China Visa-Free Entry Guide
China's visa-free policies have expanded rapidly. Find out if your nationality qualifies, how long you can stay, and which regions you can visit - all in one place.
As of September 2026, China offers visa-free access to nationals of 79 countries - 50 under its unilateral policy and 29 under mutual agreements - across five policy tracks, plus 240-hour visa-free transit for 57 nationalities. The hardest part is no longer getting in - it is knowing which set of rules applies to you.
Check your nationality
Select your country to see all visa-free options, durations and geographic limits at a glance.
Unilateral Visa-Free - 30 days
Nationals of these 50 countries can enter mainland China visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism, business, family visits, exchanges or transit. No geographic restriction - you can travel anywhere in mainland China.
Can travel anywhere in mainland China • Cannot work, study, or do journalism
๐ช๐บ Europe (35 countries)
๐ Asia (7 countries)
๐ Oceania (2 countries)
๐ Americas (6 countries)
240-Hour Transit Visa-Free
For travellers passing through China to a third country. Stay up to 10 days within designated regions.
Must hold confirmed onward ticket to a third country (not your origin)
Travel allowed across all 24 provincial-level regions on the list below
๐ Eligible countries (57)
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, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom
North America (2): Canada, United States
South America (4): Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico
Oceania (2): Australia, New Zealand
Asia (9): Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan
๐ Designated regions & their permitted areas
The 240-hour visa-free transit policy covers 65 ports across 24 provincial-level regions. Once you enter at any one of these ports, you can travel freely across all 24 listed regions during your stay (up to 240 hours from the day after entry). Travelling from Shanghai to Beijing, or from Kunming to Chengdu, is permitted as long as both endpoints are on the list below.
Note: Regions not on the list (e.g. Tibet, Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, Xinjiang) require a separate visa โ they are not part of the 240-hour scheme.
| Entry Port City | Permitted Area |
|---|---|
| Beijing | Beijing Municipality, Tianjin Municipality, Hebei Province |
| Shanghai | Shanghai Municipality, Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province |
| Guangzhou / Shenzhen | Guangdong Province (entire province) |
| Chengdu | Sichuan Province (entire province) |
| Chongqing | Chongqing Municipality |
| Kunming | Yunnan Province (entire province) |
| Xi'an | Shaanxi Province (entire province) |
| Guiyang | Guizhou Province (entire province) |
| Wuhan | Hubei Province (entire province) |
| Harbin | Heilongjiang Province (entire province) |
| Changsha | Hunan Province (entire province) |
| Guilin | Guilin administrative area, Guangxi |
| Xiamen | Xiamen city area, Fujian Province |
| Qingdao | Shandong Province (entire province) |
| Dalian / Shenyang | Liaoning Province (entire province) |
| Zhengzhou | Henan Province (entire province) |
| Nanjing | Jiangsu Province (entire province) |
| Hangzhou / Ningbo / Wenzhou | Zhejiang Province (entire province) |
| Fuzhou | Fujian Province (entire province, since Dec 2024) |
| Haikou / Sanya | Hainan Province (entire province) |
Hainan Visa-Free
30 days on China's tropical island province. No onward ticket needed.
No onward ticket requirement • Direct flight to Hainan required
Can enter as individual traveller (not required to join a tour group)
๐ญ๐ฐ Hainan 144-hour from Hong Kong/Macau
Tour groups of 2+ people, organised by a travel agency registered in Hong Kong or Macau, can enter Hainan visa-free for up to 144 hours (6 days). Must enter and exit as a group. Covers citizens of any country with diplomatic relations with China.
Guangdong PRD 144-Hour Tour Group
Pop into the Pearl River Delta from Hong Kong or Macau without a visa.
Covers citizens of countries with diplomatic relations with China
Must depart from Hong Kong or Macau • Restricted to 9 PRD cities + Shantou
๐ Permitted cities (Guangdong PRD)
Regional special policies
Niche visa-free tracks for specific regions and traveller groups.
๐ฟ Guilin 144-Hour - ASEAN tour groups
Tour groups of 2+ people from any of the 10 ASEAN countries (Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines) can enter Guilin visa-free for up to 6 days. Must enter/exit through Guilin airport and be organised by a registered Guilin travel agency.
๐ด Xishuangbanna 144-Hour - ASEAN tour groups
Same concept, different jungle. Tour groups of 2+ from ASEAN nations can visit Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture (Yunnan) for up to 6 days. Entry ports: Xishuangbanna Gasa Airport, Mohan Railway Port or Mohan Highway Port.
๐ข Cruise ship visa-free (15 days, 13 ports)
Tour groups of 2+ entering China via international cruise ships can stay visa-free for up to 15 days. Covers 13 coastal ports: Tianjin, Dalian, Shanghai, Lianyungang, Wenzhou, Zhoushan, Xiamen, Qingdao, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Beihai, Haikou, Sanya. Includes Beijing in the permitted area.
๐ 24-hour transit - all countries
Citizens of any country can transit through China without a visa for up to 24 hours, as long as they hold valid international travel documents and confirmed onward tickets. You must stay within the city of entry. Useful for short layovers.
๐ฅ Tour group visa-free - CIS countries
Citizens of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia, Georgia, Moldova and Turkmenistan can enter China visa-free as part of a tour group (minimum 5 people). Stay up to 30 days. No geographic restriction - can travel across mainland China.
๐ค APEC Business Travel Card
Holders of the APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) can enter China visa-free for up to 60 days per entry. Multiple entries allowed. 5-year validity. Note: US and Canadian citizens are not eligible for visa-free China entry via the ABTC card.
Mutual Visa Exemption
Reciprocal agreements - your country also grants visa-free access to Chinese nationals.
Max 90 days in any 180-day period • Ordinary passports only
Can travel anywhere in mainland China
๐ค Full list (29 countries)
All policies at a glance
Compare every visa-free track side by side.
| Policy | Countries | Duration | Geographic limit | Onward ticket? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unilateral Visa-Free | 50 | 30 days | None (all mainland China) | No |
| 240-Hour Transit | 57 | 10 days | 24 provincial regions | Yes (to 3rd country) |
| Mutual Exemption | 29 | 30 days | None (all mainland China) | No |
| Hainan Visa-Free | 61 | 30 days | Hainan Province only | No |
| Guangdong PRD (tour group) | All nationalities* | 6 days (144h) | 9 PRD cities + Shantou | No (enters from HK/Macau) |
| Guilin 144h (ASEAN tour group) | 10 ASEAN countries | 6 days (144h) | Guilin area, Guangxi | Yes (via travel agency) |
| Xishuangbanna 144h (ASEAN) | 10 ASEAN countries | 6 days (144h) | Xishuangbanna, Yunnan | Yes (via travel agency) |
| Cruise ship visa-free | Tour groups (2+) | 15 days | 13 coastal ports + Beijing | No (via cruise itinerary) |
| 24-hour transit | All countries | 24 hours | City of entry only | Yes |
* Countries with diplomatic relations with China
Applying for a visa instead? โ Visa Eligibility Checker
Quick reference for 79 visa-free nationalities entering China โ Entry Requirements Quick Ref