Starting June 1st, 2025, China will extend a visa-free policy to nationals of certain Latin America countries. The new policy will undergo a trial period lasting until May 31st, 2026.
Visa-free policy
Chinese spokesperson Lin Jian has recently announced, during a regular news briefing, a new visa exemption. In fact, nationals with ordinary passport from certain south American countries will benefit from visa-free entry into China.
The People’s Republic of China had recently announced a similar visa exemption for Italian citizens. Such policy is now extended to citizens of Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay.
Some restrictions apply to the policy in terms of trip duration and activities allowed. For instance, the new rule applies to people visiting China for business, tourism, visiting relatives or friends, exchange visits or transiting. Furthermore, the visa-free stay is limited to 30 days.
Chinese work visa
Through this new policy, China aims to welcome foreign business visitors easily. Also, the spokesperson informed that China would adhere to high-level opening and introduce more measures to further facilitate personnel exchanges with other countries as well.
It should be however noted that the new measures do not impact on the existing rules on Chinese work visas. In fact, foreigners who wish to travel to China for work reasons must still obtain the relevant work permit and work visa. In fact, before being able to apply for a work visa at a Chinese embassy abroad, applicants shall first get the Notification Letter for Foreigner’s Work Permit. This is an official letter from Chinese authorities, confirming that an applicant has been approved to work in China.
In conclusion, before relocating for work reasons, we recommend to check the main types of Chinese visas available