CCTV+ footage released 28 January showcases how a pilot visa-free programme for organised ASEAN tourist groups entering via Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, is reshaping regional mobility. Since the policy’s February 2025 launch, Mohan Port on the China-Laos border has processed more than 160 tour groups, cutting clearance times to under 20 minutes. Nationally, ASEAN arrivals helped push total foreign crossings to 82 million last year, the National Immigration Administration said. (cctvplus.com)
The corridor covers ten ASEAN members, including Thailand, Malaysia and Laos, and dovetails with the China-Laos Railway, which now runs through-services to Kunming. Local officials report tourism receipts in Xishuangbanna up 37 % year-on-year, with new hotels and duty-free malls breaking ground near the rainforest city of Jinghong.
For travellers and corporate planners needing support as these regulations evolve, VisaHQ provides an easy way to confirm eligibility, gather the right documents and lodge applications online—whether for this pilot or China’s broader range of visas. Their portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) tracks rule changes in real time and can organise group paperwork so your team hits the ground running.
![ASEAN Group Tours Benefit from Yunnan Visa-Free Corridor, Boosting Border Port Traffic]()
For travel managers the scheme opens an alternative gateway for incentive groups and manufacturing audits in Southwest China without the need to obtain individual L or M visas in advance. Crucially, travellers must stick to pre-approved itineraries and exit through the same border port; deviating voids the exemption and incurs penalties.
The success of the pilot is fuelling speculation that China may roll out similar “port-specific” visa-free channels along its border economic zones, including Guangxi (for Vietnam) and Heilongjiang (for Russia), allowing companies to structure short-cycle site visits more flexibly.
Security agencies are simultaneously testing biometric e-gates at Mohan to manage higher volumes—a reminder that facilitation comes with enhanced surveillance. Firms should brief employees on privacy expectations and data-collection processes at land borders.
The corridor covers ten ASEAN members, including Thailand, Malaysia and Laos, and dovetails with the China-Laos Railway, which now runs through-services to Kunming. Local officials report tourism receipts in Xishuangbanna up 37 % year-on-year, with new hotels and duty-free malls breaking ground near the rainforest city of Jinghong.
For travellers and corporate planners needing support as these regulations evolve, VisaHQ provides an easy way to confirm eligibility, gather the right documents and lodge applications online—whether for this pilot or China’s broader range of visas. Their portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) tracks rule changes in real time and can organise group paperwork so your team hits the ground running.
For travel managers the scheme opens an alternative gateway for incentive groups and manufacturing audits in Southwest China without the need to obtain individual L or M visas in advance. Crucially, travellers must stick to pre-approved itineraries and exit through the same border port; deviating voids the exemption and incurs penalties.
The success of the pilot is fuelling speculation that China may roll out similar “port-specific” visa-free channels along its border economic zones, including Guangxi (for Vietnam) and Heilongjiang (for Russia), allowing companies to structure short-cycle site visits more flexibly.
Security agencies are simultaneously testing biometric e-gates at Mohan to manage higher volumes—a reminder that facilitation comes with enhanced surveillance. Firms should brief employees on privacy expectations and data-collection processes at land borders.
