UK Citizens Can Now Enjoy 30-Day Visa-Free Travel to China
The recent agreement between the UK and China allows UK nationals to enter China without a visa for up to 30 days, enhancing travel possibilities.
During the recent visit of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to China, an agreement was reached to ease entry requirements, allowing UK citizens to visit China without a visa for up to 30 days.
By the end of 2025, China had also extended its unilateral visa-free policy for countries like France through 2026.
Previously, the UK was not part of China’s “visa-free circle,” and eligible British citizens had to apply for five- or ten-year multiple-entry visas for travel related to business, tourism, or family visits.
The restoration of air routes and the increas in passenger traffic were already apparent prior to the announcement of the visa waiver, indicating a strengthening of bilateral ties.
From January 19 to March 23, 2026, China Southern Airlines boosted its Guangzhou–London schedule from one to eight weekly flights using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Overall, the China-UK passenger routes have now entered a stable phase of recovery.
In the first three quarters of 2025, nearly 12,000 direct flights flew between China and the UK, with a 4% increase in round-trip passenger traffic year-on-year. With 23 direct routes connecting cities in both countries, total passenger volume reached 3,028,600.
Load factors have remained stable, with major hub routes around 86% and secondary routes at 70.3% on average.
The growth in air capacity has translated to a boost in the tourism sector. According to VisitBritain, arrivals from China to the UK are forecast to reach 667,000 in 2026—an increase of 28% from the estimated 2025 figures—projecting approximately £1.3 billion in tourism revenue for the UK economy.
