China Visas and Entry

Main countries at a glance

This page is for general information only and is not visa or legal advice. Entry rules, ports and procedures can change at any time; the official word is that of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Immigration Administration and Chinese embassies and consulates.

The situation for the main countries (checked November 2026):

Visa-free entry

China allows ordinary passport holders of many countries to enter visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism, family visits, business and transit. This covers most European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and others) as well as Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Canada. Several other countries have mutual visa exemption with China, among them Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates. The lists change from time to time; the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ consular website has the current one.

240-hour visa-free transit

Ordinary passport holders of the 57 countries below who are transiting China to a third country or region (for example from the United States via Shanghai to Japan; a round trip to China without a third destination does not count) may enter without a visa and stay up to 240 hours (10 days) for tourism, business or visits. Work, study and journalism still require a visa. An onward ticket with a confirmed seat and date is needed.

The 57 countries (the list changes; the National Immigration Administration’s announcement prevails):

• Europe (40): Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom
• North America (2): Canada, United States
• Latin America (4): Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico
• Oceania (2): Australia, New Zealand
• Asia (9): Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam

There are 65 ports of entry in 24 provinces and municipalities. After entry, travellers may move between provinces within the places listed below, but not beyond them, and for no more than 240 hours. For example, after entering at Shanghai one can go to Beijing, Xi’an and Chengdu, but not to Tibet, Xinjiang, Gansu or other regions not listed.

Where travellers may stay (entering through any of the ports above; travel between these provinces is allowed):

• Whole province or municipality: Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Liaoning, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Hainan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Shaanxi
• Shanxi: Taiyuan and Datong only
• Heilongjiang: Harbin only
• Jiangxi: Nanchang and Jingdezhen only
• Guangxi: 12 cities only: Nanning, Liuzhou, Guilin, Wuzhou, Beihai, Fangchenggang, Qinzhou, Guigang, Yulin, Hezhou, Hechi and Laibin
• Sichuan: 11 cities only: Chengdu, Zigong, Luzhou, Deyang, Suining, Neijiang, Leshan, Yibin, Ya’an, Meishan and Ziyang
• Yunnan: 9 cities and prefectures only: Kunming, Yuxi, Chuxiong, Honghe, Wenshan, Pu’er, Xishuangbanna, Dali and Lijiang

Countries and ports as announced by the National Immigration Administration on 20 August 2026; they may have changed since.

Chinese travellers

Chinese citizens with Chinese passports need no visa to return. Residents of Taiwan use the Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents, and residents of Hong Kong and Macau the Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents; neither needs a visa. People of Chinese descent with foreign nationality follow the rules for their passport.

Getting a visa

Others apply for a tourist visa (L visa) at a Chinese embassy, consulate or visa application service centre before travelling.

Hainan, Hong Kong and Macau

Hainan has its own visa-free entry scheme; Hong Kong and Macau have separate entry systems of their own.

Official websites

• Visas and visa-free lists: Ministry of Foreign Affairs consular service, cs.mfa.gov.cn
• Transit visa-free entry and entry procedures: National Immigration Administration, en.nia.gov.cn

Information checked in November 2026 and given for reference only. Rules and procedures change from time to time and official announcements prevail; Park of China accepts no liability for any loss arising from changes or from use of this page.

Other practical matters (payment, transport, internet and more) are in the China Travel Guide.