At 00:06 on 23 November, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that its unilateral 30-day visa-free scheme covering 45 countries has been prolonged until 31 December 2026 and expanded to include Sweden. Ordinary passport holders from the EU-27 (except the UK), Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan and key Latin-American and GCC states can continue to enter China for business, tourism, family visits or transit without a visa.
The policy, effective retroactively from 10 November 2025, dovetails with Beijing’s ‘Open Door Tourism Strategy’ that aims to restore inbound arrivals to pre-Covid levels by 2027. Officials note visa-free entries already account for one-third of international arrivals in 2025, double last year’s figure.
![China Extends 30-Day Visa-Free Entry to 45 Countries Through 2026]()
Corporate implications: multinational firms can fast-track short-term assignments and urgent troubleshooting trips without the administrative burden of “M” or “F” visas. However, stays are capped at 30 days per entry, cumulative days are monitored, and paid work remains prohibited. HR teams should update travel-approval systems to flag employees who may require work permits.
The extension also motivates airlines to boost capacity: Air China and China Eastern each plan to add three weekly flights to Paris and Frankfurt for summer 2026, pending bilateral slot approvals.
Excluded nationals (US, UK, Canada) must still rely on China’s 240-hour transit waiver or standard visas, but industry observers believe further liberalisation could emerge if the current programme yields robust security and economic outcomes.
The policy, effective retroactively from 10 November 2025, dovetails with Beijing’s ‘Open Door Tourism Strategy’ that aims to restore inbound arrivals to pre-Covid levels by 2027. Officials note visa-free entries already account for one-third of international arrivals in 2025, double last year’s figure.
Corporate implications: multinational firms can fast-track short-term assignments and urgent troubleshooting trips without the administrative burden of “M” or “F” visas. However, stays are capped at 30 days per entry, cumulative days are monitored, and paid work remains prohibited. HR teams should update travel-approval systems to flag employees who may require work permits.
The extension also motivates airlines to boost capacity: Air China and China Eastern each plan to add three weekly flights to Paris and Frankfurt for summer 2026, pending bilateral slot approvals.
Excluded nationals (US, UK, Canada) must still rely on China’s 240-hour transit waiver or standard visas, but industry observers believe further liberalisation could emerge if the current programme yields robust security and economic outcomes.
