China’s airports and land ports are enjoying their busiest December since 2019 as liberalised visa rules collide with the global holiday season. According to Shanghai Pudong’s border-inspection data, average daily foreign arrivals climbed to 19,000 in the week to 24 December—up 16 percent on the previous period—while Guangdong–Hong Kong checkpoints braced for a record 11.5 million crossings over Christmas and New Year.
Analysts credit two policy shifts. First, the 240-hour visa-free transit scheme, now covering 65 entry ports, allows travellers from 55 countries up to ten days in China without a visa. Second, Beijing’s unilateral visa-exemption trials for 40-plus nations—recently extended to end-2026—have removed a major friction point for spontaneous trips and corporate client visits.
![China’s visa-free push fuels inbound boom during Christmas–New Year window]()
Tour operators report a more diverse mix of visitors: Southeast Asians and Central & Eastern Europeans are joining traditional North American and Western European segments. Younger “city-walk” tourists amplified #ChinaTravel on TikTok and Xiaohongshu all year, translating social-media buzz into real bookings.
Travellers and mobility managers who still need conventional visas—for example, Z-work permits or multiple-entry business authorisations—can streamline the paperwork through VisaHQ. Its dedicated China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) provides step-by-step online applications, document validation and courier services, making compliance painless even as entry policies continue to evolve.
For businesses, relaxed entry rules mean faster deployment of technicians, consultants and deal-makers. However, mobility teams should note that work activities still require Z-visas and that ports may demand proof of onward travel even during visa-free transits. Companies are advised to update travel-approval workflows and ensure travellers carry printed hotel and return-flight confirmations to avoid secondary inspection delays.
Analysts credit two policy shifts. First, the 240-hour visa-free transit scheme, now covering 65 entry ports, allows travellers from 55 countries up to ten days in China without a visa. Second, Beijing’s unilateral visa-exemption trials for 40-plus nations—recently extended to end-2026—have removed a major friction point for spontaneous trips and corporate client visits.
Tour operators report a more diverse mix of visitors: Southeast Asians and Central & Eastern Europeans are joining traditional North American and Western European segments. Younger “city-walk” tourists amplified #ChinaTravel on TikTok and Xiaohongshu all year, translating social-media buzz into real bookings.
Travellers and mobility managers who still need conventional visas—for example, Z-work permits or multiple-entry business authorisations—can streamline the paperwork through VisaHQ. Its dedicated China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) provides step-by-step online applications, document validation and courier services, making compliance painless even as entry policies continue to evolve.
For businesses, relaxed entry rules mean faster deployment of technicians, consultants and deal-makers. However, mobility teams should note that work activities still require Z-visas and that ports may demand proof of onward travel even during visa-free transits. Companies are advised to update travel-approval workflows and ensure travellers carry printed hotel and return-flight confirmations to avoid secondary inspection delays.
