Visa-free entry for British visitors signals China’s most tourism-friendly move in years, as the country repositions itself for a new era of global mobility. Olivia Palamountain reports

British travellers could soon be able to visit China for up to 30 days without a visa, after Beijing agreed to relax entry rules for UK passport holders during Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s visit in January.

The announcement followed talks between Starmer and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing – the first visit by a British prime minister in eight years – and would bring the UK into line with more than 50 countries already granted visa-free access, including France, Germany, Italy, Australia and Japan. It will apply to those travelling to China for business and as tourists.

According to figures cited by the BBC from the Office for National Statistics, around 620,000 British residents travelled to China in 2024. That number is expected to rise if visa costs and administrative hurdles are removed.

The change will not come into effect immediately, but Beijing is understood to have committed to unilateral visa-free entry for UK citizens with a start date to be confirmed, reports The Guardian.

The announcement coincided with confirmation that China will cut tariffs on Scotch whisky imports from 10% to 5%, a move the UK government estimates could benefit the industry by £250 million over five years. Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca also confirmed a US$15 billion investment in China through to 2030.

For travellers, however, the most immediate impact is practical: no visa forms, no embassy appointments, and no additional fees for trips of under a month.