Latest news with #visaFreeTravel
South China Morning Post
25-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Alibaba's Amap offers ride-hailing function catering to foreign visitors in China
Amap , the mapping and local services business under Alibaba Group Holding , has introduced a ride-hailing feature on the platform's English version, allowing foreign visitors in mainland China to get transport in more than 360 domestic cities. The new feature, which comes months after Amap's English-language version was launched in February, is accessible via a button on the homepage. Initially, the app will accept users' registered mainland, Hong Kong and Macau phone numbers. The new Amap feature reflects the private sector's support for China's visa-free travel scheme , which allows visitors from 43 countries to stay for up to 30 days on the mainland. The scheme also allows citizens from dozens of other countries to spend 240 hours on the mainland during transit. The Amap sign is seen at the company's headquarters in Beijing. Photo: Shutterstock During the Labour Day 'golden week' holiday from May 1 to 5, some 380,000 foreign visitors entered the mainland visa-free, up 73 per cent from a year earlier, according to data from the National Immigration Administration.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
The world's most powerful passports in 2025, ranked
The Henley Passport Index ranks the most powerful passports in the world for visa-free travel. Singapore is in the top spot with its passport, which allows holders to travel to 193 countries. The US passport can access 182 countries — it's tied for 10th place with two other countries. Thinking of visiting Brazil, Australia, or India with a US passport this summer? Not so fast ... or at least not before securing a visa. Some of the best wonders of the world require US citizens to obtain a visa before takeoff, an inconvenience in planning that long-awaited international getaway. US passport holders can access 182 countries globally without a visa, putting it in 10th place among world passports on the global mobility spectrum, according to the 2025 Henley Passport Index. Passports from 33 other countries provide more global mobility than a US passport and two other countries are tied with the US for mobility. The index is a ranking of passports based on how many countries their holders can access without a visa and is based on data from the International Air Transport Authority. Singapore is in the top spot with its passport, which allows holders to travel to 193 countries without first securing a visa. Japan had previously held the No. 1 position but has since fallen to No. 2, joining South Korea with access to 190 countries. Below are the countries with the most powerful passports, ranked by ascending number of visa-free travel options, based on the Henley Passport Index. This ranking is accurate as of May 2025. 10. Lithuania, Iceland, and the United States Passport holders from these countries can visit 182 countries without visas in 2025. Until April, US citizens were able to visit 183 countries visa-free. However, Brazil now requires US citizens to secure a visa before entering the country, dropping US passport holders one spot on the Henley Passport Index. 9. Croatia, Latvia, Slovakia, and Slovenia Holders of these passports can visit 183 countries without a visa in 2025. 8. Estonia, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates Travelers can visit 184 countries without a visa in 2025 if they have a passport from Estonia, Canada, or the United Arab Emirates. 7. Australia, Czechia, Hungary, Malta, and Poland Travelers can visit 185 countries without visas in 2025 with a passport from Australia, Czechia, Hungary, Malta, or Poland. 6. United Kingdom Holders of UK passports can visit 186 countries without a visa. 5. Greece, New Zealand, and Switzerland Travelers can visit 187 countries without a visa in 2025 if they have a passport from these countries. 4. Austria, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Norway, Luxembourg, and Belgium These passport holders can visit 188 countries without visas. 3. Ireland, Finland, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain These passports give access to 189 countries without a visa. 2. Japan and South Korea Holders of passports from Japan and South Korea can visit 190 countries without a visa. 1. Singapore Travelers can visit 193 countries without a visa in 2025 if they have a passport from Singapore. Zoe Rosenberg contributed to an earlier version of this report. This story was first published in January 2023 and updates were made in January 2024, June 2024, October 2024, March 2025, and May 2025. Read the original article on Business Insider
South China Morning Post
15-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Beijing's bid to entice researchers home, visa-free policy expanded: SCMP daily highlights
Catch up on some of SCMP's biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing China is launching dedicated recruitment programmes to lure Chinese-born researchers who are considering leaving the US, a source told the South China Morning Post. Despite US President Donald Trump's 'landmark' investment deals with Saudi Arabia valued at US$600 billion announced this week, China's deeply entrenched position in the region is not in jeopardy as the two economic giants vie for influence there, analysts said. China has been expanding visa-free access as part of a push to attract more foreign tourists. Photo: AP China is expanding visa-free travel to five South American countries, the foreign ministry said on Thursday. Starting from June 1, citizens of Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Uruguay will be allowed to enter China without a visa and stay for up to 30 days for purposes such as tourism, family visits or business. The arrangements will be in force for one year.
South China Morning Post
15-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China expands visa-free travel to 5 Latin American nations after summit with regional bloc
China is expanding visa-free travel to five South American countries, the foreign ministry said on Thursday. Advertisement Starting from June 1, citizens of Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Uruguay will be allowed to enter China without a visa and stay for up to 30 days for purposes such as tourism, family visits or business. The arrangements will be in force for one year. 'China will continue to pursue high-level opening-up and introduce more measures to further facilitate cross-border exchanges,' foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said. 'We also welcome more foreign friends to make full use of visa-free entry and streamlined visa policies – and to come to China to explore and see more, and experience the vibrancy, diversity and warmth of the country.' The announcement followed a meeting of leaders from China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) in Beijing on Tuesday, where President Xi Jinping had pledged to expand visa-free access without naming the states in question. Advertisement Xi described the visa exemptions as a 'first step', pledging to expand the policy in the region 'at proper time'. In recent years Beijing has been increasing its economic and political cooperation with the 33-member bloc in an effort to challenge US influence in the region.
South China Morning Post
14-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Foreigners flock to China's Shenzhen as visa-free entries surge 160%
Shenzhen, China's southern tech hub, has reported a swell of overseas visitors this year, an influx attributed to the country's expansion of visa-free entry and its integration of the Greater Bay Area, a region that incorporates Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Macau. In addition to visitors from China's two special administrative regions, many travellers to Shenzhen have come from farther afield, with Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Singapore ranking among the top sources of overseas tourists , state broadcaster CCTV reported on Wednesday. The city's international airport has recorded over 152,000 visa-free entries by foreign nationals in 2025, a year-on-year surge of 160.3 per cent. Total foreign passenger entries rose by 54.6 per cent year-on-year to reach 531,000. To keep pace with demand, a direct flight to Dubai from the city is scheduled to start in July, and multiple international routes were added this year to urban centres like Vientiane, Osaka, Singapore, Tokyo, Bangkok and Hanoi. Shenzhen, home to tech giants Tencent and Huawei, is attractive to travellers because of its status as a trade and manufacturing nerve centre, its proximity to Hong Kong and relatively low cost of living. 'Shenzhen is very fun, more modern, less expensive, so I love going there on weekends, both for leisure and business,' said Marc Guyon, founder of Hong Kong-based Club France International.
