China’s Visa-Free Policies: Latest Updates

China offers multiple visa-free travel policies to foreigners, enabling people from a wide range of countries to visit China on a short-term basis. In this article, we provide an overview of all of the China visa-free travel policies currently available and explain who is eligible to enjoy them.

Below we provide an overview of all the visa-free options that are currently available for people traveling to China, and who is eligible to enjoy these policies.

Countries with mutual visa exemption agreements with China 

China has also signed agreements on mutual visa exemption with over 150 countries, which enable certain citizens to travel to China without a visa. However, for the majority of countries, visa-free arrangements apply only to diplomatic or official passports.

A few countries enable visa-free travel to China for citizens holding ordinary passports. Citizens from these countries are generally allowed to travel to China without a visa for a single stay of up to 30 days or a cumulative stay of no more than 90 days within any 180 days for the purposes of tourism, travel, business, and visiting family or friends. For stays exceeding 30 days, cumulative stays surpassing 90 days within 180 days, or activities such as employment, study, residence, or journalism that require prior approval from the competent authorities of the host party, an appropriate visa must be obtained before entering China.

Currently, there are 29 such countries (two will take effect soon):

Countries enjoying unilateral visa-free travel to China 

Currently, China offers unilateral visa-free travel to below 50 countries (with Canada and the UK eligible from February 17, 2026):

To note, citizens from these countries would also have had to apply for a visa in advance if they: 

1. Expect to stay in China for more than 30 days; or
2. Intend to study, work, settle down, or attend an interview in China.

Read more about China’s unilateral visa-free entry policy: China Expands Unilateral Visa-Free Policy to 9 Additional Countries, Including Japan, Extends Stay to 30 Days

24/240-hour China visa-free transit 

China allows eligible travelers from certain countries to enter and stay in certain areas of China for 24 or 240-hour periods without prior application for a visa when transiting to a third country. 

Note that people are excluded from this policy if they are: 

• Not permitted to enter the country as stipulated by laws and administrative regulations (such as people who have been subject to sanctions or travel bans); 
• Hold a passport or other international travel document that is valid for less than three months upon the time of arrival, or which has a refusal stamp from a Chinese visa issuing agency; 
• Have records of illegal entry and exit, illegal residence, and illegal employment in China in the last five years; and/or
• Have violated accommodation registration regulations in the last two years, and the circumstances are deemed serious. 

240-hour visa-free transit 

Under the newly upgraded 240-hour visa-free transit policy, foreign travelers can apply for a 10-day entry permit to certain Chinese cities upon arrival at the port of entry, provided they hold a passport from one of the 55 eligible countries. They also must show that they are traveling to a third country after leaving China, which means they must show a connecting ticket to a third country when arriving in China. This is a great option for people who want to make a short stopover to explore various areas of the country. 

The 55 countries are: 

• 25 countries in the European Schengen area: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.  
• 15 other countries in Europe: Russia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Monaco, and Belarus.  
• Six countries in the Americas: the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile.  
• Two countries in Oceania: Australia and New Zealand.  
• Six countries in Asia: South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Indonesia. 

Eligible travelers can only apply for the 240-hour visa-free transit if they enter through one of the 65 designated ports. In addition, travelers are only allowed to travel within a certain area on the entry permit and exit the country through designated ports as well. People who travel outside the permitted area and exit the country through a non-designated port may face certain penalties. 

For more information on eligibility requirements, permitted ports of entry and exit, and permitted scope of travel, see our dedicated article: 240-hour Visa-Free Transit Policy for Foreigners. 

24-hour visa-free transit 

All international travelers (except those exempted due to special circumstances) who are transiting through China are permitted to apply for a 24-hour visa-free entry permit upon arrival. As with the other two visa-free transit policies, travelers must provide a connecting ticket to a third country. They are not permitted to leave the city in which they arrived during their 24-hour stay and must leave the country within 24 hours.  

China visa-free policies for individual travelers and tour groups

Pearl River Delta 

People from countries that have established diplomatic relations with China and are traveling in a tourist group organized by a travel agency registered in Hong Kong or Macao can travel to the nine mainland Chinese cities of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region (Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Zhaoqing, and Huizhou) for up to six days (144 hours) without a visa. The same policy also applies to tour groups visiting Shantou in Guangdong Province, as long as their activities do not extend beyond the administrative area of Shantou. 

To be eligible for this policy, the tour group must depart from Hong Kong or Macao. 

Hainan 

Citizens of 59 countries are now eligible for 30 days of visa-free travel to the province of Hainan for purposes such as business, visiting, family reunions, medical treatment, exhibitions, sports competitions, and other needs (excluding long-term working and studying). Eligible travelers are free to travel around the whole province of Hainan and can travel from Hong Kong or any other place outside Mainland China with a direct flight to the island.  This visa-free access will count its 30-day duration from 00:00 the day following the entry date.

