Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 29, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 29, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleChina permits UK citizens to visit visa-free for trips under 30 days, as announced by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office.
BEIJING, Jan 29 (Reuters) - China agreed to relax rules to allow some visa-free travel for British citizens on Thursday during a visit by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Beijing, as part of a partnership deal which London hopes will help expand its service sector.
British citizens will be allowed to visit China without a visa if they are travelling for under 30 days, Starmer said following his talks with President Xi Jinping, in what he cast as a win for business.
Companies had been "crying out for ways to grow their footprints in China", a statement from Starmer said, adding that visa-free travel would help facilitate expansion in that market, boosting jobs at home.
Injecting growth into Britain's relatively sluggish economy is one of the main aims of his four-day trip.
As part of what Britain called a "new partnership", the two countries also agreed to conduct a feasibility study which could pave the way towards a bilateral services agreement, which would further help British firms doing business in China.
Britain's economy is underpinned by its huge services sector and the partnership will aim to grow links in the healthcare, financial and professional services, legal services, education and skills sectors, the statement said.
Britain exports 13 billion pounds worth of services to China annually, it added, and demand from China is growing.
(Reporting by Andrew MacAskill and Muvija M, writing by Sarah Young, editing by Catarina Demony and William James)
Visa-free travel allows individuals to enter a country without needing a visa for a specified period. This agreement simplifies travel for citizens of participating countries.
A visa is an official document that allows a person to enter, stay, or leave a country for a specified purpose and duration. It is usually stamped in a passport.
The UK economy refers to the economic system of the United Kingdom, characterized by a mixed economy that includes various sectors such as services, manufacturing, and finance.
Foreign exchange, or forex, is the market where currencies are traded. It determines the value of one currency against another and is crucial for international trade.
Explore more articles in the Finance category
