China and Singapore Forge Closer Ties with 30-Day Mutual Visa Exemption Agreement

Mainland Chinese citizens have always needed a visa to enter Singapore, while Singaporeans could visit China for up to 15 days for non-work purposes

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China and Singapore will introduce a 30-day mutual visa exemption agreement from February 9 – Lunar New Year’s Eve – allowing citizens of the two countries to travel, visit families and go on business trips.

The agreement was signed by representatives from the two countries on Thursday, according to China’s state broadcaster CCTV.

Mainland Chinese citizens have always needed a visa to enter Singapore, while Singaporeans could visit China for up to 15 days for non-work purposes – an arrangement that was reinstated in July after its suspension during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Travellers from both countries who want to work, report the news or stay longer than 30 days will still require a visa, CCTV said.

Wu Xi, director-general of the foreign ministry’s department of consular affairs, told CCTV that the agreement demonstrates China’s determination to push for high-level opening-up to the world.

“We welcome friends from all over the world to travel, operate business, invest and study in China,” she said.

“We hope friends both from China and abroad will respect the laws, regulations and bilateral agreements of these countries.”

The scheme, which had been in the works for weeks, was announced last month when Singapore’s deputy prime minister, Lawrence Wong, visited China. At the time, he had said the agreement would “enable more people-to-people exchanges, thereby fortifying the bedrock of our bilateral relations”.

During his visit, Wong and Chinese Premier Li Qiang agreed they should continue to promote “mutually beneficial cooperation” and strengthen ties between people and businesses.

At a forum Wong co-chaired in Tianjin with Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang, a record 24 agreements were signed and endorsed, covering areas such as education and trade, including an upgrade to their free-trade agreement.

Media reported that Wong had said both sides wanted to strengthen cooperation in various sectors and he hoped the number of direct flights between the two countries would exceed pre-pandemic levels.

Last month, Malaysia also started granting Chinese travelers 30-day visa-free entry, joining Thailand as the two countries seeking to attract mainland tourists, which have long been the region’s biggest destinations for mainlanders.

China has also ramped up efforts to promote tourism and business links to boost its sluggish economy. In November, it announced that travellers from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia could enter the country without a visa for 15 day periods.

During Premier Li Qiang’s trip to Ireland earlier this month, he also announced similar visa-free entry for Irish citizens.

According to state broadcaster CCTV, China currently has mutual visa exemptions with 22 countries, including Singapore, Maldives and Kazakhstan. More than 60 countries and regions currently give Chinese citizens visa-free access or visas on arrival.

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