China announces visa waiver for UK citizens
The move sees the UK join a growing number of countries whose citizens are able to visit China for up to 30 days, visa-free
China has announced that it will waiver visa rules for travellers from the UK, allowing British citizens to visit the country for up to 30 days visa-free.
The announcement follows a visit to Beijing by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, as the two countries seek closer ties.
No precise date has been announced for when the visa waiver will come into effect, but it is expected to be in the near future.
The change should benefit thousands of UK travellers annually. According to figures from the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS), approximately 620,000 people visited China from the UK in 2024.
The move makes the UK part of a club of around 50 countries whose citizens are permitted to visit China for up to 30 days without a visa, including Australia, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malaysia. the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, Slovenia, and Switzerland.