China announced the expansion of its 240-hour visa-free transit programme to more ports on Monday, 3rd November.
The East Asian nation will also extend its unilateral visa-exemption arrangements for more than 40 countries till 31st December 2026.
This is the Chinese government’s latest move to further open up the country to the world.
The Chinese National Immigration Administration (NIA) likewise announced that the newly added ports include Guangzhou, Zhuhai's Hengqin, and Zhongshan, as well as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the West Kowloon Station of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link.
More ports for more visitors
The new policy took effect today, 5th November, and is expected to raise the total number of ports eligible for the 240-hour visa-free transit from 60 to 65 around China.
Travelers from 55 eligible countries who meet certain criteria can enter China through any of these ports in 24 provincial-level regions and stay in the country for up to 240 hours, or ten days, without a visa before heading to a third destination.
This is one of ten new policies announced by the NIA on exit and entry administration to further facilitate outbound or inbound travel for both Chinese and foreign nationals.
It should also be noted that ten international airports located in Tianjin, Nanjing, Chongqing, and other cities will be added to the list of ports allowing 24-hour direct transit for foreign nationals without having to undergo border check procedures, according to these measures.
Also, from 20th November, foreigners travelling to China will be able to complete their entry cards online before arrival.
They can also choose to fill them out on-site using electronic devices provided at inspection points or opt for traditional paper entry cards.
The newly released measures also include provisions to simplify travel for Chinese mainland residents visiting Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, as well as for Taiwan residents traveling to the mainland.
As of the end of Q3-2025, foreign nationals made 7.246 million visits to China under its visa-free travel policies, reflecting a 48.3 percent year-on-year increase and accounting for 72.2 percent of all entries made by foreign nationals.
Extended visa exemptions announced
The Chinese foreign ministry also announced the extension of China’s unilateral visa-exemption arrangements for more than 40 countries, including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain till 31st December 2026.
Prior to this extension, the visa-free policy for nationals of some of these countries was scheduled to expire on 31st December of this year.
Sweden has also been added to the roster of countries covered by the visa-free scheme beginning 10th November 2025 to 31st December 2026.
The measures came on the heels of a key meeting of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee which adopted several recommendations for formulating the plan for economic and social development in the next five years.
The latest move was to implement the guiding principles of the CPC plenum, expand high-level opening-up to the world, and continuously facilitate personnel exchanges between China and other countries.
