China’s decision to broaden its unilateral visa-waiver and 240-hour transit-visa schemes is already translating into a measurable influx of visitors. Statistics released by the National Immigration Administration (NIA) show that 436,000 foreign nationals entered the country without a visa during the five-day May Day holiday that ended on 5 May, a 14.7 percent increase on last year. In total, the holiday generated 1.255 million foreign arrivals and 11.279 million inbound and outbound border crossings. Under the revised rules, citizens of 50 countries can now make 30-day visa-free visits for tourism, business, family or transit, while travellers from 55 countries can take advantage of the expanded 240-hour (10-day) transit scheme through 65 approved ports of entry.
![Visa-free arrivals to China jump 14.7 % over May Day break]()
If your organisation needs help parsing which staff qualify for the new exemptions and which still need paperwork, VisaHQ offers a one-stop solution. Its China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) continuously tracks rule changes and can secure the appropriate visas, invitation letters and permits for travellers who fall outside the waiver schemes, allowing mobility teams to stay compliant without slowing trips down.
The surge in visa-free traffic suggests that carriers have begun rebuilding capacity and that meeting-and-incentive planners once again view China as a workable destination. For corporates the numbers matter. Large conventions are now easier to stage because organisers can rely on short-notice travel, and inbound executives can move around the country without the administrative burden of re-entering consulates for multiple-entry visas. Aviation analysts also point to a virtuous circle: higher inbound loads support route resumptions, which in turn improve connectivity for both expatriate staff and supply-chain managers. Local authorities are being pressed to maintain queue times below 30 minutes—an NIA benchmark introduced last year. Many airports have installed bilingual e-gates and staffed “foreign visitor” lanes with English-speaking agents. Payment remains a pain-point, but pilot programmes allowing overseas bankcards to link to Alipay and WeChat Pay are rolling out in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, making taxis, metro rides and meals far easier to pay for. With the visa-free pilot now extended to 31 December 2026, airlines expect momentum to continue into the summer. Mobility and HR teams, however, should remind short-term assignees that the exemption does not allow on-shore employment; Z-visas and work permits remain mandatory for salaried postings.
If your organisation needs help parsing which staff qualify for the new exemptions and which still need paperwork, VisaHQ offers a one-stop solution. Its China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) continuously tracks rule changes and can secure the appropriate visas, invitation letters and permits for travellers who fall outside the waiver schemes, allowing mobility teams to stay compliant without slowing trips down.
The surge in visa-free traffic suggests that carriers have begun rebuilding capacity and that meeting-and-incentive planners once again view China as a workable destination. For corporates the numbers matter. Large conventions are now easier to stage because organisers can rely on short-notice travel, and inbound executives can move around the country without the administrative burden of re-entering consulates for multiple-entry visas. Aviation analysts also point to a virtuous circle: higher inbound loads support route resumptions, which in turn improve connectivity for both expatriate staff and supply-chain managers. Local authorities are being pressed to maintain queue times below 30 minutes—an NIA benchmark introduced last year. Many airports have installed bilingual e-gates and staffed “foreign visitor” lanes with English-speaking agents. Payment remains a pain-point, but pilot programmes allowing overseas bankcards to link to Alipay and WeChat Pay are rolling out in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, making taxis, metro rides and meals far easier to pay for. With the visa-free pilot now extended to 31 December 2026, airlines expect momentum to continue into the summer. Mobility and HR teams, however, should remind short-term assignees that the exemption does not allow on-shore employment; Z-visas and work permits remain mandatory for salaried postings.
