Since 2023, China has slowly reopened to British travellers, but obtaining a visa has been a slow, frustrating and expensive process putting many people off heading there
The Covid outbreak is a period of modern history many of us would rather forget. It’s almost five years since the virus brought the planet to a halt, an anniversary remembered on March 11 – the day the World Health Organisation declared a global pandemic.
Borders closed, planes were grounded and – for most people – travel plans barely extended beyond the front door.
Over time, countries quickly bounced back and reopened to foreigners – but one of the last nations to let down its defences was the very place where the pandemic began. Since 2023, China has slowly reopened to British travellers, but obtaining a visa has been a slow, frustrating and expensive process putting many people off.
At the start of this year, however, new regulations were introduced making it much easier and more enticing for UK passport holders to enter China. Under new rules, UK travellers can visit visa-free as long as they are in transit to another country. What this means in practice is that trip-twinning China with another foreign destination poses a stress-free solution to exploring the country.
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Only a connecting ticket with the confirmed departure date and seat number leaving for a third country or region within 144 hours
is needed.
Liddy Pleasants, manager of family travel specialists Stubborn Mule Travel, says: “This update is great news for UK travellers, including families, as previously China’s visa requirement included an in-person application at the embassy in London for each person travelling, including children, which was both time-consuming, and costly, at around £140 per person. Some restrictions remain, but the update means visas for UK citizens to visit China are no longer required where the stay is for 10 days or fewer on the mainland, and where that visit is a transit stay en-route to another country, including Hong Kong.”
She believes this change, along with an increasing focus on China, will lead to more bookings. Also prices haven’t risen significantly since 2020 and plenty of flight options are available, making a two-week holiday in China more comparable with the cost of other Asia destinations such as Thailand and Vietnam.
An ever-expanding network of routes covered by China’s high-speed bullet train also reduces the need for domestic flights. Lauren Coppola, product manager for China at Audley Travel, also reports growing interest from customers. “Enquiries for China are up compared to the same period last year,” she says. “And we are receiving many calls from clients keen to understand what destinations allow them to take advantage of the new visa transit rule.” Intrepid Travel also saw a 208% increase in China holiday bookings from the UK in 2024, compared to the year before.
