Before You Go
China Visa Information
Check visa-free entry, transit rules and tourist visa requirements before your trip to China.
Quick takeaways
- Check your passport and dates Visa-free eligibility depends on your passport, purpose and the policy in force for your trip.
- Check the onward route 240-hour transit requires travel to a third country or region and stays within permitted areas.
- Apply when an exemption does not fit For a tourism visa, use the current instructions from the office responsible for your residence.
On this page
Start With Your Entry Route
Your passport, travel purpose, dates and route determine which rules apply. Check visa-free options first, then apply for the appropriate visa if your trip falls outside them.
| Entry route | Who should check it? | Key limit |
|---|---|---|
| 30-day visa-free entry | Ordinary-passport holders from the 50 listed countries | Up to 30 days; nationality-specific policy expiry |
| 240-hour transit | Eligible travelers continuing to a third country or region | Approved ports and permitted areas only |
| Tourist (L) visa | Tourists who need a visa for their planned trip | Entries and stay length shown on the issued visa |
| Hainan visa-free entry | Eligible visitors whose trip is limited to Hainan | Up to 30 days within Hainan |
Separate bilateral agreements may also cover your passport. Check the official agreement list, including its passport category and conditions. Some agreements cover only diplomatic or service passports.
30-Day Visa-Free Entry
China’s unilateral waiver currently covers ordinary passports from 50 countries, including the United Kingdom and Canada. It allows eligible short visits for tourism, business, visiting family or friends, exchanges and transit.
View the 50 eligible countries
Europe: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom.
Asia: Bahrain, Brunei, Japan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, South Korea.
Oceania: Australia, New Zealand.
The Americas: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Peru, Uruguay.
The 30-day period starts on the day after arrival. A qualifying return trip is possible: you do not need to continue to a third country under this waiver. Your ordinary passport must remain valid for your intended stay.
Carry accommodation and onward-travel details, plus documents explaining your visit if relevant. Work, formal study and news reporting require the appropriate authorization. If you already plan to stay longer than 30 days, arrange the correct visa before traveling.
Transiting Through China
240-hour visa-free transit
This route currently covers 57 nationalities, with 65 designated ports across 24 provincial-level areas. Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam joined on 20 August 2026. Your travel must stay within the permitted areas.
You need an eligible passport, confirmed onward travel to a third country or region, and permission to enter that destination. The travel document must have at least three months’ validity. The allowed stay is counted from midnight after arrival; follow the deadline granted at entry.
Before booking, check the eligible passports, ports and permitted areas against your complete itinerary.
24-hour transit
A separate policy covers eligible transit of up to 24 hours with confirmed onward transport. Remaining in the restricted transit area and entering the country are different: leaving that area requires temporary entry permission from border inspection.
Applying for a Tourist Visa
If your holiday does not qualify for an exemption, check the L visa, which is for tourism. Family visits may instead require a Q or S category, depending on whom you are visiting and your circumstances.
Find the office responsible for your residence.
Use the official embassy and consulate directory, then follow your office’s link to any appointed visa application center.
Follow its current online instructions.
Many offices now use online forms, document uploads and preliminary review. An online submission is not an issued visa.
Submit your passport when instructed.
Follow the local rules for appointments, original documents, representatives and any required interview.
Collect and check the result.
Check your name, passport number, entry validity, number of entries and permitted stay before departure.
Documents to prepare
Common requirements include a passport meeting the office’s validity and blank-page rules, an application and photo, and proof of residence or lawful stay where you apply. Extra documents may be needed for children, former Chinese citizens or applicants with previous Chinese visas.
Supporting travel documents vary by location. For example, the Milan center lists itinerary and accommodation or invitation evidence. By contrast, L applicants applying within the United States no longer routinely need flight bookings, hotel reservations, an itinerary or an invitation letter. This US rule is not a worldwide exemption.
Timing, fees and fingerprints
Use your local office’s current processing estimate and fee schedule. Online review, requests for additional documents and passport delivery can add time; express service is not available in every case. Avoid treating a counter-processing estimate as the full application timeline.
Through 31 December 2026, applicants for short-term visas allowing stays of no more than 180 days are exempt from visa-application fingerprint collection at Chinese issuing authorities abroad. This does not remove other application requirements or determine border procedures.
Hainan and Other Regional Options
Hainan’s separate 30-day visa-free policy now covers ordinary-passport holders from 61 countries. It allows eligible short visits within Hainan Province; it does not authorize onward travel to the rest of mainland China.
If your trip also includes Shanghai, Beijing or another mainland destination, check whether a national waiver, visa or valid transit arrangement covers the entire itinerary. Do not assume the Hainan allowance transfers to the next destination.
Other regional or organized-group exemptions exist, with specific route and agency conditions. Use the official regional policy guidance for a trip built around one of these arrangements.
What about a visa on arrival?
