China Visa Exemptions. In this post, we will discuss the China Free Visa policy and its impact on tourism in Tibet. We will also list the countries that don’t require a Visa to visit Tibet, as China has a free visa policy.

In recent years, the Chinese government has been expanding the number of countries with a visa-free policy for visiting China. Fifty-six countries have a free visa policy, ranging from 15 days to 60 days. There is also a regional policy for a free visa, such as in Xishuangbanna and Guilin. When understanding China’s free visa policy, there are two types of free visa policies: one is an unilaterally free visa policy, and the other is a mutually free visa policy based on the Mutual Visa Exemption Agreement between those countries and China.

Unilateral Visa-Free Countries (30-day stay, unless otherwise noted)

  1. France
  2. Germany
  3. Italy
  4. Spain
  5. The Netherlands
  6. Malaysia
  7. Switzerland
  8. Ireland
  9. Hungary
  10. Austria
  11. Belgium
  12. Luxembourg
  13. New Zealand
  14. Australia
  15. Poland
  16. Portugal
  17. Greece
  18. Cyprus
  19. Slovenia
  20. Norway (15 days)
  21. Slovakia (15 days)
  22. Finland (15 days)
  23. Denmark (15 days)
  24. Iceland (15 days)
  25. Andorra (15 days)
  26. Monaco (15 days)
  27. Liechtenstein (15 days)
  28. South Korea (15 days)
  29. Bulgaria
  30. Romania
  31. Croatia
  32. Montenegro
  33. North Macedonia
  34. Malta
  35. Estonia
  36. Latvia
  37. Japan
  38. Brunei (no specified expiration date)
  39. Saudi Arabia
  40. Oman
  41. Kuwait
  42. Bahrain

Mutual Visa Exemption Agreements (typically 30-day stay):

  1. Albania
  2. United Arab Emirates
  3. Antigua and Barbuda
  4. Barbados
  5. Bahamas
  6. Belarus
  7. Bosnia and Herzegovina
  8. Dominica
  9. Ecuador
  10. Fiji
  11. Grenada
  12. Georgia
  13. Qatar
  14. Kazakhstan
  15. Maldives
  16. Mauritius
  17. Serbia
  18. Seychelles
  19. San Marino
  20. Solomon Islands
  21. Suriname
  22. Thailand
  23. Tonga
  24. Singapore
  25. Armenia

Tour group from ASEAN countries

If you join a tour group from ASEAN countries, you will get a free visa to visit the beautiful landscapes of Guilin and Xishuangbanna to experience the unique culture of the Dai people. If you join a group tour from Hong Kong and Macau, you will get a free visa to visit the Pearl River Delta and enjoy a visit to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and more. Extend the number of countries ( including those mentioned above) to get a 30-day free visa to visit Hainan.

 

Tour group from ASEAN countries

If you join a tour group from ASEAN countries, you will get a free visa to visit the beautiful landscapes of Guilin and Xishuangbanna to experience the unique culture of the Dai people. If you join a group tour from Hong Kong and Macau, you will get a free visa to visit the Pearl River Delta and enjoy a visit to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and more. Extend the number of countries ( including those mentioned above) to get a 30-day free visa to visit Hainan.

 

Essential Tips

Before visiting Tibet, please check the latest information on the Chinese free visa policy from official sources. I think it will be best to consult the nearest Chinese Embassy or Consulate in your country.

Learn about the scope and limitations of the free visa policy. Recently, a couple from abroad was arrested in Shanghai for using the limited hours of a transit-free visa in Beijing to travel to Shanghai, which is beyond the scope of that free visa policy.

Tibet Tourism and Chinese Free Visa policy

All the travelers from the above-listed 67 countries can visit Tibet under the Chinese Free visa policy. If your country offers a 30-day visa-free entry to China, the duration is sufficient for any Tour in Tibet. If your country has a 15-day visa-free policy in China, that is only sufficient for a central Tibet tour, Everest Base Camp tours, and an overland journey from Lhasa to Kathmandu.

Besides a free Visa, all the other Tibet Travel regulations stay the same. You will need to be a part of an organised guided tour with a local Tibetan Travel agency. So, you’ll need to book the tour with us and send us your passports to get the Tibet travel permit. Please, it is challenging and complicated to extend your stay in China, especially in Tibet, beyond the days of free visa stay in China.

To learn more about the Free visa in China and traveling to Tibet. Please email us at info@itibettravel.com

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Tenzin Travel is the best Tibetan Travel agency in Tibet. Our agency is one of Tibet’s most experienced tour operators, with over 20 years in the industry. Founded by a local Tibetan family with decades of expertise as guides, managers, and route planners. We craft personalized itineraries for every traveler. Our agency is the highest-rated and most recommended Tibet travel agency on TripAdvisor, Google, and Lonely Planet.

We can make holistic arrangements for your trip to Tibetwith visa free travel to tibet Including a Tibet Travel Permit, a Tibetan tour guide, flight tickets, train tickets, vehicle arrangements, and hotel bookings in Tibet.

Our Lhasa office is just steps from Barkhor Square. All our Tibetan team ensures deep cultural, linguistic, and religious insights, setting us apart from other agencies.

Beyond tourism, we support Tibetan communities by donating a portion of each tour to local projects. Your travel to Tibet is about more than profit—it’s about the opportunity for us to give back.