The visa agreement signed yesterday between representatives of the two countries will take effect on February 9th, on the eve of the traditionally celebrated Lunar New Year in East Asia.
With this agreement, citizens of both countries will be able to travel mutually visa-free for purposes of business, tourism, family, and visiting relatives for periods not exceeding 30 days.
Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, China had canceled all visas and closed its borders to the outside world. Although border controls have been lifted since the beginning of 2023, the number of visitors from abroad has yet to reach pre-COVID-19 levels.
The government is aiming to increase travel to China by establishing visa exemption arrangements with various countries in recent months.
The General Administration of Customs of China had removed the visa requirement on November 17, 2023, for citizens of 54 countries when transiting to a third country.
Additionally, from December 1, 2023, the Chinese government had unilaterally granted a 15-day visa-free travel opportunity for one year to citizens of France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Malaysia.
During visits to Switzerland and Ireland this month, Prime Minister Li Qiang decided to include these two countries in the unilateral visa program as well.
China currently implements mutual visa exemption for standard passport holders from 18 countries. There is also mutual visa exemption for diplomatic, official, and service passport holders with many countries, including Turkey.