Do not rely on a port visa as a routine fallback for a holiday. Individual applications are possible in qualifying circumstances, including urgent travel; tourist group applications require advance arrangements through the receiving Chinese travel agency. Consult the relevant port authority before traveling. See the official port-visa guidance.
Hong Kong and Macao
Hong Kong and Macao have separate immigration rules. Visa-free periods depend on your passport and can differ substantially from mainland China’s rules—and from each other.
Check the Hong Kong entry requirements and Macao entry requirements for your exact passport category. A mainland visa or exemption does not automatically establish your eligibility for either destination.
If you leave mainland China for Hong Kong or Macao and then return, check your eligibility for that new mainland entry, including any remaining visa entries.
Before You Depart
- Check the whole route. Include international connections, entry and exit ports, and any return to mainland China.
- Keep key documents accessible. Save your visa if required, transport confirmations, accommodation address and relevant invitation or purpose-of-visit documents.
- Recheck time-limited policies. Match the current rule to your passport and actual travel dates.
The arrival card
Since 20 November 2025, travelers who need an arrival card can complete it online through the National Immigration Administration. Onsite digital and paper options remain available. The card records arrival information; it does not replace a visa or establish visa-free eligibility.
Visa Questions, Answered
Do US passport holders get the 30-day national waiver?
US passports are not on the 50-country unilateral list. A qualifying transit itinerary or Hainan-only visit may use a separate exemption. Otherwise, check the visa requirements for your trip.
Is a return ticket enough for 240-hour transit?
Not if the places immediately before and after mainland China are the same country or region. The transit route must continue to a different country or region, with confirmed onward arrangements and all other conditions met.
Does my passport always need six months left?
The requirements differ. The unilateral 30-day waiver requires validity for the intended stay; 240-hour transit requires at least three months. Visa application offices commonly require at least six months and blank pages. Check the rules for your entry route and any onward destination.
Can I stay longer after arriving visa-free?
If you already plan a stay beyond the allowance, obtain the appropriate visa in advance. If a justified need arises after entry, contact the local public security exit-entry administration before your permission expires. An application does not guarantee an extension.
Sources & editorial notes
General travel guidance, checked against the official sources below. Confirm the rules for your passport and itinerary before traveling; admission is decided by the immigration authorities.
- FAQs on Visa-free Entry into China — Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China. Checked 23 October 2026.
- Unilateral visa-free country list — 17 February 2026 — National Immigration Administration. Checked 23 October 2026.
- August 2026 expansion of transit and Hainan visa-free policies — National Immigration Administration. Checked 23 October 2026.
- Visa-Free Transit Policies — updated 20 August 2026 — National Immigration Administration. Checked 23 October 2026.
- Entry-exit measures and transit conditions — 3 November 2025 — National Immigration Administration. Checked 23 October 2026.
- Regional Visa-Free Entry Policies — updated 20 August 2026 — National Immigration Administration. Checked 23 October 2026.
- Mutual Visa Exemption Agreements — Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China. Checked 23 October 2026.
- Requirements and Procedures for Chinese Visa Application — Chinese Embassy in the United States. Checked 23 October 2026.
- Simplification of tourist visa documents in the United States — Chinese Embassy in the United States. Checked 23 October 2026.
- Apply for Ordinary Visas — updated 18 March 2026 — Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles. Checked 23 October 2026.
- Tourist (L) visa documents — Milan — Chinese Visa Application Service Center, Milan. Checked 23 October 2026.
- Short-term visa application fingerprint exemption — Chinese Embassy in Barbados. Checked 23 October 2026.
- Questions and answers on port visas — National Immigration Administration. Checked 23 October 2026.
- Visit / Transit: Visa / Entry Permit Requirements — Hong Kong Immigration Department. Checked 23 October 2026.
- Entry and exit of non-residents — Macao SAR Government. Checked 23 October 2026.
- China launches online Arrival Card — Chinese Embassy in the United States, relaying NIA guidance. Checked 23 October 2026.
- Extension of visa-free entry for Russian ordinary-passport holders — Chinese Embassy in Russia. Checked 23 October 2026.
Sources by section and question
- Start With Your Entry Route — Source 1, Source 4, Source 6, Source 7, Source 11
- 30-Day Visa-Free Entry — Source 1, Source 2, Source 17
- Transiting Through China — Source 3, Source 4, Source 5
- Applying for a Tourist Visa — Source 8, Source 9, Source 10, Source 11, Source 12
- Hainan and Other Regional Options — Source 3, Source 6, Source 13
- Hong Kong and Macao — Source 14, Source 15, Source 11
- Before You Depart — Source 1, Source 4, Source 16
- Do US passport holders get the 30-day national waiver? — Source 2, Source 4, Source 6
- Is a return ticket enough for 240-hour transit? — Source 4, Source 5
- Does my passport always need six months left? — Source 1, Source 5, Source 8, Source 11
- Can I stay longer after arriving visa-free? — Source 1, Source 13