A 2026 proposal aims to expand China's 240-hour visa-free transit to railway, highway, and seaports, extending access beyond airports. It targets leisure tourists from eligible countries, seeking to simplify entry for visitors from neighboring regions like South Korea and Thailand.
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More Ports, More Days: Proposal to Expand China's 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit to Trains and Ferries
If you've been encouraging your friends and family back home to visit you in China, you know that navigating visa rules is often the biggest hurdle. During the 2026 "Two Sessions" (Lianghui), a new proposal aims to make those visits much easier by significantly expanding how and where travelers can enter the country.
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Wang Yu, Chairman of Spring Airlines and a member of the CPPCC, has submitted a formal proposal to simplify and expand China's entry policies. Following a record-breaking 2025—which saw over 30 million visa-free entries—the focus is now shifting toward making China more competitive with neighboring tourism hubs like Japan and Thailand.
Key Proposals for 2026
The core of the proposal focuses on "240-hour visa-free transit" (10 days), with several major requested changes:
Opening More Ports: Currently, most transit exemptions are tied to airports. The proposal suggests opening railway, highway, and waterway ports to visa-free transit, making it easier for those entering from neighboring countries by land or sea.
Extending the Stay: By simplifying the 240-hour (10-day) transit visa, Wang hopes to bring China's policies closer to those of nearby destinations like Japan and Thailand, where tourists often enjoy visa-free stays of 21 to 90 days.
Broadening the "Friend Group": The plan calls for continuing to expand the list of countries eligible for unilateral visa-free entry to bring in a wider variety of global travelers.
Targeted Promotion: Surveys show that nearly 80% of potential Western tourists are still unaware of China's current visa-free policies. The proposal suggests using international social media and "content creator support plans" to share real, hassle-free travel experiences.
A Shifting Trend in Tourism
Wang noted that the type of traveler coming to China has changed fundamentally. In the past, most visitors were business travelers or families of expats. Today, "pure" leisure tourists make up a much larger percentage of arrivals.
While Western tourism is recovering, the biggest growth is coming from neighboring regions, including South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam. To support this, Spring Airlines is aggressively adding new routes to places like Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) and various cities in Malaysia and South Korea.
Does the 240-hour (10-day) window feel long enough for your friends to visit, or should China aim for the 30-day mark like its neighbors? Let us know what you think would make the visiting experience smoother for your family!
Source: 经济观察报
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