China Gives Visa-Free Access To ASEAN Tour Groups Visiting Xishuangbanna, Yunnan

China has announced a new visa-free access policy for ASEAN tour groups visiting Xishuangbanna in Yunnan province for up to six days.

BySneha Chakraborty Published: Feb 10, 2025 09:57 PM HKT2 min read

China Gives Visa-Free Access To ASEAN Tour Groups Visiting Xishuangbanna, Yunnan — Image credit: Chlukoe, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

China has announced a new visa-free policy for ASEAN tour groups visiting Xishuangbanna – a Yunnan province region celebrated for its unique ethnic cultures – effective immediately. The initiative, aimed at boosting tourism and strengthening the China-ASEAN strategic partnership, allows groups of at least two travellers from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, the Philippines, Myanmar, and Cambodia to enter and exit China visa-free for up to six days.

A statement issued by the National Immigration Administration (NIA) said that tour groups must travel with a Chinese travel agency and enter and exit the country together. The NIA stated that tour groups can enter through Xishuangbanna Gasa International Airport, the Mohan railway port, and the Mohan Highway port.

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Visa-free access to Yunnan: Another boost for the tourism sector?

Starting from Feb 10, a visa-free policy for tourist groups from ASEAN members entering Xishuangbanna, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, will be implemented, the National Immigration Administration announced on Monday. pic.twitter.com/PD91OXqPWO

— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) February 10, 2025

This visa-free access to Xishuangbanna follows a trend of easing visa restrictions by China to encourage tourism. The country currently holds mutual visa exemptions with 25 nations, unilateral visa-free policies with 38, and transit visa-free policies with 54 countries.

Recent examples include signing a mutual visa exemption agreement between China and Thailand in 2024. More recently, China and India also agreed to resume direct flights and facilitate the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra to promote tourism between the two countries. During the Spring Festival holiday, there were 501 million domestic trips, marking a 5.9% increase from the previous year—an uptick that can largely be attributed to these visa waiver programmes.

(Feature image credit: Chlukoe, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Note:
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.