(CHINA) China has extended its unilateral visa-free entry policy for citizens of 45 countries until December 31, 2026, adding Sweden to the list and keeping stays of up to 30 days for business, tourism, family visits, or transit. The move, announced on November 3, 2025, keeps in place a policy that officials say is aimed at reviving tourism, attracting investment, and rebuilding ties with key partners after years of pandemic-era isolation.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the extension includes Sweden’s entry into the scheme next week and maintains the existing waivers for major European economies.
“Sweden will be officially included in the visa waiver scheme from November 10th. The visa exemption currently applied to France and several other nations will remain in force for another year,” Mao said, underscoring the government’s intent to provide continuity for travelers and businesses.
Sweden’s inclusion becomes effective on November 10, 2025, joining France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and other European states already in the program.
The visa-free entry arrangement, which allows eligible travelers to visit China without a visa for up to 30 days, now covers 45 countries, including 32 in Europe, as well as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and several South American nations. The United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom are not included in the visa-free entry scheme, reflecting a targeted approach that leans toward Europe and parts of Asia-Pacific and Latin America.
Officials described the timeline and expansion in clear terms. Sweden’s addition on November 10, 2025 further broadens European participation, while five South American countries—Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay—are scheduled to join from June 1, 2025, aligning the program with markets where China sees inbound travel growth and business ties. While the policy remains unilateral and does not require reciprocal access for Chinese citizens, it is designed to lower barriers for short-term trips related to tourism and commercial activity.
The extension through December 31, 2026 marks a deliberate shift from year-to-year uncertainty to a longer planning horizon. Officials said the extra year provides
“long-term certainty for airlines, travel agencies, and investors,”
framing the decision as part of a broader strategy to support trade, tourism flows, and cultural links. In the first half of 2025, China recorded over 23 million foreign entries, a year-on-year increase of nearly 130%, figures that authorities cited as evidence the visa-free policy has boosted inbound travel and tourism revenues.
The government has paired visa-free entry for select nationalities with a wider transit policy to capture more through traffic and encourage short stays. China’s 240-hour transit without visa option—equivalent to 10 days—now applies to citizens of 55 countries and has expanded to 65 ports nationwide, including new entry points such as Guangzhou and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. The National Immigration Administration confirmed operational details for the transit program, stating:
“Citizens of 55 countries, including Indonesia, Russia, and the United Kingdom, may transit through China using the 240-hour visa-free transit policy if they hold valid international travel documents and interline tickets with confirmed dates and seats to a third country or region.”
That transit list is separate from the unilateral 30-day visa-free entry scheme and includes countries, such as the United Kingdom, that are not eligible for the longer visa-free stays.
For travelers able to use the scheme, the immediate benefits are straightforward. Short-term visitors can enter China without applying for a visa in advance, a step that usually involves appointment backlogs, consular visits, and processing fees. The 30-day window covers a wide range of activities—attending trade fairs, meeting suppliers, visiting family, or touring major cities—without crossing into categories still restricted to standard visas such as work, study, or journalism. Chinese authorities have been explicit that those activities remain outside the scope of the visa-free entry program.
The policy’s design reflects China’s trade and travel priorities. European coverage is extensive, encompassing 32 countries including France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden. In the Asia-Pacific region, it includes Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore, all major sources of tourists and business travelers. The inclusion of the United Arab Emirates taps into a growing aviation and finance hub, while the South American expansion from June 1, 2025 captures Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay, a swath of economies linked to agriculture, energy, and commodities trade with China.
By keeping the visa-free entry policy in place through December 31, 2026, Beijing is betting that easier access will help sustain the recovery in visitor numbers seen in early 2025. The National Immigration Administration’s travel data—over 23 million foreign entries in the first half and nearly 130% growth year-on-year—suggests pent-up demand and the practical effect of a lower-friction border. Airlines and tour operators gain from predictability in schedules and itineraries, while corporate travelers can set meetings weeks, not months, in advance without worrying about visa appointment bottlenecks.
