China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has confirmed that its unilateral 30-day visa-free entry programme—originally due to expire this spring—has been prolonged until 23:59 on 31 December 2026. The move, announced on 15 April, keeps in place simplified entry for ordinary-passport holders from nearly 50 economies, including the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and South Korea. Under the scheme, eligible travellers may enter mainland China for business meetings, tourism, family visits, short-term exchanges or transit without first applying for a visa. Stays are capped at 30 calendar days and the exemption cannot be extended or converted in-country. Overstays incur fines of RMB 500 per day and can trigger bans of up to five years, the MFA warned. Diplomatic and service passports remain subject to standard visa rules. Business travel stakeholders say the extension removes a major friction point that had lingered since China lifted its remaining COVID border controls last year. Airlines and hotel groups—particularly those serving Shanghai, Beijing and the Greater Bay Area—expect a late-spring surge as corporates fast-track postponed site visits and trade-fair delegations. According to forward-booking data from OAG, seat capacity from the programme’s top ten eligible countries is already up 18 percent for May-June compared with the same period in 2025. Importantly, the policy is unilateral: it does not grant reciprocal visa-free access to Chinese nationals. Nevertheless, travel-industry bodies such as the World Travel & Tourism Council argue that the simplified entry will improve China’s competitiveness for conferences and supply-chain inspections at a time when rival Asian hubs are also easing requirements. Multinational companies are being advised to review internal travel policies to ensure employees understand the 30-day clock, accommodation-registration rules and the need for onward or return tickets.
![China Extends 30-Day Visa-Free Entry Scheme Through 2026, Adding UK and Canada]()
For organisations or individuals looking for extra assurance amid these changing regulations, VisaHQ provides a user-friendly portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) that can instantly confirm eligibility for the visa-free stay, outline required documentation and, when necessary, arrange traditional visas for longer or multiple-entry trips—all in a single online workflow.
For mobility managers, the key takeaway is that routine short-term trips—scoping projects, troubleshooting operations or accompanying technical installations—can proceed with dramatically reduced lead times. HR teams should, however, continue to monitor nationality coverage; the MFA hinted that the list could expand further if visitor compliance remains high.
For organisations or individuals looking for extra assurance amid these changing regulations, VisaHQ provides a user-friendly portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) that can instantly confirm eligibility for the visa-free stay, outline required documentation and, when necessary, arrange traditional visas for longer or multiple-entry trips—all in a single online workflow.
For mobility managers, the key takeaway is that routine short-term trips—scoping projects, troubleshooting operations or accompanying technical installations—can proceed with dramatically reduced lead times. HR teams should, however, continue to monitor nationality coverage; the MFA hinted that the list could expand further if visitor compliance remains high.
