China visa-free travel expanded significantly in 2025–26, allowing citizens of dozens of countries to enter China for short stays without a visa. Depending on nationality and entry route, travelers may qualify for 30-day visa-free entry, mutual visa-exemption agreements, or visa-free transit of up to 240 hours when traveling onward to a third destination.

As China recalibrates its border and mobility policies, understanding who qualifies for visa-free entry, how long travelers may stay, and which rules apply by passport and region has become essential for companies planning travel in 2025–2026. 

This guide explains China’s visa-free travel framework, eligible countries, transit rules, and strategic implications for international business leaders.

Why This Matters for Global Executives

China’s new visa-free framework is more than a convenience. It signals Beijing’s evolving approach to global commerce and cross-border engagement.

For executives, visa-free access offers a clear mobility advantage for agile market entry, functions as a diplomatic indicator of economic outreach, and creates a policy window that may influence regional investment and supply chain strategies in 2025–26.

Understanding China’s Visa-Free Policy Framework (2025–26)

Policy Drivers Behind the Visa-Free Expansion

China’s push for visa-free access reflects a broader strategy to re-energize inbound travel, attract foreign investment, and project openness to global markets.

By early 2025, inbound arrivals surged as China reopened its borders to travelers from more than 40 countries, with the National Immigration Administration reporting a sharp rise in short-term business entries compared with 2023.

Three forces underpin this expansion. 

• First, economic reactivation remains a priority, with China seeking to restore high-value inbound travel by executives, investors, and professionals. 
• Second, visa waivers serve as a visible diplomatic signal, reinforcing reciprocity with key partners such as France, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Australia. 
• Third, faster human mobility supports regional and industrial initiatives that rely on cross-border coordination.

Key Conditions and Restrictions for China Visa-Free Travelers

Despite its expanded scope, China’s visa-free regime comes with clear conditions that travelers must follow closely.

Permitted activities generally include tourism, business meetings, short exchanges, and personal visits. Employment, media work, and academic study remain prohibited without a valid visa. Travelers entering under transit exemptions must present confirmed onward travel to a third destination.

Visitors must also register their place of stay within 24 hours of arrival, a process handled automatically by hotels but mandatory for private accommodations. Passports must typically remain valid for at least 6 months beyond entry. 

Many visa-free arrangements are trial measures valid through December 31, 2025, pending government review.

Business Implications of China’s Visa-Free Entry Structure

For executives and global mobility teams, China’s visa-free reforms deliver tangible operational advantages.

Visa-free entry reduces lead time by removing the need for embassy appointments and consular processing for eligible travelers. Compliance costs decline, and companies can deploy senior teams on short notice for supplier audits, board meetings, and market assessments.

At the same time, the trial-based nature of many exemptions introduces planning complexity. Corporate travel departments must track expiration dates carefully and maintain alternative visa pathways in case specific waivers lapse or change.

How China’s Visa-Free Policy Aligns With National Reform Goals

China’s visa-free expansion supports broader reform objectives focused on services development, tourism recovery, and international business engagement.

For multinational firms, the policy signals a preference for renewed face-to-face interaction while reinforcing the need for compliance, accurate documentation, and legal awareness when entering under short-stay arrangements.

China’s Unilateral 30-Day Visa-Free Entry Policy

In 2025, China’s unilateral 30-day visa-free entry policy applies to approximately 47–48 countries. Holders of ordinary passports from eligible nations may enter China without a visa for up to 30 days, provided their activities remain within permitted categories.

European Countries Eligible for China Visa-Free Travel

As of 2025, citizens from the following European nations can enter China visa-free for up to 30 days:

• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Spain
• Netherlands
• Switzerland
• Ireland
• Hungary
• Austria
• Belgium
• Luxembourg
• Poland
• Portugal
• Greece
• Denmark
• Finland
• Norway
• Iceland
• Cyprus
• Slovenia
• Slovakia
• Croatia
• Romania
• Bulgaria
• Malta
• Estonia
• Latvia
• Lithuania

Europe’s inclusion highlights China’s effort to restore post-pandemic business exchange with EU markets, particularly in advanced manufacturing, green technology, and finance.

Asia-Pacific and Oceania Countries Eligible for China Visa-Free Travel

• Malaysia
• Singapore (also under mutual exemption)
• South Korea
• Japan (trial basis from mid-2025)
• New Zealand
• Australia

These countries are among China’s most active trade partners in the Asia-Pacific region. The 30-day entry window supports multi-city coordination visits covering hubs such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen.

