Germany’s Federal Foreign Office updated its travel and security advice for China on 18 July, reiterating that German ordinary-passport holders may enter China visa-free for up to 30 days until 31 December 2026. The clarification follows anecdotal reports of travellers being asked for supporting documentation at regional ports of entry. The waiver, first announced in December 2025 and subsequently extended, applies to tourism, business, family visits and transit. Travellers staying in private accommodation must still register with local Public Security Bureaus within 24 hours—hotels continue to handle registration automatically. Importantly, the Foreign Office warns that exit bans can be imposed on foreigners involved in civil or criminal proceedings, a reminder that visa-free entry does not override local legal processes. For corporates the dispensation significantly reduces administrative friction: German nationals made roughly 680,000 business trips to China in 2023, according to the German Chamber of Commerce in China. HR teams can now redeploy visa-budget spend to compliance training on China’s evolving data-security rules, which often trip up short-term assignees more than entry paperwork does. The policy also dovetails with Beijing’s wider unilateral visa-waiver strategy, which now covers 50 countries, including France, Italy and most of Scandinavia. Travel industry analysts say the scheme has helped restore inbound passenger volumes to 81 % of 2019 levels. Lufthansa has already added a second daily Frankfurt–Shanghai frequency for the winter schedule and is considering resuming Munich–Shenzhen ahead of the Canton Fair in October. German companies should remind travelling staff that the 30-day clock starts at 00:00 the day after arrival, and that a conversion to a long-term residence permit still requires an exit-and-re-entry with the appropriate Z-, R- or M-class visa. Overstays incur fines of up to ¥10,000 and potential detention.
Source: Auswärtiges Amt (Germany)
