Beijing, August 28, 2025 – The Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced today that, effective September 1, China will pilot a "Quick Visa" policy for 38 countries, including Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, New Zealand, and Australia. This policy will shorten the processing time for tourist visas from 5-7 working days to 48 hours, and streamline the application process to only a passport photo and an online application form.
Following the announcement, the appointment systems of the six major visa centers in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenyang, and Wuhan saw a surge in traffic, with queues exceeding 30,000 people at some times. German travel agency DER Touristik quickly launched a "Weekend Flash Tour of China" with prices starting from 999 euros, including round-trip airfare, two nights in a four-star hotel, and an in-depth tour of the Forbidden City. The first group of 200 spots sold out in 48 hours.
According to statistics, Chinese embassies and consulates abroad issued a total of 927,000 L-type tourist visas in the first half of 2025, a year-on-year increase of 210%. 46% of these visas were issued by applicants from France, Germany, and Spain. The application documents required for US tourist visas to China have also been reduced, with round-trip airfare, hotel reservations, and invitation letters no longer required. Charlotte Smith, Chair of the Tourism Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, said, "The faster visa processing, the more decisive American tourists will be in planning their trips to China. We estimate that by the end of 2025, US arrivals will have recovered to 85% of 2019 levels."
In addition, to meet the needs of digital nomads and long-term residents, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism is working with the National Immigration Bureau to develop a "digital residence visa," allowing remote workers to stay in China for 180 days on a single entry, with the option of applying for an extension. Industry insiders predict that if implemented, this policy will directly drive the addition of 200,000 high-quality properties to the short-term rental market in "digital travel destinations" such as Hainan, Yunnan, Anji, Zhejiang, and Chengdu, Sichuan.
A vice president of China Tourism Group stated frankly: "Visa facilitation is the 'last mile' for inbound tourism recovery. With the implementation of the 'instant visa' policy, we anticipate another wave of Chinese tourism boom from September to December."