China, Singapore visa exemption sees Shanghai entries, exits soar

Credit: Imaginechina

After the mutual visa exemption between China and Singapore took effect on February 9, over 10,800 people had entered and exited through the Shanghai Pudong International Airport, the local airport's border inspection authority said on Monday.

Among them were nearly 10,000 Chinese mainland residents and over 870 Singaporeans, 15 and nine times more than the numbers in the same period a year earlier, respectively. Most traveled for leisure or visiting family, the authority said.

The city airport's immigration management police said that during this year's Spring Festival holiday, Chinese mainland residents showed strong enthusiasm for outbound tourism. Between February 9 and 11, over 80,000 local travelers left China through Pudong airport every day.

The airport data shows that because of the visa-free policy, the popularity of Singapore tours increased from being the eighth most popular destination last year to the third this year, the police added.

The authority reminded travelers for activities such as work and news reporting that requires prior approval, and stays exceeding 30 days, appropriate visas must be obtained before entering the respective countries.

Until now, China has signed visa exemption agreements with 157 countries, covering various passport types.

Simplified visa procedures or arrangements have been reached with 44 countries.

Mutual visa exemptions have been achieved with 22 countries, including Singapore, the Maldives and Kazakhstan.

Additionally, more than 60 countries and regions provide Chinese citizens with visa-free or visa-on-arrival convenience.