Latin American Countries Eligible for China Visa-Free Travel

Effective June 2025, China introduced visa-free access for:

• Brazil
• Argentina
• Chile
• Peru
• Uruguay

Visa-free access for Latin American countries reflects China’s expanding economic engagement under Belt and Road cooperation and supports participation in trade negotiations, energy forums, and agricultural expos.

Middle East Countries Eligible for China Visa-Free Travel

Beginning June 2025, citizens of these Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries can enter China visa-free:

• Saudi Arabia
• Oman
• Kuwait
• Bahrain

This inclusion aligns with China’s growing cooperation with Gulf economies across energy, infrastructure, and sovereign investment.

Mutual Visa-Exemption Agreements With China

In addition to unilateral waivers, China maintains reciprocal 30-day visa-free arrangements with a select group of countries. These agreements strengthen bilateral mobility and often accompany trade or tourism pacts.

Active mutual exemptions (as of mid-2025):

• Singapore – 30 days (effective February 2024)
• Thailand – 30 days (effective March 2024)
• Georgia – 30 days (effective March 2024)
• Kazakhstan – 30 days
• United Arab Emirates – 30 days
• Serbia – 30 days

These arrangements generally indicate stable bilateral ties and facilitate recurring executive travel for leadership meetings and partnership development.

Bilateral Visa-Exemption Agreements and Extended Stay Arrangements

In addition to the unilateral list, China maintains mutual visa-exemption agreements with many countries. In these bilateral agreements, ordinary passport holders of both sides can enter each other’s territory visa-free for specified stays. Recent examples include:

• China–Malaysia: A mutual visa-free agreement (signed April 2025) took effect July 17, 2025. Chinese and Malaysian ordinary passport holders can enter each other’s country for up to 30 days per stay (90 days cumulatively per 180 days) without a visa. A trial visa-free policy had been in place since late 2023, and the formal pact cements stable visa-free access.
• China–Uzbekistan: On June 1, 2025, a mutual visa-exemption agreement with Uzbekistan began. Under this deal, Chinese and Uzbek ordinary passport holders may enter and stay visa-free (each visit up to 30 days; up to 90 days per 180-day period).
• China–Serbia, Bosnia, Albania, etc.: Prior agreements allow 30–90-day stays. For example, Albanian ordinary passports gained 90-day visa-free entry in early 2023. Serbia’s ordinary passports have enjoyed a 30-day entry since 2017. These reflect China’s focus on strengthening ties with certain Balkan and Eastern European partners.

These mutual agreements often emerged from trade and diplomatic initiatives. They benefit businesspeople and investors by enabling longer visits than the standard unilateral 30 days. For instance, under bilateral pacts, Albanian or Bosnian entrepreneurs can stay for up to 90 days – enough for extended negotiations or joint venture setup.

In late 2024, China also signed similar 30-day mutual exemptions with countries such as Qatar, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Mongolia, and Pakistan, further broadening the visa-free network. 

By mid-2025, over 150 mutual visa-exemption agreements of various kinds were in place (mostly for official and diplomatic passports), with a growing subset covering ordinary passports.

Visa-Free Transit (72/144/240 Hours)

China’s visa-free transit system allows eligible travelers to enter China for short stays while transiting to a third country.

As of late 2024, the policy expanded to permit up to 240 hours (10 days) of visa-free transit for citizens of 55 countries. Travelers may enter through designated air, land, or sea ports across 24 provinces and municipalities, including major hubs such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, as well as secondary cities.

During the permitted period, travelers may conduct tourism, business exchanges, or family visits within the authorized area, provided they do not engage in employment or study.

Key Points on Transit Visas for Business Travelers

• Eligibility applies to citizens of 55 countries.
• Entry is available through 60 designated ports across 24 regions.
• Permitted activities include tourism and business meetings.
• Travel is limited to the approved transit zone.

In sum, China’s transit policy now rivals the most flexible schemes globally: it even includes countries that do not offer entry visa waivers (e.g., the US, UK, and Canada). This means a manager from London can plan a 5-day side-trip to Guangzhou while en route to Vietnam, or a US entrepreneur can meet clients in Xi’an on the way to Tokyo, without applying for any Chinese visa. 

Business analysts have noted that this eased transit is already “injecting new momentum into the high-quality development” of international business in China.

