Over the last year China has been gradually unwinding its self-imposed three years of COVID-19 isolation, scrapping mandatory quarantine and PCR testing for its own returning citizens, then restarting the issuance of tourist visas.

The country also recently finally called time on a self-swab ART testing process, alongside a mandatory pre-departure health declaration form, both of which seemed utterly archaic in the second half of 2023, when the rest of the world had moved on from the pandemic.

In July 2023, citizens of Singapore and Brunei also had their 15-day visa-free entry approval reinstated, which in combination with the most recent relaxations has now restored international travel between these countries fully to the pre-pandemic process.

Malaysians can now travel visa-free to China

China has now announced that it will allow those holding Malaysian passports, which includes around 1 million Singapore residents, to enter the country visa-free from 1st December 2023.

This allows them to enter China without any advance application for tourism, family visits, business or transit purposes, provided their stay is no more than 15 days.

“To further promote people-to-people exchanges between China and Malaysia, from 0:00 (Beijing time) on December 1, 2023 to 24:00 (Beijing time) on November 30, 2024, the Chinese government will implement [a] 15-day visa free policy for Malaysian citizens holding ordinary passport[s] who enter China for business, tourism, family visit and transit purposes.

Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Malaysia

This latest relaxation is on a trial basis for one year, until 30th November 2024.

If you’re a Malaysian citizen and you have already obtained a visa to visit China, don’t worry. That visa is still valid, and any visa applications that have already been submitted will continue to be processed normally.

However, for those planning to visit between 1st December 2023 and 30th November 2024, you don’t need to progress with any visa application plans for a tourism or business trip to China as a Malaysian passport holder, provided you will arrive in the country from midnight on 1st December 2023 onwards, and your trip is 15 days or less.

Citizens of five European countries also benefit

China is also rolling out the welcome mat for visa-free travel to those holding passports from one of five European countries, a benefit that will also help many Singapore residents with the following nationalities:

🇫🇷 France
🇩🇪 Germany
🇮🇹 Italy
🇳🇱 Netherlands
🇪🇸 Spain

As with Malaysian citizens, these travellers receive a visa-free benefit for the first time, since they never previously had the option to travel to China for tourism, transit, family visits or business purposes before, without first obtaining a visa.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that these relaxations were designed “to facilitate the high-quality development of Chinese and foreign personnel exchanges and high-level opening up to the outside world”.

Singaporeans can already visit China visa-free

In case you missed the news, Singapore citizens have been able to travel to China since 26th July 2023 under the pre-pandemic 15-day visa-free scheme, permitting those holding ordinary Singapore passports to enter the country without a visa for the same tourism, family visit, business or transit purposes, provided their stay in China is no more than 15 days.

Unlike the Malaysia and Europe additions, there is no end date to this benefit, which was already perpetual pre-pandemic.

The benefit was also restored for citizens of Brunei, but not for Japanese travellers, who had also been eligible prior to the pandemic, but still haven’t been included on this latest list.

What about other nationals?

Those holding nationalities other than from Singapore, Malaysia, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain will still need to apply for a visa to visit China, even as a tourist.

That doesn’t apply when travelling to Hainan Island, which allows those holding 59 nationalities to travel visa-free for up to 30 days, though onward travel from Hainan to Mainland China for non-visa-waiver nationals is not permitted, without a relevant visa.

Options for Singapore-based travellers to Hainan include regular Scoot, Jetstar and Hainan Airlines services to Haikou.

Singapore Airlines is boosting China flights

Earlier this year, Singapore Airlines announced a surprise suspension for three of its routes to and from mainland China, with regular flights to Chongqing, Shenzhen and Xiamen seeing a rather sudden cessation of service later that same month.

In October a fourth city in China joined that suspension list, with the final Chengdu service operating towards the end of that month, and no planned future flights on the schedule.

Thankfully last month we were happy to report that all four of these cities will be returning to the network later this year, using Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft.

• Chengdu will restart on 3rd December 2023, with four times weekly flights, increasing to daily during January 2024 but then reducing to three times weekly from February 2024 onwards
• Chongqing restarted on 26th November 2023 with three times weekly flights
• Shenzhen restarted on 26th November 2023 with daily flights
• Xiamen will restart on 3rd December 2023, with daily flights

Plenty of KrisFlyer Saver award space is available on these routes, unsurprising given their relatively short-notice restarts.

These flights will supplement the carrier’s wide-body services to and from Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai, which now even offer a First Class cabin in the case of Beijing and a Suites cabin in the case of Shanghai (from January 2024).

This week SIA’s Guangzhou route was hiked to double daily wide-body operation for the first time in five years, though this will also see Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft operating the “second service” from February 2024.

Visa-free travel to China for Malaysian citizens will become a reality from 1st December 2023, at least for an initial trial period of one year, as China expands access to what it calls “the outside world”.

This will also include nationals of five European countries – namely France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain.

Singaporeans can already enjoy hassle-free China trips once again, thanks to the reinstatement of 15-day visa-free entry approval in July 2023, and SIA is scaling up flights to China this winter, restoring four cities to its route map in November and December, for a total of seven destinations.

Let’s hope these visa relaxations are extended and also expanded beyond these new countries from next year, for simpler trips to and from China.

(Cover Photo: Shutterstock)