China expands visa-free access to 5 Latin American countries

An Immigration officer handles transit visa exemption procedures for overseas tourists at the immigration area of Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 28, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

China on Sunday began implementing a trial policy that unilaterally grants visa-free entry to citizens of Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Uruguay. It is the first time that China has extended such access to nations in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Under the policy, which will remain in effect through May 31, 2026, holders of ordinary passports from these five countries can enter China without a visa for up to 30 days for purposes including business, tourism, family visits, cultural exchange, and transit.

The move is part of China's broader efforts to expand visa-free access in line with its commitment to high-level opening-up. With this expansion, China now offers unilateral visa-free entry to 43 countries.

Once made difficult by distance and complex visa procedures, travel between Latin America and China is increasingly accessible thanks to improved air connectivity and relaxed entry policies. In 2024, a direct flight was launched between Mexico City and south China's Shenzhen, spanning a distance of over 14,000 kilometers to become China's longest direct international passenger route.

Other routes, such as the Beijing-Madrid-Sao Paulo, Beijing-Madrid-Havana and Beijing-Tijuana-Mexico City routes, have also strengthened links between China and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Carolina Araya, a Chilean citizen and Spanish instructor at Anhui International Studies University in east China, was quick to share the news on social media after learning of the new policy, garnering many likes from friends and family.

"With this visa-free policy, it will be so much easier for my parents to visit us," she said. "I'm looking forward to welcoming them here in China."

Carola Ramon with the Argentine Council of Foreign Relations noted that recent years have seen growing cooperation between Argentina and China in areas such as student exchange, cultural collaboration and sports.

She believes China's visa-free entry initiative will enhance people-to-people ties and broaden exchange -- not only between China and Argentina but across the broader China-Latin America region.

Economic ties between China and Latin America have also deepened significantly. Bilateral trade has doubled over the past decade, surpassing 500 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. Chinese exports, including electric vehicles, are increasingly popular in the region, while Latin American goods such as Chilean cherries and Argentine beef have become Chinese household staples.

China has been steadily adjusting and optimizing its visa policies to boost cross-border mobility. Since late 2023, the country has rolled out a series of traveler-friendly measures. In late May, it announced that citizens of four Gulf countries -- Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain -- will also enjoy visa-free entry for up to 30 days, from June 9, 2025, through June 8, 2026.

Additionally, China's visa-free transit period has been extended to 240 hours for travelers from 54 countries.

These policies have already had a notable impact. In 2024, China recorded 3.39 million entries under its unilateral visa-free policy, representing a 1,200 percent increase from the previous year. During this year's May Day holiday alone, 380,000 people entered China visa-free, a 72.7 percent year-on-year jump.

Yu Haibo, an associate professor of tourism management at Nankai University in Tianjin, said that China's continued expansion of its visa-free policies reflects its commitment to high-standard opening-up.

"These measures demonstrate China's resolve to foster a more dynamic, inclusive and resilient form of economic globalization," he said.