China’s Ministry of Public Security has unveiled a new package of immigration reforms that will make it markedly easier for foreign nationals to enter and move around the country. Vice-Minister of Public Security Qi Yanjun told a State Council Information Office press conference on 27 July that Beijing will “further optimize” its visa-free entry and 24-/72-/144-/240-hour transit-without-visa (TWOV) programs while accelerating full-scale digitization of passports, travel permits and arrival-departure records. Under the plan, physical passport stamps will be phased out in favor of encrypted QR codes that populate automatically in an upgraded China Immigration app. Foreign travelers will be able to apply for or amend visas, residence permits and work authorisations entirely online and download a dynamic QR-code entry pass that functions as both identity document and customs-declaration form. The National Immigration Administration (NIA) will also expand “Smart Channel” e-gates—currently installed at 67 ports—to every international airport and the busiest land borders by the end of 2027. Policy designers say the move answers long-standing complaints from business travellers that document inspections and police registrations can still take hours despite earlier liberalisations. “Institutional openness in immigration management is the new frontier of China’s opening-up agenda,” Qi said, adding that pilot free-trade zones will be allowed to trial even looser entry rules and that proven measures will be copied to inland provinces. For companies running regional headquarters or supply-chain hubs on the mainland, the changes promise leaner mobility budgets and faster deployment of specialists. Digital entry credentials will integrate with local hotel and bank registration systems, reducing the paperwork that often frustrates newly arrived expatriates. Travel-tech vendors are already racing to embed the forthcoming Immigration API into global booking tools so employees can check admissibility in real time. Practically, employers should begin auditing internal mobility policies, because many procedures—such as mandatory in-person visa-extensions—will migrate online. HR teams are advised to enrol key assignees in the beta version of the China Immigration app once it opens to public testing in Q4 2026.
