A Xinhua feature published on 28 January illustrates how China’s widening “circle of visa-free friends” is translating into hard visitor numbers. In 2025, foreign arrivals under visa waivers surged 49.5 % to 30.1 million, while total foreign visits climbed 26.4 % to 82 million. China now grants some form of visa-free entry to citizens of 76 countries and offers 240-hour transit exemptions at 65 entry points. (en.people.cn)
Beyond short stays, the report spotlights foreigners putting down roots: Russian traders in Heilongjiang, Samoan postgraduate students in Wuhan and Egyptian researchers in Hainan—all beneficiaries of streamlined residence-permit procedures and mobile-payment onboarding.
For travellers trying to make sense of these rapidly changing policies, VisaHQ offers a one-stop resource that tracks China’s visa-free schemes, transit permits, and registration rules. Its portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) lets individuals and corporate mobility teams confirm eligibility, generate supporting documents and arrange courier processing, smoothing out what can otherwise be a confusing maze of regulations.
![Expanded Visa-Free Policies Fuel 49 % Jump in Inbound Visitors, Xinhua Analysis Shows]()
For corporate mobility programmes the message is clear: China’s inbound framework is shifting from pandemic-era caution to aggressive openness. HR teams can leverage the 240-hour transit option to stage regional meetings in Shanghai or Beijing without full visas, a tactic increasingly popular among APAC executives.
However, compliance remains essential. Visitors must still register accommodation within 24 hours and may travel only within designated transit zones. The NIA has fined multiple travellers for over-stays in recent months despite the liberal tone.
Xinhua hints that the next frontier will be mutual visa-exemption treaties with additional EU states, as well as potential lengthening of transit stays to 336 hours (14 days) at select hubs—moves that could reshape travel-policy budgeting for 2027.
Beyond short stays, the report spotlights foreigners putting down roots: Russian traders in Heilongjiang, Samoan postgraduate students in Wuhan and Egyptian researchers in Hainan—all beneficiaries of streamlined residence-permit procedures and mobile-payment onboarding.
For travellers trying to make sense of these rapidly changing policies, VisaHQ offers a one-stop resource that tracks China’s visa-free schemes, transit permits, and registration rules. Its portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) lets individuals and corporate mobility teams confirm eligibility, generate supporting documents and arrange courier processing, smoothing out what can otherwise be a confusing maze of regulations.
For corporate mobility programmes the message is clear: China’s inbound framework is shifting from pandemic-era caution to aggressive openness. HR teams can leverage the 240-hour transit option to stage regional meetings in Shanghai or Beijing without full visas, a tactic increasingly popular among APAC executives.
However, compliance remains essential. Visitors must still register accommodation within 24 hours and may travel only within designated transit zones. The NIA has fined multiple travellers for over-stays in recent months despite the liberal tone.
Xinhua hints that the next frontier will be mutual visa-exemption treaties with additional EU states, as well as potential lengthening of transit stays to 336 hours (14 days) at select hubs—moves that could reshape travel-policy budgeting for 2027.
