Beijing will start to issue all visa types

Just months ago when China was still pursuing its zero-COVID strategy, it would have seemed unthinkable that they would once again be allowing foreign tourists in.

But starting today, Beijing will begin issuing all visa types as it removes one of the final pandemic-related restrictions.

Authorities in China recently declared victory over the virus and they now hope that restarting the country’s battered tourism industry will assist with boosting their economy.

As well as reissuing all categories of visas, Beijing will also once again allow visa-free entry into parts of China that didn’t require any formal documentation for entry before the pandemic started.

This includes the tourist island of Hainan and cruise ships that visit Shanghai.

Foreigners will also be allowed to enter Guangdong province from Hong Kong and Macau without needing a visa.

These announcements from China aren’t just related to people entering the country, with the news that Chinese tour groups will now be allowed to visit another 40 countries in a big boost to outbound tourism.

That brings the total number of countries on that list to 60 – although there are some notable absences including Australia and the United States.