China’s decision to keep widening its unilateral visa-waiver list and to stretch the 240-hour transit-without-visa (TWOV) programme is already reshaping inbound mobility flows. Traffic data released on 28 November by the National Immigration Administration (NIA) show foreign entries at Beijing’s ports have reached 5.78 million so far this year—up 35 % year-on-year and only 9 % shy of the 2019 peak. Nationwide, international movements are up 18 %, with second-tier airports such as Xiamen, Qingdao and Datong posting record numbers as airlines restore capacity to capture the simplified entry rules.
The surge is rooted in a policy mix that now lets citizens of 46 countries enter visa-free for 30 days and allows travelers from 55 nations to spend up to ten days in China when in transit to a third market. Ten more airports were upgraded in November to handle 24-hour direct-transit passengers, and the total number of 240-hour entry ports has climbed to 65. As a result, roughly 60 % of foreigners arrived this year on a visa-waiver or temporary entry permit, slashing average lead times for trip approvals by corporate travel teams.
![China’s Visa-Waiver Push Delivers 35 % Jump in Foreign Arrivals]()
For multinationals the benefits are tangible: fewer invitation letters, leaner compliance checks and the ability to dispatch engineers or sales staff on 48-hour notice. HR departments are updating internal guides to highlight that passports must still carry six months’ validity and that confirmed onward tickets are mandatory for the transit waiver.
Hospitality and meetings-and-events suppliers are reporting an immediate boost. Forward bookings for Shanghai and Guangzhou hotels are up double digits, while conference organisers say international delegate numbers have returned to 90 % of pre-COVID levels. Analysts at Ctrip predict that, if policies remain in place, inbound capacity could fully rebound by mid-2026, providing a much-needed lift to China’s service sector and signalling a durable reopening to the corporate world.
The surge is rooted in a policy mix that now lets citizens of 46 countries enter visa-free for 30 days and allows travelers from 55 nations to spend up to ten days in China when in transit to a third market. Ten more airports were upgraded in November to handle 24-hour direct-transit passengers, and the total number of 240-hour entry ports has climbed to 65. As a result, roughly 60 % of foreigners arrived this year on a visa-waiver or temporary entry permit, slashing average lead times for trip approvals by corporate travel teams.
For multinationals the benefits are tangible: fewer invitation letters, leaner compliance checks and the ability to dispatch engineers or sales staff on 48-hour notice. HR departments are updating internal guides to highlight that passports must still carry six months’ validity and that confirmed onward tickets are mandatory for the transit waiver.
Hospitality and meetings-and-events suppliers are reporting an immediate boost. Forward bookings for Shanghai and Guangzhou hotels are up double digits, while conference organisers say international delegate numbers have returned to 90 % of pre-COVID levels. Analysts at Ctrip predict that, if policies remain in place, inbound capacity could fully rebound by mid-2026, providing a much-needed lift to China’s service sector and signalling a durable reopening to the corporate world.