This policy was previously only applicable to tour groups but was expanded to individual travel as well on March 15, 2023. On February 9, 2024, the 30-day visa-free travel to the province of Hainan was expanded again to include more allowed purposes of entry. 

The 59 eligible countries are Russia, the UK, France, Germany, Norway, Ukraine, Italy, Austria, Finland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, the US, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, UAE, Qatar, Monaco, and Belarus. 

The NIA also introduced a new 144-hour visa-free policy for foreign tour groups from Hong Kong and Macao entering Hainan,  effective from July 30, 2024. This policy aims to attract more international tourists to Hainan, enhance its global reputation and tourism competitiveness, and strengthen economic and cultural exchanges between Hong Kong, Macao, and Hainan. Key points of the policy are summarized below:

Guilin 

Tour groups consisting of a minimum of two people from the 10 ASEAN countries (Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Brunei, and the Philippines) that are organized and hosted by a travel agency registered and approved by the tourism authority of Guilin, Guangxi Province, can enter and exit through Guilin airport port and stay in Guilin for up to six days (144 hours) without a visa. 

Xishuangbanna

Groups of two or more people from ASEAN nations, holding ordinary passports and organized by Chinese travel agencies, can enter and exit through Xishuangbanna Gasa International Airport, Mohan Railway Port, and Mohan Highway Port without a visa. The policy allows a stay of up to six days within the administrative region of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture (if they meet the mutual visa exemption agreements signed with China or China’s unilateral visa exemption policy, they can follow those regulations). The stay period starts from 00:00 the day after entry. This policy aims to boost tourism and strengthen ties with ASEAN countries.

Visa-free travel for tour groups from six countries 

Some of the agreements on mutual visa exemption also enable visa-free travel for tour groups. These countries are Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia, Georgia, Moldova, and Turkmenistan. 

The requirements for the tour groups differ slightly between the different countries’ agreements and may include having a minimum of five people in the tour group, and in general, the trip can last up to 30 days. There are no limits placed on where the tour group can travel, but the tours must be organized by certain designated agencies.  

Visa-free travel for tour groups on cruise ships

Effective May 15, 2024, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) has officially implemented a visa-free policy for foreign tourist groups entering China via cruise ships. This progressive move aims to enhance personnel exchanges and foster cooperation between China and other nations, furthering the country’s commitment to high-level openness.

Under this policy, foreign tourist groups, comprising two or more individuals, who travel by cruise ship and are organized by Chinese domestic travel agencies, can now enjoy visa-free entry as a cohesive group at cruise ports in 13 cities along the Chinese coast.

These cities include:

1. Tianjin
2. Dalian (Liaoning)
3. Shanghai
4. Lianyungang (Jiangsu)
5. Wenzhou (Zhejiang)
6. Zhoushan (Zhejiang)
7. Xiamen (Fujian)
8. Qingdao (Shandong)
9. Guangzhou(Guangdong)
10. Shenzhen (Guangdong)
11. Beihai (Guangxi)
12. Haikou (Hainan)
13. Sanya (Hainan)

The tourist group must remain with the same cruise ship until its next port of call and stay within China for no more than 15 days. The eligible areas for this policy are 11 coastal provinces/autonomous regions /municipalities (Tianjin, Hebei, Liaoning, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Shandong, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan) and Beijing.

Special cards enabling China visa-free entry 

APEC Business Travel Card holders 

Holders of a valid Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Travel Card (ABTC) can enter China multiple times within the card’s validity period for business purposes for periods of up to 60 days at a time. The ABTC is valid for five years and thus functions as a five-year multi-entry visa.

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Only citizens of the 21 APEC member economies are eligible for the ABTC (Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia; Singapore; Taiwan, Thailand, the US, and Vietnam). 

Note that although Canada and the US do offer ABTCs, they only provide fast-track immigration processing and do not offer reciprocal entry arrangements, meaning that ABTC holders from the US and Canada are not eligible to enter China directly without a visa, and vice versa. 

In addition, candidates must engage in regular business travel through the APEC member economies and not hold a criminal record. 

Entry to China with the ABTC was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic but resumed on August 24, 2022. 

Permanent residence card holders 

It goes without saying that holders of a Chinese permanent residence card do not need to apply for a visa to travel to China, and can freely leave and enter the country through all passenger ports for work, business, family visits, and travel. 

To be eligible for the permanent residency card, foreigners must meet a relatively high bar of work and liquidity requirements, which vary from region to region. For more information on this topic, see our articles on applying for a permanent residence card in Shanghai, Guangdong, and Beijing. 

Residence permit holders

Foreigners with residence permits issued by Chinese public security organs who are in China for work or study are permitted to leave and enter the country as many times as they wish without applying for a visa each time, provided it is during the validity period of the residence permit.

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Foreigners and foreign journalists who come to China for work or study are required to apply for a residence permit after first entering the country. 

Note that the residence permit will be provided as a sticker in the passport with the word “residence” on it, rather than as a separate residence card. 

(This article was first published in November 2023 and was last updated on January 20, 2026.)

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