China visa-free 2026 and 2027: who can visit without a visa and for how long

In short: citizens of 50 countries can enter mainland China without a visa for up to 30 days: most of the EU, the UK and Canada (since 17 February 2026), Switzerland, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and several Latin American and Gulf states. The policy covers tourism, business, visiting family and friends, exchanges and transit, and runs until 31 December 2026. The days count from midnight after your arrival day, so including that day you can spend 31 calendar days in China. You need a passport valid for your whole stay (6 months is safer) and an arrival card filled in online. US citizens aren't on the list: they can use the 240-hour visa-free transit or get a visa.

For us, the visa-free policy is the biggest change in travelling to China in years. A trip used to start with an application, a visit to a visa centre and waiting for your passport to come back, and now you just buy a ticket.

Correct as of 9 October 2026. Entry rules can change, so check the Chinese embassy in your country before you travel.

China visa-free at a glance

Which countries can visit China visa-free?

China grants this visa exemption unilaterally: the countries on the list don't have to offer the same to Chinese citizens. As of October 2026 it covers ordinary passport holders from:

• Europe: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom,
• the Americas: Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Uruguay,
• Asia-Pacific: Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and Brunei,
• the Gulf: Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain,
• Russia, under a separate mutual arrangement that runs until 31 December 2027.

Not every EU country is on the list: Czechia and Lithuania aren't, and neither are the United States, India or South Africa. Citizens of Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia can also stay up to 30 days, but under mutual visa-exemption agreements with their own rules.

Since when, and will it be extended into 2027?

The current wave started on 1 December 2023 with France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, and the list has grown ever since. On 30 November 2024 the maximum stay went up from 15 to 30 days, and on 3 November 2025 China extended it until 31 December 2026. The UK and Canada joined on 17 February 2026.

As of this article's update (13 October 2026), China hasn't announced whether the policy will continue in 2027. So far it has been renewed every year, always late in the year: on 22 November 2024 (to the end of 2025, together with the move to 30 days) and on 3 November 2025 (to the end of 2026). Expect a decision on 2027 in November or early December 2026.

A good sign: in May 2026 China extended visa-free entry for Russian citizens until 31 December 2027. That's a separate arrangement, but it shows Beijing isn't backing away from the policy.

If you're planning a trip for 2027:

• book flexible tickets or wait for the decision,
• if there's still no decision by early December and you're flying in January or February, apply for a visa – it takes a few working days,
• keep an eye on announcements from the Chinese embassy in your country (we'll update this article the day the decision comes),
• remember the 240-hour transit, which has no end date (see below).

Who needs a visa anyway

Even with a passport from the list, you need a visa if:

• you're going to work, to study or as a journalist,
• you want to stay longer than 30 days in one go,
• you hold a temporary passport or a travel document other than an ordinary passport.

Business meetings, trade fairs, conferences, sports events and exchanges of up to 30 days are covered by the visa-free policy.

Passport: how long must it be valid?

According to the Chinese embassy, your passport must be valid for at least your whole stay in China. Tour operators and many airlines recommend more: 6 months beyond your return date and a few blank pages. The airline checks your passport at check-in by its own rules, so if yours expires within six months, renew it before you go.

Carry your passport with you throughout your stay. In China it's your ID and your ticket: you show it at hotels, train stations, at the entrance to many museums and, if asked, to the police.

How the 30 days are counted

The 30 days count from the day after you arrive, as 30 calendar days (according to the Chinese embassy's FAQ). Your arrival day doesn't count, and your landing time doesn't matter. Example: you arrive on 2 November, day 1 is 3 November and day 30 is 2 December. You must leave China by 23:59 on 2 December.

Enter your arrival date and the calculator will show the last day of your stay:

Multiple entries: each one is a new 30 days

You can use the visa-free policy as many times as you like. According to the Chinese embassy there's currently no limit on the number of entries or total days, and each new entry gives you a new 30 days. If you pop over to Hong Kong or Macau during your trip and come back to the mainland, the count starts again.

Bear in mind that the border officers assess the purpose of your trip every time. Long stays back to back may raise questions, and for a longer trip a visa is the safer option.

Hong Kong and Macau: separate rules

Hong Kong and Macau are part of China but have their own borders, currencies and entry rules. The mainland visa-free policy doesn't apply to them, and both let most Western passport holders in without a visa anyway:

• Hong Kong: 90 days visa-free for citizens of the US, Canada, Australia and most EU countries, and 180 days for British citizens (according to the Hong Kong Immigration Department),
• Macau: has its own visa-free list – check the stay allowed for your passport before you go.

Crossing from the mainland to Hong Kong means leaving China, with border control on both sides. Coming back is a new entry and a new 30 days. Our plan From the Avatar Mountains to Hong Kong ends in Hong Kong, which has plenty of flights to Europe and beyond.

