China to resume 15-day visa-free entry for citizens of Singapore and Brunei

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Travelers arrive at the departure hall in Singapore Changi airport in Singapore on March 31, 2023. SINGAPORE — China will reinstate its 15-day visa-free entry for citizens of Singapore and Brunei from July 26, according to the embassies of both countries. This comes after a three-year suspension of visas as China adopted strict travel restrictions under its stringent zero-Covid policy, which ended in December last year. Singapore citizens will be able to enter China without a visa for 15 days if they are there for business, tourism, family visits and transit, the Chinese embassy to Singapore said. It added that visas which have been issued to Singaporean citizens will still be valid and those that have been requested will be processed. Singapore and China have long enjoyed strong economic ties, with leaders from both sides meeting this year. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in March. Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong was met Chinese Premier Li Qiang while visiting Beijing in May. The resumption of the visa-free entry policy "will facilitate people and business flows between our countries and pave the way for deeper bilateral cooperation," Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a Facebook post.