Our verdict
Depends on your passport
50 countries visa-free for 30 days; US citizens need transit, Hainan or a visa
The short answer
It depends on your passport. Ordinary-passport holders from 50 countries, including the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Australia, can enter visa-free for up to 30 days, and 29 more have mutual exemption agreements. US citizens are not covered: they need a visa, 240-hour visa-free transit to a third country, or Hainan's 30-day scheme.
| 30-day visa-free | 50 countries; most until 31 Dec 2026 |
|---|---|
| Mutual exemption | 29 countries, generally up to 30 days |
| 240-hour transit | 57 countries, 65 ports in 24 provinces |
| Hainan only | 61 countries, up to 30 days |
| US passport | Transit, Hainan or a visa |
| Questions | NIA hotline 12367 |
Which route fits your passport?
For an ordinary passport and a short trip. Find your country in the lists below to be sure.
| Your passport | Your options |
|---|---|
| On the 50-country list: most of Europe including the UK and Russia, plus Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Brunei and four Gulf states | Visa-free entry for up to 30 days |
| A mutual-exemption country, such as Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, the UAE, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Serbia or Georgia | Visa-free, generally up to 30 days |
| United States, Mexico, Indonesia, Vietnam, Czechia, Lithuania, Ukraine and other transit-list countries | 240-hour transit to a third country, Hainan for 30 days, or a visa |
| Philippines | Hainan for 30 days, or a visa |
| Everyone else, for example India | A visa. Any nationality may transit within 24 hours without leaving the airport |
30-day visa-free entry
50 countriesChina grants visa-free entry to ordinary-passport holders from these 50 countries for business, tourism, visiting family or friends, exchanges and transit. You may stay up to 30 days, counted from midnight after the day you arrive.[1][2][3][4]
Europe · 35
- Andorra
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- United Kingdom
Asia · 7
- Bahrain
- Brunei
- Japan
- Kuwait
- Oman
- Saudi Arabia
- South Korea
Americas · 6
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Canada
- Chile
- Peru
- Uruguay
Oceania · 2
- Australia
- New Zealand
How long it lasts: Brunei has no end date. Russia runs to 31 December 2027. The other 48, including the UK and Canada (added on 17 February 2026), run to 31 December 2026. The stay cannot simply be extended at the border; to stay longer, apply in advance to the local exit-entry office.
Mutual visa exemption
29 countriesA separate scheme: these 29 countries have bilateral agreements that cover ordinary passports. Stays are generally up to 30 days; longer stays need a residence permit.[5][6]
Agreement countries · 29
- Albania
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Dominica
- Ecuador
- Fiji
- Georgia
- Grenada
- Kazakhstan
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mauritius
- Qatar
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Solomon Islands
- Suriname
- Thailand
- Tonga
- United Arab Emirates
- Uzbekistan
Malaysia: up to 30 days per visit and 90 days in any 180. Russia, Japan and South Korea are not on this list; they use the 30-day scheme above.
240-hour visa-free transit
57 countriesCitizens of these 57 countries can stay up to 240 hours (10 days) without a visa when flying on to a third country or region. Allowed: tourism, business, visits and visiting family. Not allowed without a visa: work, study and journalism.[7][8][9]
Europe · 40
- Albania
- Austria
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- 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
Asia · 9
- Brunei
- Indonesia
- Japan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Qatar
- Singapore
- South Korea
- United Arab Emirates
- Vietnam
Americas · 6
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Canada
- Chile
- Mexico
- United States
Oceania · 2
- Australia
- New Zealand
Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan were added on 20 August 2026.
Transit conditions
- A valid ordinary passport with at least three months left
- A confirmed onward ticket, with date and seat, to a third country or region, leaving within 240 hours
- An arrival card, which you can fill in online before you fly
- Border inspection and questions on arrival
The 240 hours start at midnight after the day you arrive. You may move between the permitted areas of the 24 provinces.
