Germany’s Federal Foreign Office updated its travel advice for China on 12 November after Beijing extended its unilateral visa-waiver scheme. German citizens can now enter the People’s Republic for stays of up to 30 days for tourism, business, family visits, academic exchanges or transit without obtaining a visa in advance; the concession is valid until 31 December 2026. The move cements a pilot policy first introduced in early 2025 to revive post-pandemic travel and trade. Chinese consulates in Germany caution that the waiver does not cover employment activities and that visitors must still register with local Public Security Bureaus within 24 hours if they are not staying in a hotel. For German corporates the decision removes a bureaucratic hurdle—visa processing previously took three to four weeks—and could accelerate project kick-offs, site visits and deal negotiations in the world’s second-largest economy. Travel managers should, however, remind employees that passports must be valid for the entire stay, that overstays incur heavy fines and exit bans, and that some regions (including Xinjiang and Tibet) maintain separate permit requirements. Companies with China operations should review their mobility policies: while short business trips are now simpler, any work that may be deemed ‘productive labour’ still requires a Z-work visa. Firms should also liaise with insurers about cover under the country’s stringent health-screening regime and ensure staff know that VPN use remains technically illegal. The visa-free window gives German exporters a timely boost ahead of the 2027 tariff changes under the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment, still pending ratification.
Source: Federal Foreign Office (Germany)
