China has announced a significant relaxation of its visa-free transit policy, marking a major step in its efforts to enhance international connectivity and openness. The new measures, which took effect immediately, extend the permitted stay for eligible foreign travelers from 72 and 144 hours to 240 hours, or 10 days. This adjustment is aimed at facilitating easier travel and tourism, thereby promoting greater cultural exchange and economic activities across China.
Under the updated policy, travelers from 54 countries, including major players like Russia, Brazil, Britain, the United States, and Canada, can now enter China without a visa when transiting to a third country or region. These travelers have the flexibility to enter through any of the 60 designated ports across 24 provinces, regions, and municipalities, a significant expansion from the previous 39 ports in 19 provincial-level regions. This allows for a more extensive exploration of China’s diverse cultural and economic landscapes within the 240-hour period.
Liu Jia, deputy director-general of the Department of Foreigner Management under the National Immigration Administration (NIA), highlighted that this policy adjustment enables cross-regional travel across the 24 specified provincial-level regions. This cross-regional travel feature allows travelers to plan flexible itineraries, facilitating multi-destination tourism and business activities. The inclusion of unique attractions like Shanxi’s ancient architecture, Jiangxi’s renowned ceramics, and Guizhou’s natural heritage sites among the visa-free regions reflects China’s strategy to appeal to a broader range of international tourists.
The expansion is not only a boon for tourists but also for business travelers who can now navigate China’s major economic zones, such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. These regions are central to China’s economic growth and development, making the visa-free policy a crucial tool for attracting foreign investment and facilitating business exchanges.
Since the announcement, there has been a notable increase in interest from international travelers. For instance, just an hour after the policy was unveiled, American tourist Luke Paul De Mena expressed his excitement about the 240-hour visa-free transit. Planning to visit Wuhan, Yichang, and Xiangyang, De Mena praised the updated rules, stating, “Hubei has a rich cultural heritage and cutting-edge technology. With the new policy, I can travel across the entire province—this is great!”
China’s efforts to open up further are reflected in its tourism statistics for the first 11 months of 2024. The country saw nearly 29.22 million inbound foreign visits, marking an 86.2 percent increase year on year. Of these, 17.45 million visitors entered China visa-free a massive 123.3 percent increase from the previous year. The number of visa-free transit travelers surged by 132.9 percent, underscoring the growing appeal of China as a transit hub for international travelers.
Officials have emphasized that these policy changes are complementary to other visa-related measures, such as regional visa exemptions, unilateral visa waivers, and mutual visa agreements. By streamlining the visa-free transit process, China aims to meet the diverse needs of international tourists and business travelers, thereby boosting its position as a global destination for tourism and investment.
As China continues to open up its borders, these new visa-free measures are expected to play a pivotal role in promoting tourism, fostering cross-cultural exchanges, and enhancing its image as an increasingly accessible and attractive destination for global travelers. The 240-hour visa-free policy not only reflects China’s commitment to international openness but also its strategy to integrate more deeply into the global economy and foster people-to-people connections worldwide.