The 65 transit ports, and where you may go
| Province | Ports | Where you may stay |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Capital and Daxing international airports | Beijing |
| Tianjin | Binhai International Airport; Tianjin seaport | Tianjin |
| Hebei | Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport; Qinhuangdao seaport | Hebei |
| Liaoning | Shenyang Taoxian and Dalian Zhoushuizi airports; Dalian seaport | Liaoning |
| Shanghai | Hongqiao and Pudong airports; Shanghai seaport | Shanghai |
| Jiangsu | Nanjing Lukou, Sunan Shuofang (Wuxi) and Yangzhou Taizhou airports; Lianyungang seaport | Jiangsu |
| Zhejiang | Hangzhou Xiaoshan, Ningbo Lishe, Wenzhou Longwan and Yiwu airports; Wenzhou and Zhoushan seaports | Zhejiang |
| Anhui | Hefei Xinqiao and Huangshan Tunxi airports | Anhui |
| Fujian | Fuzhou Changle, Xiamen Gaoqi, Quanzhou Jinjiang and Wuyishan airports; Xiamen seaport | Fujian |
| Shandong | Jinan Yaoqiang, Qingdao Jiaodong, Yantai Penglai and Weihai Dashuibo airports; Qingdao seaport | Shandong |
| Henan | Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport | Henan |
| Hubei | Wuhan Tianhe International Airport | Hubei |
| Hunan | Changsha Huanghua and Zhangjiajie Hehua airports | Hunan |
| Guangdong | Guangzhou Baiyun, Shenzhen Bao'an and Jieyang Chaoshan airports; Nansha, Shekou and Guangzhou Pazhou passenger ports; Hengqin; Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge (Zhuhai); Zhongshan Port; West Kowloon high-speed rail station | Guangdong. From most of these ports you may leave via any open port in the province |
| Hainan | Haikou Meilan and Sanya Phoenix airports | Hainan |
| Chongqing | Jiangbei International Airport | Chongqing |
| Guizhou | Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport | Guizhou |
| Shaanxi | Xi'an Xianyang International Airport | Shaanxi |
| Shanxi | Taiyuan Wusu International Airport | Taiyuan and Datong only |
| Heilongjiang | Harbin Taiping International Airport | Harbin only |
| Jiangxi | Nanchang Changbei International Airport | Nanchang and Jingdezhen only |
| Guangxi | Nanning Wuxu, Guilin Liangjiang and Beihai Fucheng airports; Beihai seaport | 12 cities: Nanning, Liuzhou, Guilin, Wuzhou, Beihai, Fangchenggang, Qinzhou, Guigang, Yulin, Hezhou, Hechi, Laibin |
| Sichuan | Chengdu Shuangliu and Chengdu Tianfu airports | 11 cities: Chengdu, Zigong, Luzhou, Deyang, Suining, Neijiang, Leshan, Yibin, Ya'an, Meishan, Ziyang |
| Yunnan | Kunming Changshui and Lijiang Sanyi airports; Mohan railway port | 9 cities and prefectures: Kunming, Yuxi, Chuxiong, Honghe, Wenshan, Pu'er, Xishuangbanna, Dali, Lijiang |
Hainan: 30 days, island only
61 countriesCitizens of these 61 countries can visit Hainan without a visa for up to 30 days, through any open port in the province. Allowed: tourism, business, visits, family, medical treatment, exhibitions and sport, but not work or study. No travel agency or invitation is needed. You may not travel on to the rest of China.[11]
Europe · 40
- Albania
- Austria
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- 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
Asia · 13
- Brunei
- Indonesia
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Malaysia
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Thailand
- United Arab Emirates
- Vietnam
Americas · 6
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Canada
- Chile
- Mexico
- United States
Oceania · 2
- Australia
- New Zealand
US passport holders: the bottom line
| Scheme | US citizens? |
|---|---|
| 30-day visa-free (50 countries) | No |
| Mutual exemption (29 countries) | No |
| 240-hour visa-free transit | Yes, with an onward ticket to a third country or region |
| 24-hour direct transit, staying airside | Yes |
| Hainan 30-day visa-free | Yes, Hainan only |
So a US citizen planning an ordinary holiday in mainland China needs a visa. The alternatives are a stop of up to 10 days on the way to a third country or region (Hong Kong counts), or a trip to Hainan alone.
