Starting Jan. 2016, Chinese tourists will be issued two-year multiple-entry visas to encourage them to visit Britain. (Photo : Reuters)
The British Home Office announced that the United Kingdom is set to unveil on Jan. 11 its new two-year visitor visas for Chinese nationals, according to a Xinhua News Agency report.
The visa will allow Chinese applicants to have multiple trips to Britain for a longer period.
"The launch of this new visa enhances our excellent visa service by offering better value for money and more flexible travel for Chinese visitors, while ensuring that the U.K. border is protected," Government Immigration Minister James Brokenshire said.
Brokenshire added that the move will allow Chinese nationals to get hold of more opportunities in the region. "The number of Chinese visitors to the U.K. is rising year on year and this visa will allow Chinese visitors to further take advantage of the opportunities the U.K. has to offer for both tourism and business purposes," he said.
The new visa is available for 85 pounds, the same cost as the currently existing six-month visitor visa.
The plan was first announced by Prime Minister David Cameron in Oct. 2015, during Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Britain.
Apart from multiple trips, the visa will also offer a better deal to eligible Chinese citizens than what the standard Schengen visitor visa allows. The visa is limited to a maximum of only 90 days.
The new visitor visa can be used for tourism, business and for attending conferences, the article added.
Meanwhile, the Home Office also said that there is an increasing number of British citizens visiting China, adding that the launching will also benefit U.K.'s travelers.
The statement noted that China will also reduce its two-year visitor visa fee to 85 pounds. The Chinese government will also match Britain's offer of a 10-year visitor visa.
As of Sept. 2015, Britain has issued a total of 484,065 visas in China, 404,084 of which were visitor visas.
