- China has added Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam to its 240-hour visa-free transit and Hainan 30-day entry programs.
- Eligible travelers can enter via 65 different ports for transit or Hainan-specific stays for tourism and business.
- The expansion follows a record 369 million crossings reported in the first half of twenty twenty-six.
China widened its visa-free entry rules on August 20, 2026, adding Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam to its 240-hour visa-free transit program and to Hainan Province’s 30-day visa-free entry policy. The change took effect immediately. The transit list now covers 57 countries, while Hainan’s list reaches 61.
Ordinary passport holders from the two countries can use the transit route if they carry confirmed onward tickets to a third country or region. They may enter through any of China’s 65 ports and stay for up to 240 hours, or 10 days. Beijing and Shanghai are among the entry points.
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Hainan works differently. Eligible travelers can enter through the island province’s open ports and stay for up to 30 days. The stay is limited to Hainan’s administrative regions. Short and simple.
The National Immigration Administration said the arrangements cover tourism, business, exchange visits, and family visits. They do not cover employment, study, or journalistic activities. Those still require a visa.
Pham Thu Hang, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, welcomed the move at a briefing on August 20.
"Vietnam welcomes and hopes that China will continue to simplify visa procedures. This move will facilitate travel and trade and promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries."
In Bishkek, Sagynbek Abdumutalip of the Kyrgyz presidential administration said the measure would create conditions for cooperation in trade and tourism. The response was warm. Before this change, visa-free access for the pair was limited to diplomatic, service, and public-affairs passports. Ordinary passport holders needed visas.
Two short-stay routes now run on different terms
| Route | Who can use it | Entry points | Stay limit | Country total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transit program | Ordinary passport holders with confirmed onward tickets to a third country or region | Any of China’s 65 ports across 24 provincial-level regions | Up to 240 hours, or 10 days | 57 countries |
| Hainan policy | Ordinary passport holders | Hainan’s open ports | Up to 30 days | 61 countries |
China had already stretched the transit window before this week. In December 2024, it grew from 144 hours to 240 hours for eligible nations. Traffic has kept climbing.
Border authorities handled a record 369 million inbound and outbound crossings in the first half of 2026, up 10.8% from a year earlier. The flow was heavy.
Air service has also been shifting around the same time. Air China launched scheduled flights between Beijing and Bishkek in July 2026, and Aero Nomad began a weekly Bishkek-Urumqi route on August 3, 2026. Vietnam was China’s fourth-largest tourist source market in the first half of 2026.
