Starting from December 1st, 2023, and ending November 30th, 2024, Italian citizens holding ordinary passports will be able to travel to the People’s Republic of China visa-free for certain purposes.
Visa exemption for certain categories of citizens
With a note of November 25th, 2023, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China has communicated an important update regarding the entry visa exemption.
Specifically, starting from December 1st, 2023, and ending November 30th, 2024, Italian, French, German, Dutch, Spanish and Malaysian citizens in possession of an ordinary passport will be able to travel to China without the need to apply for an entry visa.
Such exemption is applied only to commercial visits, tourism, visits to family and friends or transit, and for stays of a maximum of 15 days.
Citizens who do not fall into the categories mentioned above or wish to stay for longer periods, or who are holding a service passport, must apply for an entry visa before travelling to China.
How to apply for a Chinese visa
The visa must be applied for at the Chinese diplomatic representation in one’s country of residence.
If the applicants have already registered their biometrics at the consulate previously, their presence at the visa request appointment might not be necessary. On the other hand, applicants who have never registered biometrics before will likely be invited for an in-person appointment to register the biometrics and be interviewed.
During the visa application, the traveler can apply for a specific number of entries (for instance: single, double or multiple entry) and duration. In most cases, a single entry visa is valid for 30 days, whereas a multiple entry visa is valid for 180 days. However, it is important to consider that this is not a binding rule and the duration and number of entries allowed are decided at the consular discretion.
In any case, the applicant must request a proper visa in accordance with the purpose of the travel. For an overview of the types of visas available, we invite you to check our article on Chinese Visas or contact us for a consultancy.
