In a surprise move announced on the morning of 4 August 2026, China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA) unveiled the biggest overhaul of its transit-without-visa (TWOV) program in a decade. Effective immediately, eligible foreign passengers can now stay in the country for up to 240 hours—ten full days—without obtaining a visa in advance. The previous policy limited visa-free transit stays to 72 or 144 hours depending on location. The expansion is sweeping in geographic scope. Twenty-one additional airports have been approved as entry and exit points, lifting the total number of eligible ports from 39 to 60 and, crucially, extending coverage to 24 provincial-level regions. Newcomers include tourist gateways such as Wenzhou, Hefei, Fuzhou, Nanning and Sanya, as well as the brand-new Chengdu Tianfu International Airport in Sichuan. In three of the five newly-added provinces—Anhui, Hainan and Guizhou—transit travelers may circulate throughout the entire province instead of being confined to one city. Officials say the longer window will allow passengers to make multi-city itineraries and connect with domestic high-speed rail networks, an option that was previously unworkable for many business travelers. “The 240-hour arrangement gives executives enough time to visit two or three production sites before flying onward,” said Li Liang, a logistics manager for a German automotive supplier with plants in Anhui and Sichuan. Multinational firms have lobbied for precisely such flexibility since China began piloting 144-hour stays back in 2016. Practically, the policy promises to boost China’s convention, trade-fair and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions) sectors, which rely on quick-turnaround visits. Organizers of the Guangzhou-based China Hair Expo, for example, immediately updated their visitor portal to highlight the relaxed rules, noting that foreign attendees can now enter via any of 60 ports and cross provincial lines within the stipulated areas. Airlines are expected to follow suit with targeted marketing campaigns and through-fares that use Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou or Chengdu as regional hubs. For mobility managers, the headline takeaway is speed and simplicity. No pre-travel consulate appointments are required; travelers must present a passport from one of 54 qualifying countries, an onward ticket to a third destination, and a completed arrival card. However, companies should update travel approval workflows to ensure itineraries remain within the designated provinces and the 240-hour countdown—authorities have made clear that overstays will incur penalties. Overall, the move is seen as a strong signal that Beijing wants to revive people-to-people exchanges and reassure foreign investors that China is ‘open for business’ again.
