China’s New Trial Visa-Free Policy for Japan Sparks Increased Demand for Business and Family Travel

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China’s new trial visa-free policy for Japan is driving a surge in business, tourism, and family travel, with Japanese visitors now able to stay up to 30 days.

Japan’s new visa exemption for ordinary passport holders traveling to China is being widely welcomed by the business community. This trial visa-free initiative, which is effective from Saturday through December 31, 2025, allows Japanese travelers to stay in China for up to 30 days for business, tourism, family visits, exchanges, or transit.

The visa-free policy offers Japanese businesspeople a more seamless and efficient travel experience. Koga Hayashi, a consultant at the Japan-China Investment Promotion Organization (JCIPO), regularly travels to China, often visiting once or twice a month. Like other professionals engaged in bilateral trade, he finds the new policy greatly beneficial for conducting business across borders.

In addition to enhancing trade relations, the policy has sparked increased interest in travel to China. A Tokyo-based travel agency reported a surge in inquiries, with requests for China tours jumping by 1.5 times in the week following the announcement.

This shift in demand has also been felt by major airlines. Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) noted a marked rise in interest for both leisure and business trips to China, prompting the airline to prioritize increasing capacity on existing routes to accommodate the growing number of travelers.

The trial visa-free policy, which is also being applied to eight other countries—Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, and Latvia—brings the total number of nations eligible for this exemption to 38. Notably, the length of stay has been extended from 15 days to 30 days, underscoring China’s commitment to fostering greater global connectivity and promoting cultural exchanges.