In a fresh signal that Beijing intends to keep its borders attractive to business and leisure visitors, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on 13 November 2025 that the country’s unilateral visa-free entry scheme will be prolonged until 31 December 2026. The extension preserves 45 existing beneficiary jurisdictions—most of continental Europe plus Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and several South American and Gulf states—and, for the first time, adds Sweden.
Under the programme, holders of ordinary passports from the eligible countries may enter China for up to 30 days per visit for business meetings, tourism, family reunions or transit without having to secure a visa in advance. Multiple entries are permitted, but travellers must still complete China’s standard entry health and security declarations on arrival (or, from 20 November, online in advance).
![China extends visa-free entry scheme to end-2026 and welcomes Sweden]()
The decision offers welcome certainty for multinational companies who had been advising travelling staff to complete trips before the scheme’s original cut-off of 31 December 2025. It also supports China’s campaign to revive inbound tourism and exhibition attendance, sectors that are still running at roughly 70 % of pre-pandemic volumes. Airlines and hotel groups are already responding: China Eastern announced three additional weekly Stockholm–Shanghai frequencies from March 2026, while Accor says forward bookings by Scandinavian corporates rose 18 % within hours of the announcement.
For corporate mobility managers, the main operational benefit is the removal of visa lead-time risk and associated costs for short-term assignees and technicians. Nevertheless, companies should remind travellers that visa-free entry does not confer work authorisation; activities must remain within the business-visitor scope, and payroll localisation triggers remain unchanged.
Looking ahead, policy analysts expect China to keep broadening the scheme. The United States, Canada and the United Kingdom remain conspicuous absentees, but insiders say talks on reciprocal facilitation are ongoing. For now, the 2026 horizon gives global firms a two-year planning window to maximise travel and project activity into the mainland without immigration friction.
Under the programme, holders of ordinary passports from the eligible countries may enter China for up to 30 days per visit for business meetings, tourism, family reunions or transit without having to secure a visa in advance. Multiple entries are permitted, but travellers must still complete China’s standard entry health and security declarations on arrival (or, from 20 November, online in advance).
The decision offers welcome certainty for multinational companies who had been advising travelling staff to complete trips before the scheme’s original cut-off of 31 December 2025. It also supports China’s campaign to revive inbound tourism and exhibition attendance, sectors that are still running at roughly 70 % of pre-pandemic volumes. Airlines and hotel groups are already responding: China Eastern announced three additional weekly Stockholm–Shanghai frequencies from March 2026, while Accor says forward bookings by Scandinavian corporates rose 18 % within hours of the announcement.
For corporate mobility managers, the main operational benefit is the removal of visa lead-time risk and associated costs for short-term assignees and technicians. Nevertheless, companies should remind travellers that visa-free entry does not confer work authorisation; activities must remain within the business-visitor scope, and payroll localisation triggers remain unchanged.
Looking ahead, policy analysts expect China to keep broadening the scheme. The United States, Canada and the United Kingdom remain conspicuous absentees, but insiders say talks on reciprocal facilitation are ongoing. For now, the 2026 horizon gives global firms a two-year planning window to maximise travel and project activity into the mainland without immigration friction.
