Citizens of Uzbekistan will be able to travel to China without a visa beginning June 1, 2025, following the completion of all internal procedures for the bilateral agreement on mutual visa exemption between Uzbekistan and China, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan announced.

Under the agreement, which comes into force on the stated date, citizens of both countries will be allowed to enter, exit, and transit through each other’s territory without a visa for up to 30 days per visit. The total duration of stay must not exceed 90 days within any 180-day period.

However, those planning to stay longer than 30 days must obtain a visa in advance. The visa-free regime does not extend to individuals engaging in employment, education, media activities, or any other work requiring prior approval from the host country’s authorities.

Notably, the agreement excludes travel to the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions of China.

Talks on the visa-free initiative began in 2023, when Chinese Ambassador to Uzbekistan Yu Jun expressed Beijing’s strong interest in enhancing travel facilitation between the two nations. 

“Initially, the visa procedure will be simplified, and later we are ready to consider other issues,” the ambassador said at the time.

Uzbekistan has allowed Chinese citizens to visit the country without a visa for up to 10 days since March 2021. This move aligns with China’s broader efforts to expand visa-free access. 

In November 2024, China introduced visa-free regimes for nine more countries, including South Korea and several European nations. At the same time, its short-term visa-free transit policy remains in effect, allowing travelers from 54 countries, including the U.S., U.K., and Canada, to visit without a visa for up to 72 or 144 hours.