- China plans to expand its visa-free entry policy and enhance digital border services
- The Ministry of Public Security aims to simplify travel with more e-passports and e-permits
- Smart border channels will be introduced to speed up immigration for eligible passengers
China is set to make international travel more convenient with a series of new measures. The country has announced plans to expand its visa-free entry policy while introducing enhanced digital border services.
The Ministry of Public Security said these measures are part of a bigger plan to make the country more open and help foreign visitors travel across its borders more easily, as reported by Xinhua News Agency.
Authorities will enhance visa-free transit and entry rules and promote the wider use of digital travel documents such as e-passports and e-permits to reduce administrative hurdles. More smart border channels are also planned to speed up immigration for eligible passengers.
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The government also intends to take immigration services fully online, streamlining applications for visas, residence permits and other entry formalities.
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The announcement follows a series of recent moves by the Chinese government to ease entry for foreigners. The country plans to continue improving its visa and residency policies, along with digital immigration systems, to provide quicker services. So far, citizens of 50 countries have unilateral visa-free access, while travellers from 55 countries qualify for 240-hour visa-free transit through 65 ports.
Even before the visa expansion, summer travel has been driving a surge in passenger traffic through Beijing's ports of entry and exit. The city's streets and major attractions are filled with foreign visitors travelling for tourism, business, or study tours.
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China saw a sharp rise in inbound travel in H1 2026, with nearly 23 million foreign arrivals. According to the National Immigration Administration, that is a 20.4% increase compared to 2025. Officials linked the growth largely to the country's ongoing relaxation of visa and entry policies.
The largest groups of foreign visitors came from South Korea, Russia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, the US, Japan, Mongolia and Australia.
