Singapore and China have agreed to a 30-day mutual visa-free entry for their citizens, where the arrangement will begin on February 9.
Under the agreement, Singaporeans and Chinese citizens holding ordinary passports can enter China or Singapore without a visa for no more than 30 days if they are travelling for business, sightseeing, or visiting friends and family.
Those who plan to engage in activities that require prior approval, such as work or news reporting, or plan to stay for more than 30 days, must still secure the relevant visa before entry.
Plans for the 30-day mutual visa exemption agreement were announced nearly two months ago, during the highest-level annual bilateral forum between Singapore and China, where Chinese vice premier Ding Xuexiang commented that the visa-free arrangement would “provide greater convenience for people-to-people exchanges”.
Currently, Singaporeans holding ordinary passports can enter China without a visa for 15 days for purposes like sightseeing, visiting family and business. Chinese citizens currently require a visa to enter Singapore.
