Beijing, Nov. 5, 2025 (Xinhua)— China has unveiled fresh measures to further open its doors to the world, including expanding its 240-hour visa-free transit programto more ports and extending unilateral visa exemptions for over 40 countriesuntil December 31, 2026.
New Ports & Extended Visa-Free Access
The National Immigration Administration (NIA)announced that five additional ports—Guangzhou, Zhuhai’s Hengqin, Zhongshan, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, and West Kowloon Station(on the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link)—will now participate in the 240-hour visa-free transit scheme. This raises the total number of eligible ports nationwide from 60 to 65.
Under the updated policy, which takes effect this Wednesday, travelers from 55 designated countriescan transit through any of 24 Chinese provincial-level regionswithout a visa for up to 10 days (240 hours), provided they are heading to a third destination.
Streamlined Entry for Foreign & Chinese Travelers
The NIA also introduced 10 new exit-entry measuresto facilitate travel for both foreigners and Chinese nationals:
- 24-hour Direct Transit Without Border Checks: 10 more international airports(in cities like Tianjin, Nanjing, and Chongqing) will allow foreign passengers to transit without undergoing immigration procedures.
- Online Entry Card Submission: Starting November 20, foreign visitors can complete their arrival cards onlinebefore entering China. Alternatively, they can fill them out digitally at inspection points or use traditional paper forms.
- Easier Cross-Border Travel for Chinese & Taiwanese: Simplified measures for mainland Chinese visiting Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, as well as for Taiwanese residents traveling to the mainland.
Extended Visa-Free Deals for European Nations
On the same day, China’s Foreign Ministryconfirmed that unilateral visa exemptions for over 40 countries—including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and now Sweden—will be extended to December 31, 2026. Previously, some of these exemptions were set to expire at the end of 2025.
Sweden will join the visa-free program from November 10, 2025, to December 31, 2026, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning.
Boosting People-to-People Exchanges
These moves align with the recent Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee meeting, which outlined plans for high-level opening-upand enhanced international engagement.
Mao Ningstated that the policies aim to “implement the CPC plenum’s directives, expand high-level openness, and facilitate personnel exchanges.”
Surging Visa-Free Travel Demand
According to NIA data, in Q3 2025, 7.246 million foreign nationals visited Chinaunder visa-free policies—a 48.3% year-on-year increase, accounting for 72.2% of all foreign entries.
The 240-hour transit policywas first piloted in December 2023for passport holders from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia, later expanding to more nations and durations.
