Belgian companies with operations in China received welcome news on 7 November as Beijing prolonged its unilateral visa-waiver scheme for 45 countries, Belgium included, through 31 December 2026. The policy allows Belgians to enter China visa-free for stays of up to 30 days for tourism, family visits, client meetings and short-term technical support.
Chinese officials said the extension aims to ‘revitalise two-way travel and investment’ after a sluggish post-pandemic rebound. Belgian multinationals such as Umicore, AB InBev and Solvay, which maintain R&D and production hubs in the Yangtze and Pearl River deltas, welcomed the decision. “Our field engineers can now fly in at 24-hour notice to troubleshoot equipment without waiting six weeks for a visa,” noted Solvay’s Asia-Pacific mobility lead.
![China extends 30-day visa-free access for Belgian passport holders until 2026]()
Travel-data firm ForwardKeys projects a 37 % jump in Belgium-to-China air bookings for Q1 2026, aided by Hainan Airlines’ forthcoming Brussels-Shenzhen service. HR advisers caution that visa-free entry does not replace China’s work-permit requirements; employees dispatched for assignments over 30 days must still secure a Z-visa and residence permit.
Belgium’s Federal Public Service (FPS) Foreign Affairs updated its travel advice, reminding citizens that the waiver applies only to ordinary passports and that travellers must register with local police within 24 hours of arrival. Health-code apps introduced during the pandemic have been retired, but random temperature checks persist at some ports of entry.
The extension, combined with China’s removal of pre-departure PCR testing in August, signals a broader reopening trend that could restore pre-COVID passenger volumes between Brussels and Beijing by late 2026, aviation analysts believe.
Chinese officials said the extension aims to ‘revitalise two-way travel and investment’ after a sluggish post-pandemic rebound. Belgian multinationals such as Umicore, AB InBev and Solvay, which maintain R&D and production hubs in the Yangtze and Pearl River deltas, welcomed the decision. “Our field engineers can now fly in at 24-hour notice to troubleshoot equipment without waiting six weeks for a visa,” noted Solvay’s Asia-Pacific mobility lead.
Travel-data firm ForwardKeys projects a 37 % jump in Belgium-to-China air bookings for Q1 2026, aided by Hainan Airlines’ forthcoming Brussels-Shenzhen service. HR advisers caution that visa-free entry does not replace China’s work-permit requirements; employees dispatched for assignments over 30 days must still secure a Z-visa and residence permit.
Belgium’s Federal Public Service (FPS) Foreign Affairs updated its travel advice, reminding citizens that the waiver applies only to ordinary passports and that travellers must register with local police within 24 hours of arrival. Health-code apps introduced during the pandemic have been retired, but random temperature checks persist at some ports of entry.
The extension, combined with China’s removal of pre-departure PCR testing in August, signals a broader reopening trend that could restore pre-COVID passenger volumes between Brussels and Beijing by late 2026, aviation analysts believe.