Special Business Visa Facilitation Programs in China

In addition to visa-free regimes, China has introduced special facilitation programs for frequent foreign business visitors. These are not visa-free per se, but they drastically simplify obtaining long-term visas. The capital and Shanghai offer flagship examples:

Beijing Special Invitation Program for Business Travelers

Qualified foreign businesspeople invited by Beijing-registered companies may apply for a five-year multiple-entry M visa with stays of up to 180 days per visit. Fingerprinting is waived, and expedited inspection lanes are available at airports.

Shanghai Special Invitation Program for Frequent Business Visitors

Similarly, Shanghai’s foreign affairs office invites eligible businesspersons to apply for a five-year multiple-entry M visa with a 180-day stay. Applicants receive a special invitation letter and are exempt from fingerprinting, only paying the one-year visa fee. This applies to foreigners whose companies make significant contributions to Shanghai’s trade and whose work requires frequent visits to the city.

These programs function like “visa waivers” for vetted business partners: once enrolled, executives can travel repeatedly without having to apply for individual visas. For businesses arranging joint ventures or factory visits, this means that a Chinese partner company can register the executive in one of these programs, significantly reducing the administrative burden. 

In practice, local governments in key regions are rolling out similar schemes (e.g. Pudong district also announced a special M-visa program in early 2025). The net effect is to minimize downtime for business travel: instead of applying for a visa per trip, qualified foreign managers receive multi-year visas for ongoing mega projects.

How China’s Visa-Free Policy Supports Belt and Road Trade Connectivity

China’s visa-free policies support Belt and Road trade connectivity by reducing friction for executives, investors, and logistics managers overseeing cross-border projects.

Visa-free access now covers many Belt and Road partner countries in Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Expanded transit exemptions further enable short business stopovers along key trade corridors, supporting inspections, negotiations, and logistics oversight.

Trade hubs such as Yiwu report higher volumes of short-notice buyer visits, while ports and industrial zones have become more accessible to partners from visa-free markets.

China Visa-Free Travel Outlook: What to Watch in 2025–26

Extension or Conversion of Trial Visa-Free Programs

Most of China’s current visa-free arrangements are trial measures that are valid through December 31, 2025. The National Immigration Administration (NIA) will review data on inbound entries, compliance rates, and regional impact before deciding on renewal.

Early indicators point to a likely extension into 2026. According to NIA data released in Q2 2025, entries from visa-free nations increased by more than 80% year-over-year, providing a strong case for permanence. Chinese state media and regional commerce bureaus have also hinted that several waivers may evolve into long-term bilateral agreements.

For multinational firms, this transition period is critical. Corporate travel planners should treat 2025 as a policy-testing window — leverage the benefits now, but prepare contingency visa channels in case of apartial rollback or delayed renewal.

Expansion to Additional Countries and Regions

Beijing has demonstrated a clear intention to gradually expand its visa-free network, aligning it with trade and diplomatic relations.
Following the June 2025 inclusion of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay, new additions are expected from:

• Central Asia: Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan (negotiations underway).
• Southeast Asia: Indonesia and the Philippines, both currently in talks for mutual 30-day exemptions.
• Africa: Egypt and South Africa have expressed interest in reciprocal short-stay waivers.

The pace of expansion mirrors China’s foreign-policy focus zones — energy, logistics, and Belt and Road partner countries. For global companies, monitoring which markets are added next offers insight into where Beijing’s economic engagement is heading.

Regional Differences in Visa-Free Policy Implementation

Visa-free entry is nationally authorized but locally managed. Conditions can vary by port, province, or free-trade zone, resulting in small but significant operational differences.

Examples:

• Hainan Free-Trade Port: A 59-country list, valid for 30 days, with stay restrictions limited to Hainan.
• Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area: simplified transit procedures and faster entry at Shenzhen Bao’an and Zhuhai ports.
• Beijing and Shanghai: designated 240-hour transit zones with broader city access and no hotel pre-approval requirement.

Executives should confirm specific entry points before booking flights. Companies planning multiple-city visits must ensure their arrival airport supports the intended visa-free program.

Strategic Corporate Travel Planning Under China’s Visa-Free Rules

For global businesses, 2025 is the time to build a China-entry framework that anticipates evolving policies.
Key steps include:

• Maintain an eligibility matrix: Identify which company executives hold passports from visa-free nations.
• Track expiration dates: Use a conservative cutoff of December 2025 until an announcement of renewal is made.
• Align itineraries with trial zones: Use Hainan or Shanghai as meeting points if they offer stable visa-free access.
• Keep alternate visas ready: Secure standard business visas for essential staff to minimize disruptions if waivers are not renewed.

