China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on 4 November that citizens of Austria and six other EU states can continue to enter China visa-free for up to 30 days until 31 December 2026. The waiver, first introduced as a pilot in March 2024, was due to lapse at year-end 2025 but has been prolonged to give businesses greater planning certainty.
Before the waiver, Austrian managers overseeing production lines in Suzhou or negotiating supply contracts in Shenzhen faced couriering passports to Vienna or Munich, paying roughly €140 in fees and waiting eight working days. According to Raiffeisen Research, Austrian business arrivals to China jumped 51 % in the first three quarters of 2025, reaching 83 % of 2019 volumes.
![China Extends 30-Day Visa-Free Entry for Austrians Through 2026 and Unveils Optional e-Arrival Card]()
Alongside the extension, Beijing will introduce an optional digital arrival card from 20 November, which passengers can submit via a mobile app before landing—part of a phased move toward a fully paper-less border process. Border staff claim this will shave three to five minutes off processing at hubs like Shanghai-Pudong.
Travel managers in Austria should update internal systems: the waiver cannot be ‘reset’ by a brief side-trip to Hong Kong or Macau, and overstays still attract heavy fines. Multinationals are also reminded that the 30-day period covers the entire mainland, meaning a day-trip to Shenzhen from Hong Kong counts toward the total.
Tourism officials in Tyrol and Salzburg welcome the decision, forecasting a rebound of high-spending Chinese FIT travellers to Alpine ski resorts in winter 2025-26. The Austrian National Tourist Office plans a €2 million marketing push in mid-2026 to capitalise on the momentum.
Before the waiver, Austrian managers overseeing production lines in Suzhou or negotiating supply contracts in Shenzhen faced couriering passports to Vienna or Munich, paying roughly €140 in fees and waiting eight working days. According to Raiffeisen Research, Austrian business arrivals to China jumped 51 % in the first three quarters of 2025, reaching 83 % of 2019 volumes.
Alongside the extension, Beijing will introduce an optional digital arrival card from 20 November, which passengers can submit via a mobile app before landing—part of a phased move toward a fully paper-less border process. Border staff claim this will shave three to five minutes off processing at hubs like Shanghai-Pudong.
Travel managers in Austria should update internal systems: the waiver cannot be ‘reset’ by a brief side-trip to Hong Kong or Macau, and overstays still attract heavy fines. Multinationals are also reminded that the 30-day period covers the entire mainland, meaning a day-trip to Shenzhen from Hong Kong counts toward the total.
Tourism officials in Tyrol and Salzburg welcome the decision, forecasting a rebound of high-spending Chinese FIT travellers to Alpine ski resorts in winter 2025-26. The Austrian National Tourist Office plans a €2 million marketing push in mid-2026 to capitalise on the momentum.
