CHINA VISA GUIDE 2026
The following covers visa‑free entry conditions for China. We highly recommend though to double check with official website of the Chinese foreign ministery. as entry policies may be updated.
Basic Passport Requirement: Valid for ≥6 months, minimum 2 blank visa pages
Valid Scope: Tourism / Business / Family visit (NO work, study, journalism)
Important Note: China Mainland policy ≠ Hong Kong / Macau entry policy (separate permission required)
1. Four Visa-Free Entry Modes (Core Table)
Category | Max Stay | Core Rules | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
Bilateral Mutual Visa-Free | 30 days | Direct entry, no extension allowed | Permanent |
China Unilateral Visa-Free | 30 days | Direct entry for qualified 50 countries | Until 31-Dec-2026(Russia: 31-Dec-2027; Brunei: Permanent) |
240-Hour Transit Visa-Free | 10 days | Onward ticket to 3rd country/region only, restricted area | Permanent |
24-Hour Port Transit | 24 hours | Stay in port transit zone only | All nationalities |
2. Bilateral Mutual Visa-Free Countries (30 Days)
Albania, UAE, Barbados, Bahamas, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dominica, Ecuador, Fiji, Grenada, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Maldives, Mauritius, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Suriname, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Thailand, Antigua and Barbuda, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Malaysia, Singapore
3. Unilateral Visa-Free 50 Countries (30 Days, Until 2026.12.31)
Europe (37): France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Slovenia, Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, Russia, Sweden, United Kingdom
Oceania (2): Australia, New Zealand
Asia (7): Brunei, South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain
Americas (6): Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Canada
4. 240-Hour Transit Visa-Free 55 Countries (Transit Only)
Europe (40): Austria, Belgium, Czech, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, Russia, UK, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Belarus, Norway
Americas (6): USA, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile
Oceania (2): Australia, New Zealand
Asia (7): South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, UAE, Qatar, Indonesia
5. Regional Group Visa-Free Policy (Min. 2 Persons, Group In & Group Out)
• Guangdong GBA: 6-day stay (10 Guangdong cities, enter via HK/Macau)
• Hainan: 6-day stay (enter via HK/Macau)
• Xishuangbanna & Guilin: 6-day stay (ASEAN tourist groups only)
6. Hong Kong & Macau Independent Visa & Re-entry Rules
• Most Western / Asian developed countries: 7–180 days visa-free for Hong Kong; 7–90 days visa-free for Macau
• HK/Macau visa-free entry cannot be used for entering China Mainland
Got your visa? Great! Next, set up your internet. Make sure you can go online and talk to family and friends in China. Before you arrive, please read our simple guides for foreign visitors: how‑to‑use‑internet and mobile‑payment tips.
We warmly welcome you to this charming country. Start your trip to China now!
