A major country is making travelling easier once again following the Coronavirus pandemic. Five years since the world was thrown into global pandemic, China is finally relaxing its via requirements for UK passport holders. New regulations, introduced this year, are streamlining entry requirements to China, permitting visa-free transit for those travelling onward to another destination. The change allows travellers to experience China, even if briefly, without the complexities of a visa application. In recent years, securing a visa to travel to China has been a long process for British travellers, with it being both slow and costly. Now under the new rules, UK travellers can visit China visa-free, as long as they are in transit to another country.

Essentially, this means that travellers can pair China with another foreign destination to avoid having to get a visa. The only requirement is to have a connecting ticket with the confirmed departure date and seat number leaving for a third county or region within 210 hours or 10 days. The stay duration for foreign nationals eligible for visa-free transit was initially set at 72 hours, before being increased to 144 and then 240 in December 2024.

As part of the new policy, 21 ports of entry and exit have also been added for visa-free transit individuals. In December, The National Immigration Administration (NIA) of China also increased the number of provinces the visa-free transit was allowed in, from 19 to 24. “This update is great news for UK travellers, including families, as previously China’s visa requirement included an in-person application at the embassy in London for each person travelling, including children, which was both time-consuming and costly, at around £140pp,” says the founder and managing director of family travel specialists Stubborn Mule Travel, Liddy Pleasants, reports The Independent.

“Some restrictions remain, but the update means that visas for UK citizens to visit China are no longer required where the stay is for 10 days or less in mainland China, where that visit is a transit stay en-route to another country, including Hong Kong.". Liddy continued that she believes the change will lead to more bookings to China. Lauren Coppola, product manager for China at Audley Travel, also reported growing interest from customers. She said: “Enquiries for China are up compared to the same period last year, and we are receiving many calls from clients keen to understand what destinations allow them to take advantage of the new visa transit rule.”.

Beijing Municipality. Tianjin Municipality. Hebei Province. Liaoning Province. Heilongjiang Province. Shanghai Municipality. Jiangsu Province. Zhejiang Province. Fujian Province. Shandong Province. Henan Province. Guangdong Province. Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Chongqing Municipality. Sichuan Province. Yunnan Province. Shaanxi Province. Hubei Province. Hunan Province. Shanxi Province (added Dec 2024) (Limited to Taiyuan and Datong).