China Visa-Free Entry in 2026: The Complete Guide

If you hold a passport from one of roughly 50 countries, you can fly to China, stay up to 30 days, and leave — no visa application, no embassy fees, no onward-ticket requirement. The policy is the most generous China has offered in over a decade, and it currently runs through December 31, 2026.

This guide covers the three main visa-free routes — the 30-day unilateral policy, mutual exemption agreements, and the 240-hour transit policy — plus the fine print that catches travellers out.

The 30-day visa-free list

The unilateral list covers most of Europe (including the UK, added February 17, 2026), Canada (also February 2026), Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, the Gulf states, and much of Latin America including Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Uruguay. Sweden joined in November 2025.

The rules: ordinary passport with 6+ months validity, stays of up to 30 days per entry, for tourism, business, family visits, exchange or transit. No pre-registration is needed — you're stamped in at the border.

Separately, countries like Thailand (effective March 1, 2026), Singapore, Malaysia and Georgia have mutual exemption agreements — these are permanent treaties rather than a policy window, though terms like '90 days per 180' caps apply in some cases.

The 240-hour transit policy

Not on the 30-day list? Citizens of 55 countries — including the United States and Mexico — can still enter visa-free for up to 240 hours (10 days) when transiting to a third destination. You need an onward ticket to a country other than the one you arrived from; Hong Kong and Macau count as third destinations.

Entry and exit must be through one of 65 approved ports covering 24 provinces, which includes every major tourist city: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xi'an, Hangzhou and more.

The fine print that catches people

Passport validity: officers enforce the 6-month rule strictly. Renew first if you're close.

Overstaying: fines run ¥500 per day (capped at ¥10,000) with possible entry bans. Plan to leave on day 29, not day 30.

No conversions: a visa-free entry cannot be converted to a work or study visa from inside China.

Expiry risk: the 30-day policy is announced in waves and is only confirmed through December 31, 2026. If your trip is near or after that date, re-verify before booking — our visa checker shows a live countdown for your nationality.

Before you fly

Every traveller must complete an arrival card — you can do it online up to 72 hours before landing and save the QR code. First-time visitors aged 14–70 are fingerprinted at immigration; it's routine.

Check your visa status, build an itinerary and get a personalised pre-departure checklist with FirstChinaTrip's free planner.