China has formally agreed to waive short-stay visas for holders of ordinary British passports, granting visa-free entry of up to 30 days for business or tourism trips. The breakthrough was announced in Beijing on 29 January during U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s first visit to China and was reiterated in U.K. travel press on 4 February.
The move answers a long-standing request from British industry groups that have argued China’s stringent paperwork discouraged executive travel, project start-ups and trade-fair attendance. Once the measure enters into force—officials indicate implementation is expected before this summer—it will align the United Kingdom with 50-plus nations, mostly in Europe, that already enjoy 30-day visa waivers.
For companies, the change removes an administrative hurdle that typically added 5-10 working days and £150-£250 in costs per traveller. Mobility managers say it should accelerate everything from sales calls to after-sales maintenance visits, enabling “pop-up” project teams to fly at short notice and spend more time with clients on the ground rather than dealing with consular procedures.
![China Confirms 30-Day Visa-Free Entry for British Citizens]()
While the waiver will cover most short business and tourist trips, anyone still needing longer-term work, study or residence permits can save time by using VisaHQ’s one-stop online service. Its dedicated China team (https://www.visahq.com/china/) offers step-by-step instructions, document checks and reliable courier options, ensuring applicants avoid common pitfalls and meet every consular requirement quickly.
British expatriates posted to China on long-term assignments will still need work and residence permits, but the new policy simplifies look-and-see trips for families and facilitates short rotations for regional managers who cover several Asian markets. Travel insurers caution that visitors must still carry passports valid for at least six months and proof of onward or return tickets, as Chinese border officers continue to apply existing entry-control rules.
Tourism boards on both sides expect a surge in two-way travel. Pre-pandemic, the U.K. sent roughly 800,000 visitors a year to China; analysts predict the visa waiver could lift that figure above one million within 18 months, supporting airlines that are progressively restoring pre-2020 capacity between London and key Chinese hubs.
The move answers a long-standing request from British industry groups that have argued China’s stringent paperwork discouraged executive travel, project start-ups and trade-fair attendance. Once the measure enters into force—officials indicate implementation is expected before this summer—it will align the United Kingdom with 50-plus nations, mostly in Europe, that already enjoy 30-day visa waivers.
For companies, the change removes an administrative hurdle that typically added 5-10 working days and £150-£250 in costs per traveller. Mobility managers say it should accelerate everything from sales calls to after-sales maintenance visits, enabling “pop-up” project teams to fly at short notice and spend more time with clients on the ground rather than dealing with consular procedures.
While the waiver will cover most short business and tourist trips, anyone still needing longer-term work, study or residence permits can save time by using VisaHQ’s one-stop online service. Its dedicated China team (https://www.visahq.com/china/) offers step-by-step instructions, document checks and reliable courier options, ensuring applicants avoid common pitfalls and meet every consular requirement quickly.
British expatriates posted to China on long-term assignments will still need work and residence permits, but the new policy simplifies look-and-see trips for families and facilitates short rotations for regional managers who cover several Asian markets. Travel insurers caution that visitors must still carry passports valid for at least six months and proof of onward or return tickets, as Chinese border officers continue to apply existing entry-control rules.
Tourism boards on both sides expect a surge in two-way travel. Pre-pandemic, the U.K. sent roughly 800,000 visitors a year to China; analysts predict the visa waiver could lift that figure above one million within 18 months, supporting airlines that are progressively restoring pre-2020 capacity between London and key Chinese hubs.
