Norwegians Can Now Enter China Visa-Free for 15-day Stays

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Meeting table. Norwegian delegation to the left, chines delegation to the right. Flags in the background.Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre met with President Xi Jinping of China. Credit: Heiko Junge / NTB

Citizens of Norway are now able to travel to China for short stays without having to undergo visa procedures, following an agreement between the Norwegian and Chinese authorities.

Announcing the news at a meeting in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that Norwegians can enter China and stay in its territory visa-free for up to 15 days for tourism, business, visiting relatives and friends, and transit purposes, Schengen.News reports.

On the other hand, Norwegians who plan to stay in China for more than 15 days will still have to undergo the same procedures that have been applied to them so far.

Commenting on the move, he said that visa-free travel will significantly simplify travel for tourists, businesspeople, and diplomats.

This will make it much easier for Norwegian businesses, students and others to travel to China. It facilitates more cooperation.

‘It was a very constructive, candid and detailed meeting. This year marks 70 years since diplomatic relations were established between our two countries. We talked both about areas where there is good cooperation between Norway and China, and about issues where our views diverge,’ said Prime Minister Støre.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and President Xi Jinping in front of national flags. Handshake.Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and President Xi Jinping in Beijing 9 September 2024. Credit: Heiko Junge / NTB

However, he did not disclose whether the EU plans to introduce a reciprocal measure. While China has removed the visa requirement for Norwegians and some other EU citizens entering the country for short stays, Chinese travellers reaching the Schengen Area continue to be required to obtain a Schengen visa.

The decision to reach a visa liberalisation agreement with a third country is taken jointly by the member states and the EU bodies. Taking such a rule into account, the Norwegian Ministry of Justice emphasised that Norway cannot offer a similar agreement to China in return.

While Norway is the only Scandinavian country with a 15-day visa-free entry, China has also launched a broader initiative to boost tourism. Jyllands-Posten reports that this initiative allows travelers to stay in the country for up to 144 hours (six days) without a visa. The program has led to a significant rise in visitor numbers. Official Chinese data reveals that 17 million foreign tourists visited China in the first seven months of 2024. This figure marks a 130% increase compared to the previous year. Of these visitors, 8.5 million took advantage of the visa-free option during the first half of the year.

Norwegians in China already had 144 hours visa-free days. This was already in place in November last year.

China Currently Permits Visa-Free Entry for Citizens of Another 11 EU Countries
In an effort to attract more EU visitors, China facilitated the entry rules for several European Union countries.

In addition to Norway, China has removed the visa requirements for another 11 EU countries.

The list of EU countries whose citizens have been permitted to enter China visa-free for months now includes Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland.

Passport holders of all the above-mentioned countries are able to stay in China for up to 15 days without a visa.

Even though China dropped the visa requirement for these countries, the authorities highlighted that the decision is not permanent. The visa-free entry policy will remain effective until December 31, 2025, with the possibility of it being extended.

As for the remaining EU countries, the Chinese authorities have not disclosed whether they plan on permitting visa-free entry for them, too.

Source:By Bleona Restelica; https://schengen.news/citizens-of-norway-can-now-enter-china-visa-free-for-short-stays/';https://scandasia.com/china-boost-tourism-norwegian-15-days-visa-free-entry-and-144-hours-visa-free-stays-for-others/;