Pudong Airport welcomes first foreign tourists under new visa-free policy

China has implemented a visa-free policy for ordinary passport holders from Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, and Slovenia from Oct 15, 2024, to Dec 31, 2025. Expats from these four countries can enter China for business, tourism, visiting friends or relatives, or transit for up to 15 days without a visa.

At 5 am on Oct 15, Shanghai Pudong International Airport greeted the first batch of incoming passengers under this new visa-free policy. Kopsidas, a Greek national arriving on flight HO1662 from Manchester, became the first passenger to benefit from this policy at the airport. After completing immigration inspection procedures, Kopsidas expressed his happiness and praised the efficient and convenient customs clearance process.

Similarly, a man named Plibersek, from Slovenia, who plans to visit Jiangsu province to purchase machinery and equipment, also benefited from the visa-free policy. The policy has saved his company time and facilitated future trade.

To ensure the smooth implementation of the visa-free policy and further improve the management of visa-free entrants, the Shanghai Airport Border Inspection Station formulated plans in advance, optimizing the customs clearance process for visa-free entrants.

Additionally, the station communicated with relevant airlines to enhance the customs clearance process, and dispatched volunteers proficient in foreign languages and police officers to provide services such as policy consultations, translation, and other assistance, ensuring a smooth and convenient customs clearance experience for passengers.

With the continued implementation of the visa-free policy, the Shanghai Airport Border Inspection Station expects an increase in the number of foreign tourists utilizing the policy. The station will closely monitor flight schedules, strengthen communication and collaboration with airlines and other port authorities, and strive to optimize the customs clearance experience for pasengers, attracting more foreigners to China for business and tourism.