China expands visa-free access as foreign visitor numbers begin rebound

Policy covers 144-hour visits to Henan province and several tourist hotspots in Yunnan, including Dali, Lijiang and Xishuangbanna

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China’s 144-hour visa-free transit policy has been expanded to three more ports of entry, bringing the number covered by the policy to 37. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 7:47pm, 15 Jul 2024

China has extended its visa-free transit policy to more cities in its latest move to boost inbound tourism and regain its allure for foreigners.

China’s 144-hour visa-free transit policy has been expanded to three more entry ports, bringing the number of ports covered by the policy to 37, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) announced on Monday.

The three new ports are Lijiang Sanyi International Airport and Mohan railway port, both in the southwestern province of Yunnan, and Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport in the central province of Henan.

Starting from Monday, foreigners may enter China via Zhengzhou, Henan’s provincial capital, under the policy, but they are only allowed to stay within the province.

They have also been granted visa-free access to eight more cities or prefecture-level areas in Yunnan, including tourism hotspots Lijiang, Dali and Xishuangbanna.

Previously, foreign visitors could enter Yunnan for 144 hours without a visa through the Kunming Changshui International Airport, but their travel was limited to provincial capital Kunming.

“The expansion of the visa-free policy is expected to provide more choices for foreign nationals travelling and doing business in China,” the NIA said.