China Extends Visa Free Policy To Citizens Of Australia and New Zealand

On June 17, during his visit to Australia, Chinese Premier Li Qiang announced that China would include Australia in its list of countries eligible for unilateral visa-free entry. Holders of ordinary Australian passports can enter China for up to 15 days without a visa for business, tourism, and transit.

Additionally, China and Australia jointly announced that they will issue multiple-entry visas valid for three to five years to each other’s citizens to promote business exchanges, encourage tourism, and facilitate family reunions.

Four days earlier, on June 13, during his visit to New Zealand, Premier Li Qiang announced after meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins in Wellington that China would also include New Zealand in its list of countries eligible for unilateral visa-free entry.

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China-Australia Flights Return to 80% of Pre-Pandemic Levels

As early as last year, China had already relaxed its visa policies for Australia. In October, China issued a “List of Countries Eligible for the 72/144-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy,” which allows citizens from 53 countries, including Australia, to enjoy visa-free transit in select cities like Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai, and Guangdong for 72 or 144 hours.

On May 15 this year, China announced that foreign tourist groups arriving by cruise ship could enter the country visa-free, further facilitating international tourism to China.

In addition to visa policies, the number of direct flights is crucial for travel between the two countries. This year, the number of direct flights between China and Australia has steadily increased. In the first half of June, there were 471 direct flights between China and Australia, averaging about 31 flights per day. This is nearly 80% of the pre-pandemic level, which saw 599 flights over the same period.

Photo: Wirestock Creators | Shutterstock

Specifically, ten airlines are operating direct flights between China and Australia, with Chinese airlines dominating, accounting for nine out of the 10. Only Qantas is a foreign airline operating on this route. Five Chinese airlines, including China Eastern and Xiamen Airlines, have restored or even exceeded their pre-pandemic flight capacities.

On May 14, due to lower-than-expected market demand, Qantas announced the suspension of its Sydney-Shanghai route starting July 28. However, Qantas also stated that it would continue to monitor the China-Australia market closely and hopes to return to Shanghai when demand recovers. With China now offering visa-free entry for Australians, Qantas may resume its Sydney-Shanghai route.

The number of direct flights between China and Australia continues to increase. Starting June 16, Capital Airlines launched a new route between Hangzhou and Melbourne, operating three flights per week. From June 28, China Eastern will open a route between Nanjing and Melbourne, and from November 28, China Southern will resume its Guangzhou-Perth route.

Regarding New Zealand, flights between China and New Zealand have recovered quickly. Since December last year, direct flights between China and New Zealand have returned to pre-pandemic levels, with six airlines operating these routes, including Air New Zealand, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Air China, Hainan Airlines, and Cathay Pacific. China has eight direct flight destinations to New Zealand.

Photo: China Eastern

China Continues to Expand Visa-Free Countries

Since last year, China has continuously expanded the list of countries eligible for unilateral visa-free entry. To date, China has implemented unilateral visa-free policies for multiple countries, including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Additionally, China has achieved mutual visa exemption agreements with countries such as Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Georgia.

On May 7, during a regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was announced that China decided to extend the visa-free policy for France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg until December 31, 2025.

Current list of countries eligible for 15-day unilateral visa-free entry to China: