China has given Polish travelers an unexpected two-year gift. On 4 November 2025 Beijing confirmed that its 30-day visa-free entry scheme—initially due to lapse on 31 December—will now run until at least 31 December 2026. The waiver applies to ordinary-passport holders visiting for business, tourism, family visits, cultural exchanges or transit.
The extension cements a dramatic policy shift that began in July 2024, when Poland became one of the first Central-European countries admitted to China’s pilot programme. Arrivals from Poland rebounded quickly: according to C-trip data, flight bookings between Warsaw and Chinese hubs were up 78 % year-on-year in Q3 2025, while Polish conference organiser MTP reported record attendance from Chinese exhibitors at the Poznań Industry Fair. Business communities on both sides lobbied hard for continuation, arguing that the waiver trims at least two weeks from the usual visa-paperwork cycle and saves companies roughly PLN 800 per traveller in fees and courier costs.
![China Keeps the Door Open: Visa-Free Access for Polish Travelers Extended to End-2026]()
For corporates, the decision simplifies 2026 travel planning. HR teams no longer need to budget for Chinese short-stay visas when dispatching technicians to joint-venture plants in the Yangtze River Delta, and Polish start-ups eyeing China’s vast e-commerce market can schedule exploratory trips on short notice. The 30-day cap does, however, remain, and overstays incur steep fines. Frequent travellers should also note that longer work or media assignments still require the appropriate Z or J category permits.
Travel managers should update internal booking tools to flag the new expiry date, remind staff that passports must be valid for at least six months on arrival, and verify that passengers have onward or return tickets—airlines can deny boarding if documentation is incomplete. Finally, travellers should register with Poland’s Odyseusz system to receive any emergency alerts while in China.
With the visa-free window secure through 2026, experts expect Warsaw–Beijing seat capacity to rise further. Both LOT Polish Airlines and Air China are evaluating additional wide-body frequencies, while tour operators are already marketing Spring Festival shopping packages to affluent Polish consumers. The extended waiver looks set to deepen the trade and people-to-people ties that have underpinned the €46 billion bilateral relationship.
The extension cements a dramatic policy shift that began in July 2024, when Poland became one of the first Central-European countries admitted to China’s pilot programme. Arrivals from Poland rebounded quickly: according to C-trip data, flight bookings between Warsaw and Chinese hubs were up 78 % year-on-year in Q3 2025, while Polish conference organiser MTP reported record attendance from Chinese exhibitors at the Poznań Industry Fair. Business communities on both sides lobbied hard for continuation, arguing that the waiver trims at least two weeks from the usual visa-paperwork cycle and saves companies roughly PLN 800 per traveller in fees and courier costs.
For corporates, the decision simplifies 2026 travel planning. HR teams no longer need to budget for Chinese short-stay visas when dispatching technicians to joint-venture plants in the Yangtze River Delta, and Polish start-ups eyeing China’s vast e-commerce market can schedule exploratory trips on short notice. The 30-day cap does, however, remain, and overstays incur steep fines. Frequent travellers should also note that longer work or media assignments still require the appropriate Z or J category permits.
Travel managers should update internal booking tools to flag the new expiry date, remind staff that passports must be valid for at least six months on arrival, and verify that passengers have onward or return tickets—airlines can deny boarding if documentation is incomplete. Finally, travellers should register with Poland’s Odyseusz system to receive any emergency alerts while in China.
With the visa-free window secure through 2026, experts expect Warsaw–Beijing seat capacity to rise further. Both LOT Polish Airlines and Air China are evaluating additional wide-body frequencies, while tour operators are already marketing Spring Festival shopping packages to affluent Polish consumers. The extended waiver looks set to deepen the trade and people-to-people ties that have underpinned the €46 billion bilateral relationship.
