Poles can now visit China without a visa

Polish nationals wishing to visit China now face less bureaucracy after Beijing allowed 15-day visa-free access from Poland. The new regulation came into force on Monday, and is set to last until the end of 2025.

After the announcement, the number of searches for China-related keywords on Polish travel platforms almost doubled, with Shanghai the most popular destination, followed by Beijing.

"It's very good when you don't have to spend your time on paperwork," a young man told CGTN in front of Warsaw's iconic palace of cultures. "I don't know much about China," another resident said, adding that from seeing pictures he thinks China is a "really interesting place in terms of culture and cities look really modern."

While flights to the People's Republic are still expensive for a regular Polish traveler and visas were only ever a fraction of the total cost, locals in Warsaw are hoping for more, and perhaps cheaper, flights to China.

Poland's President Andrzej Duda is very pleased, saying "the possibility of personal communication" was important to him. But it won't just be more tourists for China. The new visa regulations will mean more spontaneous business trips from Warsaw. China is Poland's second largest trading partner for imports.

However, Chinese citizens wishing to enter Poland must still apply for a Schengen visa. China hopes its new visa policy will encourage other countries to also grant visa facilitation to Chinese nationals.

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Since late 2023, China has been easing entry requirements for visitors from some countries to facilitate travel for business and pleasure.

In November 2023, 15-day visa-free entry was made available to people from France, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Spain – and in March it was extended to those from Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg and Switzerland. 

On June 21, China and Australia decided to provide each other's citizens with multiple-entry visas of up to five years for tourism and business, the Chinese foreign ministry said, in another sign of improving ties between the two countries.

The visa arrangement followed a milestone trip by China's Premier Li Qiang to Australia that marked a stabilization in bilateral relations after a period of frosty ties.

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