Companies with significant operations in China — particularly those in manufacturing or retail sourcing — should integrate visa-free access into their quarterly travel planning and supplier audit calendars.

Macroeconomic and Policy Alignment

Visa-free travel fits within China’s larger economic pivot toward “high-level opening-up”. The policy complements other 2025 reforms:

• Expanded access to free-trade zones in Hainan and Guangdong.
• Simplified foreign-investment registration under MOFCOM’s new digital portal.
• Upgraded customs clearance for international exhibitions and cargo samples.

For multinational corporations, these trends collectively mean easier physical entry, simplified administrative procedures, and lower transaction friction. Combined, they represent a structural softening of China’s inbound business environment.

Potential Risks and Contingency Planning

While the outlook is optimistic, executives should remain alert to potential volatility:

• Policy Uncertainty: Waivers can be suspended due to public-health, security, or diplomatic shifts.
• Geopolitical Sensitivity: Visa-free benefits may fluctuate for countries with changing political ties.
• Operational Misuse: Using visa-free entry for employment or extended consulting can trigger penalties.

Firms should maintain a dual-track strategy — leverage current access aggressively but preserve formal visa pathways for critical staff.

Executive Takeaway

For 2025–26, China’s visa-free system presents a rare window of predictable, low-friction entry into the world’s second-largest economy.

Executives who act within this window can expand partnerships, validate markets, and strengthen regional presence ahead of competitors still navigating bureaucratic hurdles.
The key is balance: use the opportunity decisively but compliantly.

By year-end 2025, the trajectory of these policies — whether extended, expanded, or institutionalized — will reveal much about China’s long-term openness strategy. Smart firms will have already built flexible travel frameworks to capitalize on that next phase.

Impact of China’s Visa-Free Travel Policy on Business Travel and FDI

China’s visa-free travel policies have materially increased inbound business activity. In 2024, cross-border trips by foreign nationals rose sharply, with visa-free entries accounting for the majority of inbound visitors by late 2025.

Visa facilitation coincides with broader investment reforms, including simplified foreign-exchange rules and expanded access for overseas investors. Together, these measures reduce barriers for both personnel and capital, enabling more direct and time-efficient business engagement.

Key Takeaways for Business Travelers

• Check Your Passport: If you hold a passport from any country listed above, you likely qualify for visa-free entry or transit. Always verify the exact arrangement (unilateral vs. mutual, allowed stay, purpose) on official sites.
• Plan for 30-Day Stays: Most visa-free entry permits allow stays of up to 30 days in China. If your project requires additional time, plan accordingly (e.g., apply for a work/business visa or coordinate with a Chinese sponsor for extended visas).
• Use Transit Hubs: Utilize China’s 240-hour transit zones for multi-leg trips. You can arrange business meetings in China during your stopover without a visa. Major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Chengdu, Xiamen, etc., and even secondary hubs (Shijiazhuang, Kunming, etc.) are open to transit visitors.
• Leverage Invitation Programs: If you have a long-term partner in Beijing or Shanghai, consider the special invitation letter program to obtain a multi-year M visa. This can save you from having to submit repeated visa applications if you’ll be visiting frequently.
• Align with Belt & Road: If your business involves Belt & Road markets, expect easier travel. The visa regime indicates where China is deepening ties – e.g., Central Asian and Eastern European corridors. Use this to plan roadshows or supply-chain audits in sync with China policy.

China’s visa-free and facilitation policies send a clear message to the global business community: the country is opening its doors wider. By 2026, tens of millions of foreign executives, investors, and tourists can enter China for short-term stays without visas. 

It’s a strategic tool to integrate China into global trade and investment networks – one that your company can actively leverage in the new era of China engagement.

Turn Visa-Free Access into a Strategic China Advantage with Chozan

China’s 2025 visa-free expansion makes executive travel faster than ever — but meaningful learning still requires insider access. That’s where ChoZan comes in.

Through ChoZan’s “Learn for China” and “Learn from China” programs, your leadership team can turn short-term business visits into deep market understanding:

• Join China Learning Expeditions for private meetings with companies like Alibaba, Tencent, and ByteDance.
• Book China business consulting to prepare your team before visiting trade expos in China or partner factories.
• Access real-time insights on Chinese consumer behavior, digital transformation, and new retail ecosystems.

Don’t just enter China visa-free, enter strategically. Reach out to Chozan and book a consultation to design your custom learning journey.

FAQs: China Visa-Free Travel (2025–2026)