Norway Joins List of Countries with Visa-Free Access to China as the Country Sees Touristic Boost

Norway has become the latest nation to gain visa-free access to China, following a series of similar announcements made throughout 2024. Earlier this year, Poland, Australia, and New Zealand were granted unrestricted entry to China until the end of 2025, while 11 other European countries, along with Malaysia, have also been included in the scheme. The initiative aims to boost tourism and business visits and promote exchanges between Chinese citizens and foreigners.

The European countries benefiting from this policy include Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland, all of which can now enter China without a visa until the end of the following year. Polish citizens were added to the list on July 1, but the exact date for when Norwegian citizens will be eligible remains unclear.

The program’s objective, as stated by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning during a briefing in November, is to facilitate “the high-quality development of Chinese and foreign personnel exchanges and high-level opening up to the outside world.” The visa-free entry is part of a trial program allowing stays of up to 15 days.

China’s stringent pandemic protocols, including mandatory quarantines for all visitors, deterred many travelers for almost three years. Although these restrictions were lifted early last year, international travel to China has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. Before the pandemic, China had visa-free arrangements with Brunei, Japan, and Singapore, but these were suspended in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. While visa-free entry was reinstated for Brunei and Singapore in July, it remains suspended for Japan.

In 2023, China reported 35.5 million entries and exits by foreign nationals, a significant drop from the 97.7 million recorded in 2019, the last year before the pandemic. In an effort to revive its sluggish economy, the Chinese government has been actively seeking foreign investment, with business figures like Tesla’s Elon Musk and Apple’s Tim Cook visiting for trade events and meetings. However, the number of foreign tourists remains much lower than pre-pandemic levels.

Interest in China as a tourist destination has seen a resurgence among Europeans. Data from the online travel agency Trip.com indicated a 663 percent increase in bookings from Europe to China in 2023 compared to 2022 and a nearly 29 percent rise compared to 2019. The United Kingdom and Germany ranked among the top ten countries globally for inbound travelers to China.

Shanghai continues to be the most popular destination for European visitors, thanks to its unique blend of modernity and tradition, followed by Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. Emerging destinations include Sanya, a coastal city on the southern tip of Hainan Island, and Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province in southwestern China.

In addition to its new visa-free programs, China is actively encouraging inbound tourism by promoting its cultural and historical sites in collaboration with Trip.com. The country is also investing in tourism infrastructure, including technological enhancements, travel guides, and e-payment systems, to attract more international visitors.

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