On arrival and during your stay: arrival card, border control, registration

The online arrival card

Since 20 November 2025 you can fill in China's arrival card online before your trip, instead of on paper at the airport. You can do it:

• on the website of China's National Immigration Administration (NIA): s.nia.gov.cn,
• in the NIA 12367 app (移民局12367),
• in a mini-program in WeChat or Alipay.

You enter your passport details, flight number, first address in China and the purpose of your trip. It's free: the NIA warns about fake websites that charge for it. Officially you just need to do it before you travel, and the easiest time is in the last few days before your flight. If you don't manage it, you can fill it in at the airport via a QR code, at a kiosk or on paper.

Border control

At the airport, head for the Foreigners lanes. It usually goes like this:

1. Before passport control you give your fingerprints at a machine (for travellers aged 14 to 70).
2. At the counter you hand over your passport. The officer takes a photo and may ask about the purpose of your trip, where you're staying or your return ticket.
3. You get a stamp with your entry date. Your 30 days start the next day.

Once you're there: registration

Every foreigner in China has to be registered with the police. At a hotel, reception does it for you, which is why they always ask for your passport at check-in. If you stay with friends or in a private flat, you must register yourself at the nearest police station within 24 hours of arrival, ideally together with your host.

240-hour transit: 10 days visa-free on the way to another country

The second way to enter China without a visa is the 240-hour visa-free transit. For US citizens it's the main option, and for everyone else it's the fallback if the 30-day policy isn't extended into 2027, because the transit rules have no end date. According to the NIA (as of August 2026):

• it covers citizens of 57 countries, including the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, Mexico and most of Europe,
• you enter through one of 65 ports of entry, including the airports in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu,
• you need a confirmed onward ticket to a different country or region from the one you came from (Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan count),
• you can only travel within the permitted areas (24 provinces and cities, including between them),
• the 240 hours count from 00:00 on the day after you arrive,
• your passport must be valid for at least another 3 months,
• the transit doesn't cover work, study or journalism.

Example: New York → Shanghai, 10 days of sightseeing, then Beijing → Hong Kong and home from there. New York → Shanghai → New York doesn't qualify, because you'd be going back where you came from. You can work out your last day of transit in the calculator above (the "Transit · 240 h" button).

Getting a Chinese visa

If the visa-free options aren't enough (a stay over 30 days, work, study, or a passport that isn't on the list), you need a visa. For tourism it's the L visa. In most countries you fill in the application online and submit it at a Chinese Visa Application Service Center or the Chinese embassy. Fees and processing times depend on your nationality, so apply well in advance – at least a few weeks before your trip.

Checklist before you fly

• Passport valid for at least 6 months beyond your return, with blank pages. Children need their own passports.
• Your nationality is on the visa-free list – or you have a visa, or a route that works for the 240-hour transit.
• Stay of no more than 30 days: check it in the calculator above.
• Travelling after 31 December 2026? Check whether the policy has been extended.
• Arrival card filled in online, only on the official website or in the NIA 12367 app.
• Return (or onward) ticket and first hotel booking saved offline.
• Your first hotel's address in Chinese, to show the taxi driver.
• Internet from the moment you land: an eSIM installed at home (Internet in China).
• Alipay or WeChat Pay with your card linked (How to pay in China).
• Travel insurance with medical cover: not required for entry, but medical care in China has to be paid for, often upfront.

FAQ

Do I need a visa for China in 2026?

Not if your passport is from one of the 50 countries on the list and you're staying up to 30 days for tourism, business, family visits, exchanges or transit. You need a visa to work, study or stay longer.

Will China be visa-free in 2027?

Not decided yet. The 30-day policy runs until 31 December 2026, and China has announced each renewal in November. Until then, book flexible tickets; if you're travelling in early 2027 and there's no decision by December, apply for a visa.

Can US citizens visit China without a visa?

Not under the 30-day policy. Americans can use the 240-hour visa-free transit (with an onward ticket to a third country or region) or the 24-hour direct transit; otherwise they need a visa.

Can I extend a visa-free stay in China?

As a rule, no: for a longer stay you get a visa before you travel. Only for a serious reason (such as illness or a cancelled flight) can you apply for a stay permit at the local Exit-Entry Administration before your 30 days are up.

Do children need a visa for China?

Children follow the same rules as adults, but each child needs their own passport.

Sources

• Chinese embassy in Poland: FAQs on visa-free entry (November 2025)
• Chinese government: extension of the visa-free policy until 31 December 2026 (November 2025)
• Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Canada and the UK added (February 2026)
• National Immigration Administration: 240-hour transit (August 2026)
• Hong Kong Immigration Department: visa-free countries
• Chinese government: visa-free policy for Russian citizens until the end of 2027 (May 2026)

Don't want to research it all yourself?

All our travel plans fit within the 30 visa-free days, and the longest takes 14 (2 weeks in China). Each one has a "Before you go" chapter covering visas, apps, internet and money, plus a day-by-day route, connections between cities and addresses in Chinese to show your taxi driver. See our China travel plans.