The arrival hall of Beijing Capital International Airport is bustling with travelers. Among them, Ria, a passenger from Indonesia, smoothly completed the visa-free transit procedure with her valid passport and a connecting ticket to Japan. She has a business meeting to attend in Japan, and upon learning that Indonesian citizens are eligible for China’s 240-hour visa-free transit policy, she decided to transit through China and take the opportunity for a short trip.
The number of foreign travelers, like Ria, who enjoy China’s visa facilitation measures is growing rapidly. According to statistics from the National Immigration Administration (NIA), a total of 13.64 million foreign nationals entered China visa-free in the first half of this year, representing a year-on-year increase of 53.9%.
Higher Efficiency in Customs Clearance
In December last year, the NIA comprehensively optimized the visa-free transit policy by extending the stay duration for foreign nationals to 10 days, expanding its coverage to 24 provinces, and implementing cross-regional coordination to better meet the needs of visitors seeking in-depth travel experiences.
Statistics show that in the first half of this year, most travelers entering China under the 240-hour visa-free transit policy came from Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Mexico. The top five destination cities were Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Kunming, and Chengdu.
“Foreign visitors are showing increased demand for tourism, business activities, and transit stopovers in Beijing, and their travel plans are becoming more diverse,” said Yang Lele, Deputy Head of the Second Duty Team of the Fourth Duty Unit at the Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection. To ensure smooth entry for foreign travelers under the visa-free transit policy, Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport have added or upgraded 11 dedicated temporary entry permit lanes, enabling application approval and entry inspection to be completed in a single step, thereby greatly improving clearance efficiency. “During peak hours, we deploy multilingual on-site guides to ensure that passengers receive clear instructions immediately after disembarking,” Yang said.
Increasingly Evident Synergies
As of July 17 this year, China has reached comprehensive mutual visa exemption agreements with 29 countries and implemented unilateral visa-free policies for 46 countries, steadily expanding its network of visa-free partners. At the same time, the visa-free policy and ongoing trends in culture, sports, and the economy are generating powerful synergies.
“We host a large number of tourists from Europe and North America. Most are eligible for visa-free entry and can travel across provinces, making their journeys highly convenient,” said Jia Jianqiang, CEO of Beijing 6renyou International Travel Service Co., Ltd. The company is ramping up advertising in overseas markets and rolling out culturally rich, region-specific travel itineraries and products tailored to the preferences of international visitors. “We hope the cultural and tourism authorities will offer more support to travel agencies, helping us enhance pre-departure services,” Jia added.
