China Digital Arrival Card: Faster Visa-Free Entry 2025

China rolls out a Digital Arrival Card from 20 Nov 2025 and expands 24-hour and 240-hour visa-free transit to more airports and ports. Practical update for travel agents, consolidators and corporate travel teams. 

What changed — the headlines (fast read for agents)

• China will introduce a Digital Arrival Card for all foreign travellers starting 20 November 2025, letting visitors submit entry data online before travel (or on arrival via QR/kiosk).

• The government rolled out 10 new exit-entry measures to further streamline cross-border movement and trade.

• 24-hour visa-free transit was extended to 10 additional international airports (effective 5 Nov 2025), enabling airside transfers without immigration for eligible connecting passengers.

• China also expanded its 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit program to cover 65 ports across 24 provincial regions for travellers from eligible countries.

Digital Arrival Card — what it means operationally

From a process perspective, the Digital Arrival Card lets travellers complete the standard arrival-card fields online via the NIA portal, the NIA 12367 app, and mini-programs on WeChat/Alipay. Travellers who miss pre-submission can still use airport QR codes or self-service kiosks; paper forms remain temporarily for transition. This reduces paper handling, speeds up primary inspection lanes and lowers time at immigration for compliant passengers. 

Action for travel sellers / corporate travel teams:

Update pre-travel checklists and automated traveller emails to include the NIA online arrival form links and remind passengers to complete it before departure. Consider adding a fallback note for “scan QR or use kiosk on arrival” for last-minute travellers.

Visa-free transit expansions — where and who benefits

24-hour direct transit (airside) added to 10 airports — new airports include Tianjin, Dalian, Nanjing, Fuzhou, Qingdao, Wuhan, Nanning, Haikou, Chongqing and Kunming. This lets eligible connecting passengers stay airside and transit to a third country without entry immigration, provided they meet transfer conditions. Ideal for routing point-to-point travellers and group itineraries with tight connections. 

240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit now covers 65 ports including added Guangdong entry points (Guangzhou Pazhou Ferry, Hengqin Port, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Port, Zhongshan Passenger Port and West Kowloon Station port of the high-speed rail). Citizens of 55 eligible countries can use these ports for short visits without a visa, subject to transit rules and onward tickets. This opens options for short stopover itineraries and incentive travel in southern China.

Action for agents:

Map your inventory and fare rules to include the new transit hubs. Re-price multi-segment routings that can exploit visa-free transfers (this may unlock lower O&D fares or attractive stopover packages).

Family-visit permit and document renewals — convenience gains

One of the 10 measures simplifies family-visit permit renewals: mainland residents visiting Hong Kong or Macao on family-visit endorsements can now renew at China Travel Service offices in Hong Kong and Macau rather than travelling back to the mainland. This reduces travel friction for repeat family visitors and can be a selling point for clients with cross-border ties. 

Action for corporate HR / mobility teams:

If your workforce crosses the Hong Kong/Macau border frequently, update internal guidance so staff can renew permits locally and avoid unnecessary mainland trips.

Compliance and risk notes (don’t skip these)

• Check eligibility carefully. Transit policies (24h / 240h) have nationality and documentation conditions — agents must confirm each traveller’s eligibility before ticketing.

• Onward/third-country requirement. Visa-free transit usually requires proof of onward travel to a third country within the specified time window. Make sure ETAs/tickets align.

• Local operational variance. Airports and ports may differ in implementation speed; maintain communication with local airline/ground teams in case kiosks or e-forms aren’t live yet. 

Revenue and product opportunities for B2B sellers

• New stopover products: Build 2–3-day stopover packages around expanded 240-hour ports (especially Guangdong and southern hubs) — attractive for incentive groups and short business visits.

• Transfer-only fares: Use 24-hour airside transit airports to create cheaper transfer routings with shorter minimum connections. Audit fare rules for saleable combinable options.

• SLA upgrades: Offer “arrival-card completion” concierge add-ons for VIP corporate travellers — pre-fill forms and verify documents before departure for smoother arrivals.
  
  

Practical to-do checklist (quick)

• Update client advisories to include the NIA arrival card URL and instructions.

• Flag itineraries passing via the new 24-hour airports for potential transfer advantages.

• Train sales teams on 240-hour port list and eligibility rules; add to product playbooks.

• Coordinate with local offices/ground-handling to confirm kiosk availability at each airport. 

Conclusion — why this matters for AgentBazar partners

China’s move toward a digital arrival card plus broader 24h and 240h visa-free access is a practical opening for travel trade professionals: fewer entry frictions, new stopover product opportunities, and smarter routing options for corporate and group travel. For B2B sellers, the quick wins are operational — update pre-travel communications, re-price transfer routings, and package short stays around the new ports to capture incremental revenue. 

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