China visa-free checker

The visa-free schemes, explained

1. Mutual visa exemption agreements (29 countries, ordinary passports)

A bilateral agreement lets ordinary-passport holders enter China without a visa for short stays. Stay limits differ by agreement. Countries marked "check" have an agreement in force but we couldn't confirm the details from an official page, so please ask the embassy.

2. 30-day unilateral visa-free entry (50 countries)

China's own visa waiver: ordinary-passport holders of 50 countries may enter for up to 30 days. Business, tourism, visiting family or friends, exchanges, transit. Not work, study or journalism. The stay is counted from 00:00 the day after entry.

3. 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit (57 countries, 65 ports)

Nationals of 57 countries transiting to a THIRD country or region can stay up to 10 days, entering via one of 65 ports.

• Ordinary passport valid for at least 3 more months
• Confirmed onward ticket (date and seat) to a third country or region, departing within 240 hours
• Origin and destination must be different countries/regions (e.g. USA → China → Japan; Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan count as regions)
• Enter via one of the 65 designated ports; stay inside the permitted areas of the 24 provinces (cross-province travel within them is allowed)
• Stay counted from 00:00 the day after entry
• Not available if your passport has a Chinese visa-refusal stamp, or you had immigration violations in China in the last 5 years

Eligible nationalities: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam.

4. Hainan 30-day visa-free entry (61 countries)

Nationals of 61 countries can enter through Hainan's open ports and stay up to 30 days within Hainan Province only. Eligible: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam.

5. 24-hour transit

Any nationality can transit for up to 24 hours without a visa if you have a confirmed onward ticket and stay in the port's restricted area.

FAQ

Can I use the 30-day visa-free entry and then leave from a different city?

Yes. Unilateral visa-free entry is not tied to a port or region. You can depart for China from any country and travel anywhere in mainland China, within the 30-day limit.

How is the 240-hour stay counted?

From 00:00 on the day after you enter, for up to 240 hours (10 days). You must already hold a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region, and stay inside the permitted areas.

Does a round trip qualify for 240-hour transit?

No. Your origin and next destination must be different countries or regions, for example USA → Shanghai → Seoul. Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan count as separate regions.

What if my country is on more than one list?

Officials apply the scheme you qualify for. Mutual agreements and the 30-day visa-free policy usually give the most flexibility, so the checker shows them first.

The policy for my country ends on 31 December 2026. What happens after?

Nobody knows yet. China has extended the policy before, but an extension has to be officially announced. We re-verify the data and update the date on this page.