China Opens Its Doors Wider to European Visitors
China has expanded its visa-free entry policy to cover most European countries, allowing eligible travellers to stay for up to 30 days without a visa. The move marks a significant relaxation compared with earlier rules and forms part of Beijing’s broader effort to revive inbound tourism. Sweden joined the list in November, and by January 2026 the scheme covered almost all of Europe, with the UK remaining excluded.
The scheme has been expanded step by step since December 2023, when China first removed visa requirements for travellers from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, before gradually adding most other European countries to the list. Additional European, Latin American and Middle Eastern countries followed, with Azerbaijan due to join in July. According to China’s National Immigration Administration, more than 20 million foreign visitors entered visa-free in 2024, more than double the previous year.
“This really helps people to travel because it is such a hassle to apply for a visa and go through the process."
Travel operators in China report a clear rise in international demand, particularly from Europe. Tour guides and agencies say enquiries and bookings have surged as administrative barriers disappear. Online travel group Trip reports that bookings for trips to China were twice as high in early 2026 compared with a year earlier. Around three quarters of those travellers came from countries covered by the visa-free scheme, pointing to a fast and measurable response to the policy change.
Visa-free entry makes longer trips across China easier to plan for European visitors, especially beyond the main arrival hubs of Beijing and Shanghai. Travellers can more realistically combine places such as Xi’an and its Terracotta Army, cities along the Yangtze, or historic towns in Yunnan and Fujian in a single journey. A 30-day stay also suits slower travel, with time for regional trains, smaller cities and rural areas.
China’s wider visa-free access marks a clear change in how the country is rebuilding international tourism after several quiet years. Fewer formalities make spontaneous trips and return visits easier to plan, especially for European travellers. As Europe becomes a more visible source market again, the policy is likely to influence how China manages tourism growth, border openness and entry rules going forward.
