China has once again expressed its hope to be included in the list of third countries whose nationals are eligible for visa-free entry to the Schengen Area.
To reach this goal, the Chinese Ambassador to Portugal Zhao Bentang said that the authorities are keeping in close touch with Portugal and the EU and recalled that the country has already asked for reciprocity, Schengen.News reports.
The Chinese government hopes that the Portuguese and European governments will also facilitate entry for Chinese tourists, traders, and businesspeople in terms of visas.
During an interview with Lusa, Ambassador Bentang noted that visa-free travel to the bloc would be of great importance to Chinese citizens, especially to businesspeople as some of the current rules restrict them from carrying out business activities.
At the same time, the Ambassador noted that he had spoken with the Portuguese government several times, asking for its support in reaching a visa liberalisation agreement with the EU.
We always speak to the Portuguese government. I have spoken many times. I believe that during the visit of the Portuguese Foreign Affairs Minister, Paulo Rangel the Chinese side also spoke about this issue.
China Currently Permits Visa-Free Entry for Portugal & Several Other EU/Schengen Countries
While Chinese passport holders continue to be required to obtain a Schengen visa in order to be permitted entry into the Schengen Area, the case is not the same for nationals of Portugal and 27 other EU/Schengen countries.
During his interview, Ambassador Bentang recalled that Portuguese passport holders have been eligible for visa-free entry to China since October 2024.
The visa-free entry policy for the other EU/Schengen countries – Austria, BelgiumBulgaria, Croatia, EstoniaFinland, France, Germany, Greece, Cyprus, DenmarkHungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland started applying in different periods in the same year.
These European countries are also eligible for visa-free entry to China: Andorra, Monaco, Montenegro and North Macedonia.
Under the visa-free agreement, passport holders of the above-mentioned countries can stay in China for up to 30 days for tourism, business, visiting family and friends, and transit purposes.
The agreement is set to remain in effect until the end of this year. Regarding its extension, Ambassador Bentang said that the time has not come yet to evaluate this move.
The continuation of the exemption depends on the assessment, on demand. I believe that when the time comes, if necessary, the Chinese side may consider some extension, some renewal. But the time has not yet come to evaluate.
This move by China was introduced in an attempt to help the country revive its travel and tourism sector.