China visa-free travel: What U.S. travelers can do now and how demand is changing

Published on Sep 29, 2025, 9:07 pm CDT

5 min read

China's post-pandemic reopening is finally gaining momentum as visa rules ease and travelers return. U.S. passport holders can now enter mainland China for up to 10 days without a visa under the expanded transit-without-visa scheme, provided the trip continues to a third country or region. Meanwhile, China has rolled out 30-day visa-free entry for dozens of other nationalities, aiming to close the gap with 2019. On the demand side, several tour operators report sharp increases for 2025 and 2026, while others say geopolitical concerns still weigh on some U.S. travelers.

Key points

Why it matters: Visa-free options are reshaping how, and how fast, travelers can plan China trips.
Travel impact: U.S. travelers can stay up to 10 days visa-free if transiting onward to a third country or region.
What's next: China is expanding unilateral 30-day visa-free entry to more countries to spur inbound recovery.
132 million inbound visits were recorded in 2024, still below 2019.
Operators report mixed U.S. demand, but some see double-digit growth.

Snapshot

China extended its visa-free transit stay to 240 hours, or 10 days, effective December 17, 2024, for citizens of 55 countries including the United States, when traveling onward to a third country or region. Hong Kong and Macao qualify as third regions for this purpose, enabling flexible open-jaw itineraries such as U.S.-Shanghai-Hong Kong-U.S. In parallel, China has granted 30-day visa-free entry to an expanding list of countries in Europe, Asia, Oceania, and Latin America to cut friction and stimulate spending. The strategy appears to be working: authorities reported 132 million inbound visits in 2024 with inbound spending of $94.2 billion, and a rising share of foreign entries using visa-free channels in 2025. Still, inbound totals remain shy of 2019, and U.S. demand is uneven.

Background

Before the pandemic, China was one of the world's busiest destinations by total inbound "visits," and it was the largest outbound source market. Border closures and strict health controls stopped inbound travel for years. Since reopening, authorities have prioritized easier entry. First, they expanded visa-free transit from 72/144 hours to 240 hours, and widened the number of ports and permitted travel areas. Next, they introduced and then broadened unilateral 30-day visa-free entry for many nationalities, with the National Immigration Administration signaling more additions through 2025. Results are visible in macro indicators: inbound visits reached 132 million in 2024, with spending back above 90 percent of 2019 levels. Officials also highlight a surge in visa-free entries as a share of total foreign arrivals.

Latest developments

Visa-free transit to 10 days, and who qualifies

China's 240-hour visa-free transit allows eligible travelers, including U.S. citizens, to enter through designated ports and travel within permitted regions for up to 10 days, as long as the itinerary continues to a third country or region. Practical examples include U.S.-Beijing-Hong Kong-U.S., or Los Angeles-Shanghai-Tokyo-Los Angeles. The rule explicitly frames Hong Kong and Macao as separate regions for transit purposes. Separately, a growing list of countries receive 30-day visa-free entry for tourism, business, family visits, and exchange, reflecting a broader opening to inbound tourism and trade. Together, these policies reduce lead-time and paperwork, which is translating into faster booking cycles and more complex multi-city trips.

Demand signals: mixed U.S. interest, strong gains for some suppliers

Operator feedback is not uniform. Intrepid Travel cites record demand, adding three China itineraries for 2026; as of July, passenger counts in China were up 79 percent year over year, with sales up 26 percent since launching those trips. Audley Travel reports a 55 percent rise in China demand, crediting visa easing as a key catalyst. On the river side, Victoria Cruises says U.S. bookings rose about 50 percent versus 2024, but remain below 2019; the company expects a gradual rebuild with U.S. volumes returning by 2027, while European and Australian markets lead recovery. Other advisors still report hesitancy among some U.S. clients due to geopolitics, suggesting growth will be uneven across segments.

Analysis

The policy architecture now supports two distinct entry paths: 10-day visa-free transit for a broad set of nationalities, including the United States, and 30-day visa-free entry for an expanding roster of countries. For U.S. travelers specifically, the transit rule meaningfully lowers friction for short, multi-city stays-ideal for first-timers pairing Beijing or Shanghai with Hong Kong, Macao, or a wider Asia trip. The trade-off is itinerary rigidity: the onward ticket to a third region is mandatory, and stays longer than 10 days still require a visa. For suppliers, shorter lead-times and reduced documentation demands are already lifting conversion rates for escorted tours and FITs, especially in gateway-plus-extension patterns. The macro data confirms a directional rebound, with inbound counts and spend closing on 2019 benchmarks, and visa-free entries now representing a majority of foreign arrivals. Risks remain-U.S.-China relations, air capacity normalization, and lingering traveler perceptions-but the policy trend is expansionary. Expect incremental schedule growth, broader distribution partnerships, and continued easing that favors spontaneous, city-hop itineraries under the umbrella of China visa-free travel.

Final thoughts

If you are holding a U.S. passport, China's 240-hour visa-free transit enables a 10-day, multi-city mainland visit as long as your ticket continues to a third region like Hong Kong or Macao. Travelers from many other countries can enter visa-free for up to 30 days, which is accelerating recovery. For advisors and operators, the opportunity is in packaging gateway icons with regional extensions, clarifying rules up front, and right-sizing stays to policy limits. With more policy expansion expected, plan for a steady rebuild in 2026 and broader normalization by 2027, driven in part by China visa-free travel.

Sources

Topics

China