China's expanded visa waiver policies fuel travel surge, strengthen global ties

BEIJING - China's continuously optimized visa waiver policies have delivered significant results, fueling surge in international travel and strengthening people-to-people exchanges with the rest of the world.

As of Nov 23, Beijing ports recorded 19.35 million inbound and outbound travelers, marking an 18 percent year-on-year increase. A particularly notable rise was observed among foreign nationals, with entries and exits totaling 5.78 million -- a sharp increase of over 35 percent. Approximately 60 percent of these foreign travelers benefited from China's visa exemption or temporary entry permit policies.

The policies' effectiveness is evident nationwide. In Xiamen, East China's Fujian province, inbound and outbound passenger numbers surpassed 5.4 million by Nov 23, including over 960,000 foreign nationals -- a record high for the period.

Inland cities are also riding the wave of this surge. Datong, a historic city in north China's Shanxi province, saw its annual inbound and outbound passenger throughput exceed 50,000 for the first time, with newly launched international air routes to destinations like Moscow and Seoul bolstering its global connectivity.

"At Xiamen port, 60 percent of foreign travelers enter under visa waiver policies," said Shen Wenjuan, head of the frontier inspection department at the Gaoqi frontier inspection station. She noted that diverse travel models, including "visa-free + cruise" packages, are fueling passenger growth.

Adding to the ease of travel, a newly launched online arrival card filling system, operational since Nov 20, enables travelers to complete the procedure before boarding and present a QR code for clearance. "Filling out the arrival card online before departure and showing the QR code at immigration saves significant time -- the smart port system is remarkably efficient," said Marcia Raquel, a Portuguese traveler arriving at Beijing Daxing International Airport.

On Dec 1, 2023, China initiated trials of unilateral visa-free entry for ordinary passport holders from six countries: France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia. These policies were subsequently expanded to additional countries and extended in duration on multiple occasions.

Building steadily upon its initial visa-free trials, China has now established mutual visa exemption agreements with 29 countries and unilaterally offers visa-free entry to nationals of 48 countries. This growing visa-free "circle of friends" now spans from Europe to Latin America and the Middle East.

Further boosting international connectivity, China has added 10 airports to the list of 24-hour direct transit ports exempt from border inspection checks since Nov 5. The total number of entry ports covered under the 240-hour visa-free transit policy now stands at 65, significantly streamlining travel for international visitors.

The convergence of these facilitative measures is fundamentally reshaping the scope and depth of China's global interactions.

According to the National Immigration Administration, in the third quarter of 2025, Chinese mainland residents accounted for 89.37 million of the 178 million inbound and outbound passenger trips, underscoring a vibrant two-way flow.