On the morning of December 17, the National Immigration Administration announced that it will fully relax and optimize the visa-free transit policy. The permitted stay duration for visa-free transit foreigners has been extended from the original 72 hours and 144 hours to 240 hours, or 10 days. Additionally, 21 new ports have been added for visa-free transit personnel to enter and exit the country, further expanding the areas where they can stay.

Hefei Xinqiao International Airport and Huangshan Tunxi International Airport are among the newly added 21 ports. Visa-free transit personnel can stay in any administrative region within Anhui Province.

What is visa-free transit? It allows travelers holding valid international travel documents with a validity of at least 3 months and confirmed tickets with dates and seats to a third country (region) within 240 hours to apply to the border inspection authorities at 60 visa-free transit ports. The authorities will process temporary entry procedures for them, with the visa-free stay period starting from midnight the day after entry.

This policy's full implementation in Anhui undoubtedly brings new opportunities for the province's cultural, tourism, and economic development. Anhui has a rich cultural heritage and abundant tourism resources. The implementation of the 240-hour visa-free transit policy will further enhance Anhui’s international attractiveness and the convenience of its tourism market, promoting more foreign friends to come to Anhui for cultural exchanges and continuously expanding the international influence of Huizhou culture, thereby enhancing the soft power of Anhui's high-quality development.

In the 2024 winter flight season, Hefei Xinqiao International Airport has opened passenger routes for travel to and from places such as Hong Kong and Macao, as well as Osaka in Japan, Seoul in South Korea, Singapore, and Bangkok in Thailand.

Reports learned from the Hefei Exit-Entry Border Inspection Station, to fully cooperate with the implementation of the policy, the station has set up a 240-hour visa-free transit processing area in the entry and exit hall of Xinqiao International Airport. They have placed temporary entry cards and filling templates for foreigners, strengthened customs flow monitoring, and organized services flexibly. During peak arrival times when many inbound travelers are expected, additional inspection channels will be opened to provide convenient and efficient services for visa-free transit travelers, enhancing their customs experience.

Source: Anhui News