In a breakthrough that ends eight years without a British prime-ministerial visit to Beijing, UK leader Keir Starmer and President Xi Jinping agreed on 29 January 2026 to allow holders of British ordinary passports to enter China visa-free for stays of up to 30 days. (theguardian.com)
The announcement, delivered at the conclusion of Starmer’s meetings with Xi and Premier Li Qiang, is framed by both sides as a confidence-building step to ‘reset’ a relationship that the British leader said had endured an “ice age” following years of strategic tension. For mobility managers it removes a major administrative hurdle: British executives will no longer need a letter of invitation, health declaration or fingerprint appointment for short business trips, cutting typical lead times from two weeks to 48 hours. (theguardian.com)
The waiver is unilateral for now—Chinese travellers to the UK must still obtain visas—but officials confirmed a joint working group will meet before June to study reciprocal facilitation, including a pilot Trusted Business Traveller scheme that could fast-track mainland executives through e-gates at Heathrow and Manchester.
Whether your employees are seizing the new visa-free window for short visits or still need documentation for work permits, family reunification or longer stays, VisaHQ can streamline the process. Its China desk provides real-time guidance, online applications, document couriering and status tracking, keeping corporate mobility programmes compliant and travellers informed. More details are available at https://www.visahq.com/china/
Practically, companies should update their global travel policies to reflect that Britons may now enter China on a passport valid for six months beyond arrival, a confirmed outbound ticket and proof of accommodation. Human-resources teams are advised to remind staff that the exemption covers tourism, meetings and market visits only; remunerated activity still requires a Z-visa and work permit.
Analysts expect the change to lift UK visitor numbers—still 40 percent below pre-pandemic peaks—and to spur bilateral trade talks on services, a sector where Britain exports £13 billion annually to China. Travel suppliers are already responding: China Eastern confirmed that seat capacity on London-Shanghai flights will increase by 18 percent for the summer schedule. (theguardian.com)