China’s foreign ministry has quietly expanded its unilateral visa-free policy to cover 48 countries—including Poland—and prolonged the scheme until 31 December 2026. The notice, issued on 3 November and highlighted by state broadcaster China Radio International and Polish public broadcaster Polskie Radio on 10 November, means Polish passport-holders can continue to enter China for business or tourism and stay up to 30 days without obtaining a visa.
Background: China first granted a short-term visa waiver to 12 EU states in 2024 to revive inbound tourism after Covid-19. The programme was broadened in early 2025 and now covers most Schengen members plus the UK. Sweden became the 48th beneficiary today. For Poles, the waiver comes just as LOT Polish Airlines restores daily Warsaw–Beijing flights and China resumes multiple-entry business visas at the border.
![China Extends 30-Day Visa-Free Entry for Polish Citizens Until End-2026]()
Business implications: Companies with Polish staff can redeploy executives to Chinese facilities with almost no lead time, cutting weeks off traditional visa processing. Polish exporters attending the Canton Fair or Shanghai Import Expo can make last-minute trips, while manufacturers with just-in-time supply chains gain flexibility to dispatch engineers for equipment maintenance. The 30-day limit is generous enough for audits and project kick-offs; longer assignments still require Z- or M-class visas.
Practical advice: Travellers must carry a passport valid six months beyond entry, a return ticket, proof of lodging and travel insurance. The waiver does not cover paid work; authorities may check invitation letters at the port of entry. Frequent visitors should keep old passports handy to show travel history. Because China’s rules are unilateral, overstays could jeopardise re-entry and lead to fines of CNY 500 per day.
Outlook: Beijing frames the move as "opening wider to the world" and other Asian hubs (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand) have rolled out similar schemes. Polish tour operators already report a 35 % jump in enquiries for spring 2026 group travel to Shanghai and Xi’an. Unless relations sour, experts expect the waiver to be renewed beyond 2026, effectively normalising short-term travel between Poland and the world’s second-largest economy.
Background: China first granted a short-term visa waiver to 12 EU states in 2024 to revive inbound tourism after Covid-19. The programme was broadened in early 2025 and now covers most Schengen members plus the UK. Sweden became the 48th beneficiary today. For Poles, the waiver comes just as LOT Polish Airlines restores daily Warsaw–Beijing flights and China resumes multiple-entry business visas at the border.
Business implications: Companies with Polish staff can redeploy executives to Chinese facilities with almost no lead time, cutting weeks off traditional visa processing. Polish exporters attending the Canton Fair or Shanghai Import Expo can make last-minute trips, while manufacturers with just-in-time supply chains gain flexibility to dispatch engineers for equipment maintenance. The 30-day limit is generous enough for audits and project kick-offs; longer assignments still require Z- or M-class visas.
Practical advice: Travellers must carry a passport valid six months beyond entry, a return ticket, proof of lodging and travel insurance. The waiver does not cover paid work; authorities may check invitation letters at the port of entry. Frequent visitors should keep old passports handy to show travel history. Because China’s rules are unilateral, overstays could jeopardise re-entry and lead to fines of CNY 500 per day.
Outlook: Beijing frames the move as "opening wider to the world" and other Asian hubs (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand) have rolled out similar schemes. Polish tour operators already report a 35 % jump in enquiries for spring 2026 group travel to Shanghai and Xi’an. Unless relations sour, experts expect the waiver to be renewed beyond 2026, effectively normalising short-term travel between Poland and the world’s second-largest economy.
