On December 17, China’s National Immigration Administration announced a significant expansion of its visa-free transit policy. Effective immediately, foreign nationals transiting through China can now stay for up to 10 days (240 hours), up from the previous 72- or 144-hour limits. Additionally, 21 new ports of entry have been added to the list of visa-free transit points, further expanding the scope of the policy.
The policy now applies to 60 ports of entry across the country, a substantial increase from the previous 39, allowing greater flexibility for travelers.
One of the most significant changes is that the new policy allows for inter-provincial travel.
Nationals from 54 countries, including Russia, Brazil, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada, may transit through China en route to a third country (or region) without a visa when entering via any one of the 60 open ports across 24 provinces (regions, municipalities). They are permitted to stay within the specified areas for up to 240 hours.
Data from Tongcheng Travel shows that within just one hour of the policy announcement, there was an 87% rise in searches for domestic hotels and inbound flights compared to the same period of the previous day.
The upcoming New Year holiday is particularly attractive to foreign tourists, with hotel bookings for stays around New Year's Day increasing by more than five times compared to the same period of the previous day.
