China Expands Unilateral Visa-Free Policy to Gulf Nations
Starting Monday, China has introduced a trial visa-free policy for holders of ordinary passports from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain, further expanding its unilateral visa-free “circle of friends.”
From June 9, 2025, to June 8, 2026, citizens of these four countries will be allowed to enter China without a visa for business, tourism, family visits, exchanges, or transit purposes, provided their stay does not exceed 30 days.
This move follows the 2018 reciprocal visa-free agreements between China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar, meaning that all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries now enjoy visa-free access to China.
At a May 28 press conference, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated: “We welcome more friends from GCC countries to visit China at any time.”
