Summary

The national Immigration Administration (NIA) announced on 17th December 2024 that it will further relax and enhance visa-exempt transit policy with extended validity of each stay, more ports of entry, and open up areas for visa-exempt transit travelers to stay. The policy is effective immediately. 

Highlights

The upgraded policy includes the following key points: 

  • Extension of duration of stay: The duration of stay in China for individuals from 54 eligible countries is extended to 240 hours (10 days). Please refer to Appendix I for the list of countries.
  • Increased number of ports of entry: The number of open ports of entry have been expanded to 60, which are located in 24 provinces adding 5 new provinces to the list, including Shanxi, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hainan and Guizhou Province.
  • Expansion of allowed areas of stay: Foreign nationals from eligible countries would be able to stay in the allowed 24 provinces for the purpose of tourism, family visits, medical treatment, cultural exchange, and commercial trades, with specific cities in Shanxi, Heilongjiang, Jiangxi, Guangxi and Yunnan Province. Please refer to Appendix II for the list of applicable provinces and allowed areas of stay.

Why this matters

By further relaxing and enhancing visa-exempt transit policy, China looks to attract more short-term visitors for cultural and business exchanges.  Most of the newly added ports locate in cities and provinces with rich cultural heritage and tourism resources. It is conductive to promote Chinese culture and allow the world to experience charm of China.

KPMG insights

The “upgraded” visa-exemption policies allow longer stay per entry and wider range of activities to be performed The upgrade of China’s visa-exempt transit policy will continue to boost openness and attract visitors to China, aiming at accelerating cross-border mobility and promoting international communication and cooperations, and economic interaction.

Foreign nationals intending to utilise the 240-hour visa-exempt transit policy should ensure they have the following in place: 

  • Valid international travel document with at least three-month validity;
  • Official document proving your right to enter the next destination country/region;
  • Ticket for connecting flight/appropriate transportation to the next destination country/region with confirmed date and seat for departure within 240 hours.

Foreigners who intend to come to China to work should apply for working visa in advance and convert working visa to work permit after entering into China.

If you are uncertain whether the visa-exempt transit policy applies to you, please consult a immigration counsel or with a member of the KPMG immigration team in the People’s Republic of China.

Appendix

Appendix I

 

Eligible countries(54 countries)

Valid until further notice
Continents Countries Countries Countries

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Europe(40 countries)

Austria Belgium Czech Republic
Denmark Estonia Finland
France Germany Greece
Hungary Iceland Italy
Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg
Malta The Netherlands Poland
Portugal Slovakia Slovenia
Spain Sweden Switzerland
Monaco Russia The United Kingdom
Ireland Cyprus Bulgaria
Romania Ukraine Serbia
Croatia Bosnia and Herzegovina Montenegro
North Macedonia Albania Belarus
Norway    

 

America(6 countries)

The United States of America Canada Brazil
Mexico Argentina Chile
Oceania(2 countries) Australia New Zealand  

 

Asia(6 countries)

Republic of Korea Japan Singapore
Brunei United Arab Emirates Qatar

 

Appendix II

Applicable provinces and allowed areas of stay
Valid until further notice
S/N Provinces (Regions or  Municipalities) Allowed Areas  of Stay
1 Beijing Beijing
2 Tianjin Tianjin
3 Hebei Hebei
4 Liaoning Liaoning
5 Shanghai Shanghai
6 Jiangsu Jiangsu
7 Zhejiang Zhejiang
8 Anhui Anhui
9 Fujian Fujian
10 Shandong Shandong
11 Henan Henan
12 Hubei Hubei
13 Hunan Hunan
14 Guangdong Guangdong (Exit available at all open ports across the province)
15 Hainan Hainan
16 Chongqing Chongqing
17 Guizhou Guizhou
18 Shaanxi Shaanxi
19 Shanxi Taiyuan and Datong
20 Heilongjiang Harbin
21 Jiangxi Nanchang and Jingdezhen
22 Guangxi A total of 12 cities: Nanning, Liuzhou, Guilin, Wuzhou, Beihai, Fang  Chenggang, Qinzhou, Guigang, Yulin, Hezhou, Hechi, and Laibin
23 Sichuan A total of 11 cities: Chengdu, Zigong, Luzhou, Deyang, Suining,  Neijiang, Leshan, Yibin, Yan’an, Meishan, and Ziyang
24 Yunnan A total of 9 cities and autonomous prefectures: Kunming, Yuxi,  Chuxiong, Honghe, Wenshan, Pu’er, Xishuangbanna, Dali, and Lijiang