spain
- Switzerland
In addition to the countries mentioned above, China has also added Poland to its visa waiver list. The new rules are focused especially on those who plan to stay in China for only 15 days.