Mainland China Cuts Visa Fees By 25% Until December 31, 2024

Visa applications for Mainland China will cost 25% less, from December 11, 2023 until December 31, 2024. The move, which was announced on Friday, is the latest by Mainland authorities to encourage travellers to visit the country after it reopened its borders earlier this year. The new visa fees will cost anything from HK$230-HK$690, depending on how many entries the visa is issued for.

“After China started managing Covid-19 with measures against Class-B infectious diseases from January 8, 2023, the Chinese government has improved visa and entry policies for foreign nationals to facilitate cross-border travel. As a provisional measure, Chinese embassies and consulates will charge 75 per cent of the previous visa fees from December 11, 2023 to December 31, 2024,” said China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin at a press conference on Friday.

There are different charges for countries with reciprocal visa fees with China and those that have bilateral agreements with the Mainland. Under these policies, UK passport holders will pay HK$710 for all visas, Canadian nationals HK$460, and US citizens HK$1,100. The express service will cost all applicants HK$180, while any traveller who needs their visas processed urgently must pay an additional HK$310.

In addition, the China Visa Application Service Centre in Hong Kong will accept walk-in submissions for ordinary visa applications from December 11, 2023 onwards. Applicants must complete their forms online and bring the documents they need to submit to the centre between 9am and 3pm on weekdays. Those who need their visas urgently can submit their forms and documents until 4pm. The new measure will not affect applicants who already have appointments for on or after December 11.

Last month, Mainland Chinese authorities announced that they will allow nationals from six countries — France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia — to enter the country without a visa for up to 15 days for transit, tourism, business, and family visits. The relaxed visa measures will last until November 30, 2024. The National Immigration Administration also announced that Norwegian nationals can now transit through China visa-free for up to 144 hours.

China resumed issuing visas to foreign visitors in March this year after three years, and reinstated its visa-free entry policy for tourists travelling from Hong Kong to Hainan Island, Guangdong, and to Shanghai on cruise ships. Immigration authorities also simplified the visa application process in September, requiring visitors to disclose less information about their travel history, educational background, and family details. The country also dropped the last of its Covid-19 restrictions on November 1, when it stopped requiring travellers to Mainland China from Hong Kong to fill out a health declaration form before they cross the border.

For the full list of the revised visa fees, click here.

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