China Launches New 'ASEAN Visa' for Southeast Asian Nations and Timor-Leste

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - China has officially launched a new multi-entry "ASEAN Visa" aimed at boosting business travel and regional integration with Southeast Asia, the Foreign Ministry announced this week.

The visa, announced Tuesday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is available to business travelers from the 10 ASEAN member countries as well as Timor-Leste, an ASEAN observer. It allows multiple entries over five years, with each visit permitting a stay of up to 180 days. Spouses and children of eligible applicants may also qualify, provided they meet relevant requirements.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the new scheme is intended to support growing exchanges between China and Southeast Asian nations and make travel for business and cooperation more convenient.

The ASEAN Visa builds on China’s existing travel arrangements with several countries in the region. China already maintains mutual visa-free agreements with some Southeast Asian partners, introduced in early 2024, allowing short-term visits without a visa.

Last year, it also launched the Lancang-Mekong Visa for business travelers from select countries in the Mekong region, offering similar long-term, multiple-entry access.

The rollout comes as part of a broader push by Beijing to liberalize visa policies and attract more international visitors. On June 1, China began a trial program granting unilateral visa-free access to several Latin American nations, and has recently expanded visa-free entry to all countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Official figures show that more than 9 million foreign visitors entered China in the first quarter of 2025, a rise of over 40 percent compared to the same period last year. Lin described the increase as evidence of China’s continued efforts to open up and promote people-to-people ties, adding that further steps to improve entry policies are planned.

“China will continue to improve entry policies and add more countries to the visa-free list, to allow more foreign friends to visit China to experience our excellent and diverse products and services," said Lin.

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