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Vietnam

Vietnam welcomed a record number of foreign tourists in 2025 with 21.2 million, up 20.4% from the previous year and the highest ever, according to General Statistics Office.

In 2019, the year before the onset of the Covid pandemic, Vietnam received 18 million foreign visitors, the highest number until then.

Tourism industry insiders attributed Vietnam’s strong performance to sweeping visa reforms.

In March the government decided to extend visa exemptions until 2028 for citizens of 12 countries: Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and the U.K.

In August it waived visa requirements for stays of up to 45 days for citizens of 12 more countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland.

This expanded the unilateral visa waiver list to 24 countries and the total number including bilateral waivers to 39.

Last week the government added 41 more international border gates where foreigners can use e-visas for entry and exit, bringing the total number of such entry points to 83.

China

According to data from China’s National Immigration Administration, authorities inspected 20.1 million foreign arrivals in the third quarter of 2025, a 22.3% increase year-on-year.

Of them, nearly 7.25 million came through the country’s special visa-free programs, up 48.3%.

On Nov. 10 China extended its visa-free entry for 45 countries, many in Europe, South America and the Gulf region besides Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea, until the end of 2026.

The waivers were scheduled to expire at the end of this year.

Visitors from eligible countries can enter China for business, tourism, family visits, or transit for up to 30 days without a visa.

Malaysia

In May Malaysia announced that its visa exemption for Chinese travelers would be extended for another five years, with the option to extend it for an additional five years.

The waiver was first rolled out in December 2023 and has extended until 2026.

As of November last year, Malaysia received 38.3 million tourists, making it the most visited country in Southeast Asia.

For the whole 2024, Malaysia received 38 million visitor arrivals in 2024, including 13 million excursionists.

In 2024 Malaysia received 3.29 million tourists from China, the third highest after Singapore and Indonesia.

The Philippines

In April Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved a digital nomad visa allowing foreign remote workers to stay in the country for up to a year with the option to renew for another year.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old, prove sufficient income generated outside the Philippines, have no criminal record, and have health insurance.

One month later the Philippines introduced a 14-day visa-free entry policy for Indian tourists to boost tourism amid declines from major source markets such as South Korea.

Last November the Filipino government resumed its e-visa program for Chinese nationals after nearly two years of suspension.

The Philippines welcomed 5.6 million foreign visitors in 2025, nearly equal to the figure it logged in 2024,

South Korea

In September South Korea began offering visa-free entry for Chinese tourist groups, a measure it hopes will boost the economy and help improve ties with its Asian neighbor.

As part of the pilot program due to run until next June, groups of three or more tourists from mainland China will be able to visit South Korea without a visa for 15 days.

According to data from the Korea Tourism Organization, 4.7 million Chinese tourists visited Korea between January and October last year, exceeding the number of visitors in the whole of the previous year.

Indonesia

In July Indonesia made entry visa-free for Brazilian and Turkish passport holders.

It permits a stay of up to 30 days, which cannot be extended or converted into another type of residence permit, and can only be used for tourism, business meetings or medical treatment.

Indonesia was estimated to receive 15.3 million foreign arrivals for the whole year of 2025, marking a 10% year-on-year increase.