Particle.news

Download on the App Store

China Expands Visa-Free Entry to 74 Countries, with Azerbaijan Joining on July 16

Part of a phased post-pandemic liberalization, the change has driven a surge in international travel bookings.

A tour guide leads tourists to the shutter bus to take a half-day tour to the tourism destination which offered by a travel agency Trip.com Group, at the Beijing Capital International Airport, in Beijing on June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Tourists wait to take a half-day tour to the tourism destination which was offered by a travel agency Trip.com Group, at the Beijing Capital International Airport, in Beijing on June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
A tour guide chats with a tourist as they tour the Temple of Heaven, in Beijing on June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Overview

  • Visa-free entries topped 20 million in 2024, representing almost one-third of foreign arrivals and doubling the previous year
  • Major online travel agency Trip.com recorded a year-on-year doubling of flight, hotel and tour bookings in the first quarter of 2025, with three-quarters of customers from visa-exempt countries
  • Approximately two-thirds of the new visa waiver agreements are set to expire after one year as part of a cautious, trial-based rollout
  • Citizens of 10 countries not covered by the exemption can use a transit policy to stay visa-free for up to 10 days at 60 Chinese ports
  • Domestic tour guides and operators report overwhelming demand, with WildChina noting a 50 percent increase in business compared to pre-pandemic levels