The move should also trigger a reciprocal arrangement from Malaysia to Chinese nationals.
For Malaysians who have dreamed of visiting China, but were put off by the onerous two-visit process to the visa processing centre in Kuala Lumpur, this is surely welcome news.
China has announced a unilateral visa-free entry policy for holders of ordinary passports from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia, during the period from December 1, 2023, to November 30, 2024.
That means that Malaysians travelling to China can enjoy visa-free travel for up to 15 days starting December 1.
“To further promote people-to-people exchanges between China and Malaysia, the Chinese government will implement a 15-day visa-free policy for Malaysian citizens holding ordinary passports who enter China for business, tourism, family visits, and transit purposes.
“Those who do not meet the purposes of the visit and the time limit for the 15-day visa-free policy are still required to apply for visas to China,” the statement read.
The embassy said visas issued to Malaysian citizens are still valid, and applications submitted before will be processed normally.
It is expected that Malaysia will reciprocate, offering 30-day visa-free visits to Chinese citizens, a move that has travel industry players licking their chops in anticipation of an increase in tourism business.
"ExpatGo welcomes and encourages comments, input, and divergent opinions. However, we kindly request that you use suitable language in your comments, and refrain from any sort of personal attack, hate speech, or disparaging rhetoric. Comments not in line with this are subject to removal from the site. "
