KEY TAKEAWAYS

·Hungary has decided to start issuing five-year multiple-entry visas for Chinese businesspeople.

·The move comes immediately after China lifted the visa requirement for Hungarian visitors.

·China has welcomed Hungary's decision and has called on more EU countries to facilitate visa rules for its citizens.

Hungary has decided to facilitate some of its visa rules and start issuing five-year multiple-entry visas for Chinese businesspeople.

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The decision of Hungary to facilitate visa issuance for certain groups of Chinese citizens follows China’s move to allow visa-free entry for Hungarians, SchengenVisaInfo reports.

Announcing the news, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary, Péter Szijjártó, said that the country will now issue five-year multiple entry visas to executives of Chinese companies investing and cooperating with Hungarian companies.

Minister Szijjártó further said that the visa facilitation applied by the country will help further enhance the economic, tourism, and cultural exchanges between Hungary and China.

Hungary announced this visa facilitation for Chinese businesspeople immediately after China said it would now permit all Hungarian nationals to enter the country without the need to apply for a visa for short stays.

However, despite the Hungarian Minister saying that they are easing the rules with the principle of reciprocity, the country did not mention whether it would also make it easier for Chinese citizens to enter Hungary for travel and tourism purposes.

China Welcomes Hungary’s Decision & Calls on More Countries to Apply Visa Facilitations

China has welcomed Hungary’s decision to facilitate the issuance of five-year multiple-entry visas to Chinese businesspeople.

Speaking at a press conference, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, said that the decision of both countries shows their commitment to strengthening the relationship with one another.

Wenbin further underscored the successful collaboration between China and Hungary across different sectors and said that China views this move positively.

According to Wanbin, this initiative will boost exchanges between the two countries and strengthen bilateral relations.

We believe that these measures will further promote personnel exchanges between the two sides, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, and push bilateral relations to a higher level of development.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin

Wenbin further said that China is open to other countries also providing facilitated visa rules for its citizens.

The facilitation of visa rules is important for the country as it helps it create partnerships, Wanbin concluded.

China also welcomes relevant countries to provide more visa convenience for Chinese citizens, promoting two-way personnel exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin

Hungary Plans to Resume Its Golden Visa Program

Despite being able to obtain five-year multiple-entry visas, Chinese investors will soon also be able to apply for Hungary’s Golden Visa Program.

Hungary closed this program in 2017, and the country is now planning to relaunch it in order to attract more foreign investors.

This program offers the opportunity to those eligible to obtain Hungarian citizenship provided that they make investments in the country and meet other needed requirements.