China is ending 2025 with a flourish of pro-mobility reforms. In a year-end feature published on 28 December, People’s Daily Overseas Edition highlighted that the National Immigration Administration (NIA) has unveiled ten exit-entry “innovation measures” designed to smooth the way for business travellers, expatriates and international tourists. Although the full legal texts will be released in early January, officials have confirmed that the package bundles together the most frequently requested facilitation tools piloted during the year and makes them nationwide.
Among the headline changes are (1) an expanded list of 65 airports and land ports where 24-hour direct-transit clearance no longer requires border inspection paperwork, and (2) an enlarged 240-hour visa-free-transit scheme that now covers 86 countries and 24 provincial-level regions—including inland tourist magnets such as Sichuan and Yunnan. At the same time, the much-watched “foreigners’ online arrival-card”—first tested at Beijing Daxing International Airport in November—will be extended to all major airports before the Spring Festival rush. Travellers will scan a QR code on arrival instead of filling in a paper form, cutting average processing time by 30 seconds per passenger, according to NIA simulations.
Needless to say, travellers who want to make the most of these fresh flexibilities can save time by letting a specialist handle the paperwork. VisaHQ, whose China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) is constantly updated with the latest NIA directives, offers fast online applications, document checks and on-the-ground support so that business visitors, tourists and expatriates arrive with the correct authorisations in hand. Whether it is a single-entry visa or a multi-entry M visa for project teams, the service streamlines the process and alerts users to any regulatory tweaks before they fly.
![China rolls out 10 new exit-entry innovations to make living and doing business easier for foreigners]()
For resident expatriates, the reforms promise deeper digital integration. Work-permit data will now sync automatically with provincial social-security cards, and municipal “expat service apps” such as Shanghai’s Overseas Talent Residence Card and Jiangsu’s Hi-Taicang Card will be recognised across provincial lines. Foreign professionals transferring between Chinese cities will therefore avoid the current “double trip” to cancel and re-apply for residence permits.
Businesses also gain. A new on-line pre-clearance system for temporary import of professional equipment (from cameras to semiconductor testers) will allow logistics teams to upload serial numbers before the kit lands in China. Parallel measures let multinational HR departments bulk-upload staff details to pre-enrol fingerprints for automated e-channels—a boon for project teams that shuttle in and out on 30-day multiple-entry M visas.
Practical take-away: companies should update travel policies to reference the new port list and ensure mobility teams download the official NIA “SinoGuide” app (English interface due mid-January). While the policy set is framed as a one-year pilot, officials stress that successful elements will be written into the forthcoming Exit-Entry Administration Regulations revision scheduled for late-2026.
Among the headline changes are (1) an expanded list of 65 airports and land ports where 24-hour direct-transit clearance no longer requires border inspection paperwork, and (2) an enlarged 240-hour visa-free-transit scheme that now covers 86 countries and 24 provincial-level regions—including inland tourist magnets such as Sichuan and Yunnan. At the same time, the much-watched “foreigners’ online arrival-card”—first tested at Beijing Daxing International Airport in November—will be extended to all major airports before the Spring Festival rush. Travellers will scan a QR code on arrival instead of filling in a paper form, cutting average processing time by 30 seconds per passenger, according to NIA simulations.
Needless to say, travellers who want to make the most of these fresh flexibilities can save time by letting a specialist handle the paperwork. VisaHQ, whose China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) is constantly updated with the latest NIA directives, offers fast online applications, document checks and on-the-ground support so that business visitors, tourists and expatriates arrive with the correct authorisations in hand. Whether it is a single-entry visa or a multi-entry M visa for project teams, the service streamlines the process and alerts users to any regulatory tweaks before they fly.
For resident expatriates, the reforms promise deeper digital integration. Work-permit data will now sync automatically with provincial social-security cards, and municipal “expat service apps” such as Shanghai’s Overseas Talent Residence Card and Jiangsu’s Hi-Taicang Card will be recognised across provincial lines. Foreign professionals transferring between Chinese cities will therefore avoid the current “double trip” to cancel and re-apply for residence permits.
Businesses also gain. A new on-line pre-clearance system for temporary import of professional equipment (from cameras to semiconductor testers) will allow logistics teams to upload serial numbers before the kit lands in China. Parallel measures let multinational HR departments bulk-upload staff details to pre-enrol fingerprints for automated e-channels—a boon for project teams that shuttle in and out on 30-day multiple-entry M visas.
Practical take-away: companies should update travel policies to reference the new port list and ensure mobility teams download the official NIA “SinoGuide” app (English interface due mid-January). While the policy set is framed as a one-year pilot, officials stress that successful elements will be written into the forthcoming Exit-Entry Administration Regulations revision scheduled for late-2026.
