(ECNS) -- China has expanded its 240-hour visa-free transit policy to citizens of Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam, bringing the number of countries covered by the policy to 57, according to the National Immigration Administration (NIA) on Wednesday.
Under the new arrangement, which took effect on Aug. 20, citizens of Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam holding ordinary passports and interline passenger tickets with confirmed dates and itineraries bound for a third country or region may enter China through any of the 65 ports across the country and stay up to 240 hours, or 10 days, without a visa, according to the National Immigration Administration (NIA).
Citizens of these two countries who hold ordinary passports will also be eligible for the 30-day visa-free entry policy for Hainan Province in south China starting the same day. This will allow them to enter the province through Hainan's open ports and stay visa-free for up to 30 days. With these additions, the number of countries covered by this Hainan visa-free policy has now reached 61.
During the visa-free period, travelers are permitted to engage in tourism, business, exchange visits and family visits. However, the two policies do not cover employment, study or journalistic activities, which still require appropriate visas, the NIA said.
An NIA official said the measures are part of efforts to advance high-level opening-up and facilitate exchanges and cooperation with neighboring countries. Looking forward, the NIA will continue to support international travel while ensuring orderly border management.
(By Intern Liu Shuagjing, Zhang Dongfang)
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