China expands visa-free transit duration to 10 days as a strategy to attract more international travelers.
The Chinese Administration of Immigration has declared an expansion of the visa-free layover duration to 240 hours (10 days), nationwide.
Previously, there existed two classes, offering eligible travelers a stay of 72 hours (3 days) or 144 hours (6 days) depending on the site.
This transit program, a favorite tactic for international tourists intending to visit China but finding the visa procedure perplexing or overwhelming, permits visitors with confirmed China-bound flight reservations to gain a visa upon landing at a Chinese airport and traverse for a limited period before departure.
More than 50 countries, such as the US, qualify for this program.
China has openly expressed a goal to boost international tourist influx and implemented various significant policy alterations after the Covid-19 outbreak's containment.
And it appears to be yielding results.
As per data from the National Immigration Administration in 2024, foreigners entering mainland China in the year's third quarter hit a record high since tracking started in 2014.
Passport holders from 38 countries can enter China visa-free for up to 30 days, such as France, Malaysia, New Zealand, Japan, and Switzerland.
However, the US is not included.Initially, US tourists requiring a China travel visa were obliged to confirm a hotel booking, curate a travel itinerary, and make a flight reservation before applying for a visa. However, these prerequisites have been dispensed with since then.
Travelers eligible for the new 240-hour transit policy are not granted unrestricted travel rights within China. They must remain confined to the vicinity of the city they arrived in - for instance, those arriving at Shanghai must stay in the Shanghai metropolitan area, which encompasses the neighboring provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
Special regions like Tibet necessitate additional permission for foreigners to visit.
Conversely, Hong Kong and Macao serve as third destinations for those entering under the 240-hour transit visa.
Based on the latest data cited by state media, from January to November 2024, over 29 million foreigners entered the nation, marking a 86.2% year-on-year increase. Of these, approximately 17 million entered under the visa-free program, showing a 123.3% year-on-year growth.
More than four million of them entered via Shanghai, making it the most-visited location.
Simplification of visas is not the sole change China has made to attract foreign tourists.
Its two prominent digital payment apps, WeChat and AliPay, now accept foreign credit cards, offer built-in translation software, and streamlined identity verification processes.
Furthermore, the government mandates that major tourist attractions and three-, four-, and five-star hotels all accept international credit cards.
Visitors who are planning a trip and find the Chinese visa process challenging might benefit from the expansion of the visa-free layover duration, as they can now stay for up to 10 days. This news could potentially attract more international tourists interested in travel, contributing to China's goal of boosting international tourist influx.
