What the new notice actually says
China runs six regional visa-free entry schemes, and a new notice published on 20 August 2026 sets out where each one applies and how long you can stay. As of November 2026, most of these routes are for tour groups, not individual business travelers. Hainan is the main exception for short business visits.
The notice comes from the National Immigration Administration. It lists the eligible nationalities, the entry ports, the areas you can move around in, and the maximum stay for each scheme. It does not give start or end dates for the schemes. It also does not explain how “group in, group out” is checked in practice. Treat the rules below as the published position and confirm your own case before booking.
The six schemes at a glance
The table below is the fastest way to see which scheme might fit a trip. The columns show who qualifies, the stay limit, and the area covered.
| Scheme | Who qualifies | Maximum stay | Area covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hainan 30-day entry | Ordinary passport holders from 61 countries, short-term reasons only | 30 days | Hainan province |
| Cruise tour groups | Foreign tour groups of 2 or more, organised by a Chinese travel agency | 15 days | 11 coastal provinces and Beijing |
| ASEAN tours to Xishuangbanna | ASEAN country tour groups of 2 or more | 6 days | Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan |
| ASEAN tours to Guilin | ASEAN country tour groups of 2 or more | 6 days | Guilin city, Guangxi |
| Hong Kong/Macau groups to Guangdong | Groups of 2 or more formed by Hong Kong or Macau registered agencies | 6 days | 9 Greater Bay Area cities plus Shantou |
| Hong Kong/Macau groups to Hainan | Groups of 2 or more formed by Hong Kong or Macau registered agencies | 6 days | Hainan province |
For most foreign professionals flying in for meetings, the Hainan scheme is the only one that works without joining a tour. The other five are group products. They suit incentive trips, conference groups, and leisure travel, not solo business travel.
Hainan: the one route built for short business trips
The Hainan scheme is the most useful for companies. It covers ordinary passport holders from 61 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and many EU members. The notice lists 61 countries and uses “and others” phrasing, so check your nationality against the full list before you rely on it.
Eligible reasons are tourism, business talks, visits, family visits, medical treatment, exhibitions, and sports events. Work and study are excluded. If your trip involves signing contracts, attending a trade fair, or meeting a client, it can fit. If you will be employed or enrolled in a course in China, it does not.
You can enter and exit through any open port in Hainan. You must stay inside Hainan province. The limit is 30 days. The clock starts at midnight on the day after you enter. If you also hold a passport covered by a mutual visa exemption agreement with China, or another Chinese visa-free policy applies to you, those rules can apply instead.
A practical note for HR teams: the Hainan scheme is not a work permit. Staff who need to work from a Chinese office, run a local team, or stay beyond 30 days need the right long-stay visa. Our guide to the China M visa explains the business visa route for longer or more complex trips.
Cruise groups and ASEAN tours
The cruise scheme lets foreign tour groups of two or more enter visa-free through cruise ports in 13 cities. These include Tianjin, Dalian, Shanghai, Lianyungang, Wenzhou, Zhoushan, Xiamen, Qingdao, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Beihai, Haikou, and Sanya. A Chinese travel agency must organise and receive the group.
The group must stay with the same cruise until it leaves China. The area covered is 11 coastal provinces and Beijing. The limit is 15 days. This suits cruise itineraries and shore programmes, not fly-in business trips.
The two ASEAN schemes cover tour groups of two or more from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia. A Chinese travel agency must organise the group, and the group must enter and leave together.
The Xishuangbanna scheme uses three ports: Xishuangbanna Gasa International Airport, Mohan railway port, and Mohan road port. The stay is 6 days and the area is Xishuangbanna Prefecture only. The Guilin scheme uses Guilin airport, stays within Guilin city, and also allows 6 days. Groups from non-ASEAN countries do not qualify for either.
Hong Kong and Macau group tours
Two schemes cover foreign tour groups that start in Hong Kong or Macau. The travellers must be citizens of countries that have diplomatic relations with China and must hold ordinary passports. A travel agency registered in Hong Kong or Macau must form the group, and there must be at least two people.
The Guangdong scheme allows entry to nine Greater Bay Area cities plus Shantou. The cities are Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhaoqing, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Huizhou, Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, and Shantou. Entry and exit ports are the open ports in those 10 cities. The stay is 6 days and the group must move in and out together.
The Hainan scheme allows entry to Hainan province, also for 6 days, under the same group rules. These routes are useful for regional itineraries that start with a few days in Hong Kong or Macau and then continue into the mainland.
Who does not qualify
The notice is clear about exclusions. People coming for work or study cannot use the Hainan 30-day scheme. Non-ASEAN tour groups cannot use the Xishuangbanna or Guilin schemes. Independent travelers who are not organised by a Chinese or Hong Kong/Macau registered agency do not qualify for any group scheme. Groups of fewer than two people do not qualify either.
There are also gaps in the published text. The notice does not say when each scheme started or whether any have trial periods. It does not spell out how “group in, group out” is verified at the border. It does not explain how the cruise area rules interact with the listed ports. For HR and mobility teams, the safe approach is to confirm the current position with the local exit-entry authority or a qualified adviser before you book travel.
If your staff need to work in China rather than visit, the China work permit route is the relevant one. For general entry planning, see our China entry requirements overview. For business visitors who need a standard visa rather than a regional scheme, the business visa page sets out the process.
If you need the current document list checked, OTGEO can confirm it.