Australian business travellers, tourists and visiting friends and relatives will continue to enjoy 30-day visa-free stays in mainland China after Beijing quietly extended its pilot waiver scheme for 45 nationalities until 31 December 2026. The Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed the two-year extension late on Monday 3 November 2025, noting that Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and most EU member-states remain on the list, while the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada are still excluded.
For companies with supply-chains, customers or project teams on the ground in China, the move removes a layer of red tape that had returned with COVID-era border controls and only eased in 2024. Executives can now schedule short-notice site visits, troubleshooting missions or sales calls without waiting for a visa appointment. Tourism operators also welcomed the decision: China Southern has already flagged extra Brisbane–Guangzhou frequencies for the southern-summer peak.
![China Extends 30-Day Visa-Free Entry for Australians Until End-2026]()
Trade advisers point out that the waiver still caps each stay at 30 consecutive days and does not cover work permits; staff on longer assignments must continue to obtain the appropriate Z- or M-class visas. Travellers must also complete China’s digital arrival card and be prepared for random health checks.
For Australia’s universities, the extension should help rekindle on-campus recruitment drives in China just as student numbers stabilise post-pandemic. Education agents say open-day delegations and academic exchange visits had been constrained by tight visa windows; the waiver makes “drop-in” relationship-building trips viable again.
Practically, travellers are advised to carry print-outs of return tickets and proof of accommodation, and to double-check airline policies—some carriers still demand sight of an onward ticket before boarding even visa-exempt passengers. Insurers also remind companies that the waiver does not override China’s requirement for comprehensive health coverage.
For companies with supply-chains, customers or project teams on the ground in China, the move removes a layer of red tape that had returned with COVID-era border controls and only eased in 2024. Executives can now schedule short-notice site visits, troubleshooting missions or sales calls without waiting for a visa appointment. Tourism operators also welcomed the decision: China Southern has already flagged extra Brisbane–Guangzhou frequencies for the southern-summer peak.
Trade advisers point out that the waiver still caps each stay at 30 consecutive days and does not cover work permits; staff on longer assignments must continue to obtain the appropriate Z- or M-class visas. Travellers must also complete China’s digital arrival card and be prepared for random health checks.
For Australia’s universities, the extension should help rekindle on-campus recruitment drives in China just as student numbers stabilise post-pandemic. Education agents say open-day delegations and academic exchange visits had been constrained by tight visa windows; the waiver makes “drop-in” relationship-building trips viable again.
Practically, travellers are advised to carry print-outs of return tickets and proof of accommodation, and to double-check airline policies—some carriers still demand sight of an onward ticket before boarding even visa-exempt passengers. Insurers also remind companies that the waiver does not override China’s requirement for comprehensive health coverage.