The details also matter at the border. The 240-hour transit program’s footprint now spans 65 ports, adding capacity at aviation hubs and cross-border links like Guangzhou and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. This allows travelers on through itineraries to spend up to 10 days in designated cities without a visa, provided they have onward tickets to a third country or region. Authorities maintained the separation between the transit waiver and the 30-day visa-free entry scheme, signaling that each has distinct eligibility and purpose.
China’s decision to exclude the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom from the 30-day visa-free entry list underscores a selective approach to unilateral waivers. Even so, the United Kingdom appears on the 240-hour transit roster, giving British travelers a path to short stays on through journeys while stopping short of granting the longer visa-free visits available to much of Europe. For Americans and Canadians, the standard visa process still applies, and any future changes would require a formal update from Beijing.
The timing and content of the announcement pointed to a continued push to normalise cross-border movement. On November 3, 2025, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning set out the immediate step—adding Sweden on November 10, 2025—and confirmed continuity for existing European participants through the end of 2026. The message emphasized permanence over experimentation, with officials framing the decision as a tool to
“revive tourism, attract investment, and rebuild trust with key trading partners, especially in Europe.”
In practical terms, the extended visa-free entry period may shape the 2026 travel calendar for trade fairs and events in cities like Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Beijing, where foreign exhibitors and buyers plan long lead times. Travel agencies can price packages knowing entry rules will not change mid-season. Investors and executives can schedule plant visits and supply chain checks inside a 30-day window without visa paperwork. Families can coordinate multi-stop trips combining visits to relatives with tourism, leveraging the 30-day stay for a single itinerary instead of multiple short entries.
Officials also urged travelers to check eligibility and conditions before departure, as the program remains a Chinese unilateral policy and is subject to updates. The National Immigration Administration maintains official guidance on both visa-free entry and transit rules, including port lists and documentation requirements. For authoritative policy details and updates, travelers can consult the National Immigration Administration website.
China’s broader aim, according to officials, is to keep momentum in inbound travel while aligning border rules with economic objectives. With over 23 million foreign entries logged in the first half of 2025 and growth near 130% year-on-year, authorities see the data as validation that lowering barriers works. Extending the policy through December 31, 2026 signals that the government wants the upswing to continue, especially from Europe’s 32 eligible countries and from Asia-Pacific partners like Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, and the UAE.
The distinction between the visa-free entry and the transit schemes remains central. One offers up to 30 days for business, tourism, family visits, or transit to nationals of 45 countries; the other grants up to 240 hours to citizens of 55 countries, with clear rules about onward travel and eligible ports. Together they create a layered entry framework designed to capture both destination travel and stopover traffic. The National Immigration Administration’s statement—
“Citizens of 55 countries, including Indonesia, Russia, and the United Kingdom, may transit through China using the 240-hour visa-free transit policy if they hold valid international travel documents and interline tickets with confirmed dates and seats to a third country or region”
—spells out the transit pathway, while Mao Ning’s assurance that
“Sweden will be officially included in the visa waiver scheme from November 10th. The visa exemption currently applied to France and several other nations will remain in force for another year”
sets the tone for the 30-day program through the end of next year.
As the peak travel seasons approach and airlines map routes for 2026, the extended timeline to December 31, 2026 gives carriers, agents, and travelers room to plan. The policy does not change requirements for work, study, or journalism, which still need standard visas, but it reduces friction for short-term visits that anchor tourism spending and business activity. With the latest update delivered on November 3, 2025, China has made clear it intends to keep its doors open a bit wider for eligible visitors, betting that easier entry will pay dividends across airports, hotels, exhibition halls, and factory floors.
This Article in a Nutshell
China extended its unilateral 30-day visa-free entry for citizens of 45 countries through December 31, 2026, and announced Sweden will join on November 10, 2025. The extension aims to revive tourism, attract investment and rebuild ties after pandemic-era isolation. Separately, a 240-hour transit visa-free option covers 55 countries and 65 ports. Authorities reported over 23 million foreign entries in the first half of 2025, up nearly 130% year-on-year. Travelers should confirm eligibility and conditions before travel.
