China’s experiment with one of the world’s most generous short-stay visa-waiver regimes is paying off in a big way. Figures released on 26 November by the National Immigration Administration (NIA) show that Beijing-area ports handled 19.35 million inbound and outbound travelers between 1 January and 23 November—an 18 % jump on the same period last year. Crucially for airlines, hotels and MICE organisers, the number of foreign nationals in that flow leapt more than 35 % to 5.78 million. Officials say around 60 % of those visitors entered China visa-free, either under the country’s 30-day unilateral waiver for 48 countries, its 240-hour transit-without-visa (TWOV) scheme covering 65 ports, or shorter regional exemptions in Hainan, Guangdong and elsewhere.
The data confirm what travel operators on the ground have been reporting for months. Xiamen—long an early adopter of cruise and cross-strait waiver schemes—has already processed a record 960,000 foreign travelers this year. Datong in Shanxi, hardly a traditional gateway, has seen international throughput top 50,000 for the first time after new connections to Moscow and Seoul. Local inspection chiefs credit “visa-free + cruise” packages and simplified e-gates for much of the momentum.
![China’s Visa-Waiver Push Drives 35 % Surge in Foreign Arrivals]()
The authorities have layered digital convenience on top of regulatory liberalisation. An online arrival-card system that went live nationwide on 20 November allows travellers to submit entry details in advance and present a QR code at immigration. Early adopters at Beijing Daxing airport say the change has cut average clearance times by several minutes and reduced queuing pressure at peak periods.
For corporations relocating staff or hosting events, the combination of longer visa-free stays (up to 30 days for 48 countries), expanded TWOV coverage and digital processing translates into lower compliance costs and greater schedule flexibility. Airlines are already responding: China Eastern and others have announced more than 30 new international frequencies for the winter–spring season, betting on sustained inbound demand.
Policy-makers see the visa-waiver programme as a tool for economic diplomacy. Since first trialling unilateral waivers for France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia in late 2023, Beijing has added dozens of nations and extended the scheme to end-2026. The latest traffic figures will strengthen the case for further expansion when the NIA conducts its next review in mid-2026.
The data confirm what travel operators on the ground have been reporting for months. Xiamen—long an early adopter of cruise and cross-strait waiver schemes—has already processed a record 960,000 foreign travelers this year. Datong in Shanxi, hardly a traditional gateway, has seen international throughput top 50,000 for the first time after new connections to Moscow and Seoul. Local inspection chiefs credit “visa-free + cruise” packages and simplified e-gates for much of the momentum.
The authorities have layered digital convenience on top of regulatory liberalisation. An online arrival-card system that went live nationwide on 20 November allows travellers to submit entry details in advance and present a QR code at immigration. Early adopters at Beijing Daxing airport say the change has cut average clearance times by several minutes and reduced queuing pressure at peak periods.
For corporations relocating staff or hosting events, the combination of longer visa-free stays (up to 30 days for 48 countries), expanded TWOV coverage and digital processing translates into lower compliance costs and greater schedule flexibility. Airlines are already responding: China Eastern and others have announced more than 30 new international frequencies for the winter–spring season, betting on sustained inbound demand.
Policy-makers see the visa-waiver programme as a tool for economic diplomacy. Since first trialling unilateral waivers for France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia in late 2023, Beijing has added dozens of nations and extended the scheme to end-2026. The latest traffic figures will strengthen the case for further expansion when the NIA conducts its next review in mid-2026.
