In France and Italy, various Chinese Visa Application Service Centers are ceasing operations.
In recent months, China has unprecedentedly simplified its travel procedures.
Among the recent measures introduced by China to promote exchanges is a unilateral visa exemption for citizens of 12 countries until December 31, 2025.
Tourists and business travelers from the following countries no longer need a visa to travel to China and can stay for up to 15 days:
- France, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, and Malaysia.
This list will soon be expanded to include Australia and New Zealand.
Thanks to the success of this initiative, which has significantly facilitated travel, the influx in Chinese Visa Application Centers located in the concerned countries, especially in provincial areas, has been considerably reduced.
China visa application centers in Lyon (France) and Florence (Italy) cease operations
In France, China has four visa application centers located in Paris, Marseille, Strasbourg, and Lyon.
In a statement published on June 12, it was announced that the Lyon center would cease operations on June 14, 2024, and would no longer accept new applications.
The statement also explained that if passport collection, stamped with the Chinese visa, is scheduled between June 18 and June 21, 2024, applicants are advised to go to the Chinese Consulate General in Lyon to retrieve their passports on the date indicated on the collection ticket.
Visa applicants for China located in Lyon, and more broadly in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, must now submit their applications at the visa centers in Paris, Marseille, or Strasbourg.
In Italy, the Florence visa center is also closing. Starting June 21, travelers needing a visa and residing in the region will need to go to the center in Milan. A third center is also available in Rome.