What to have at the border
- Passport validity: at least six months to apply for a visa; at least three months for 240-hour transit; for 30-day visa-free entry, valid for your whole stay
- Onward ticket: required for 240-hour transit
- Hotel booking or proof of funds: not required by the visa-free or transit rules, though an itinerary helps
- Registration: your accommodation must be registered with police within 24 hours of arrival. Hotels do it for you; if you stay privately, visit the local police station
Is China safe to travel?
The UK Foreign Office does not advise against travel to any part of China. Its advice was last updated on 27 August 2026 and was still current on 22 October 2026. It flags only Tibet (permit and organised tour required), Xinjiang (heavy security, reports of arbitrary detention) and the Myanmar border area (spillover violence).
The US State Department lowered China to Level 2, “Exercise Increased Caution”, in November 2024. Its page was blocked when we checked in October 2026, so we could not confirm its current level.[13][14][15]
Questions readers ask
Is China visa-free for US citizens?
Not for an ordinary visit. US citizens can use 240-hour visa-free transit to a third country or region, or visit Hainan for up to 30 days; otherwise they need a visa.
How long can I stay in China without a visa?
Up to 30 days on the 50-country scheme, counted from midnight after you arrive. Transit allows up to 240 hours (10 days).
Can I extend a 30-day visa-free stay?
Not at the border. If you need longer, apply in advance to the local exit-entry office of the public security bureau.
Does Hong Kong count as a third region for 240-hour transit?
Yes. Hong Kong and Macao count. Taiwan has no written ruling yet, so call the NIA hotline on 12367 first.
Do I need a hotel booking or proof of funds?
Not under the visa-free or transit rules, but your accommodation must be registered with police within 24 hours of arrival. Hotels do this automatically.
Is China safe to travel?
The UK Foreign Office does not advise against travel to any part of China; it flags only Tibet, Xinjiang and the Myanmar border area.
Sources
- NIA, unilateral visa-free countries list (as of 17 Feb 2026) · accessed 22 Oct 2026
- NIA and MFA visa-free FAQ, via CCTV (23 Nov 2025) · accessed 22 Oct 2026
- MFA, visa-free policy for Canada and the UK (15 Feb 2026) · accessed 22 Oct 2026
- MFA, Russia visa-free extended to 31 Dec 2027 (20 May 2026), via gov.cn · accessed 22 Oct 2026
- MFA consular service, mutual visa-exemption agreements table · accessed 22 Oct 2026
- NIA press conference: mutual exemption covers 29 countries · accessed 22 Oct 2026
- NIA, visa-free transit policy (57 countries, 65 ports; 20 Aug 2026) · accessed 22 Oct 2026
- NIA, Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan added (20 Aug 2026) · accessed 22 Oct 2026
- NIA, Announcement No. 4 of 2025: transit conditions · accessed 22 Oct 2026
- Exit-Entry Administration Law, Article 89 (NIA full text) · accessed 22 Oct 2026
- NIA, regional visa-free policies including Hainan (20 Aug 2026) · accessed 22 Oct 2026
- NIA briefing transcript: overstays and accommodation registration · accessed 22 Oct 2026
- UK FCDO, China travel advice · accessed 22 Oct 2026
- UK FCDO, China regional risks · accessed 22 Oct 2026
- US State Department, China travel advisory (blocked when checked) · accessed 22 Oct 2026
Update log. 22 October 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 15 December 2026. Suggest a correction
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