Complete Guide to China's Visa-Free Travel: Countries, Requirements & Policies (2026)

A global powerhouse, China is a culturally rich country with deep historical significance. For travellers heading to China, for work or tourism, the government offers multiple short-term travel options that don't require a visa beforehand. If you're considering a trip to China, read on for an overview of current visa-free travel policies, restrictions that may apply, and tips on planning for your trip.

We'll also talk about paying for your expenses in China, and introduce Wise travel card available to residents of supported countries as a convenient way to manage your money in China.

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Which Countries Can Travel To China Without a Visa

Many travellers from around the world can enjoy visa-free entry to China, as long as they meet the requirements. Here is a brief overview, with more details in the next sections:¹

• 30-day visa-free entry: Nationals holding valid ordinary passports of 48 countries can remain in China for 30 days without a visa.²
• Direct Transit: Foreigners from all countries transiting through China to another country on an international plane, ship, or train and who will not stay in China for more than 24 hours are exempt from a visa.³
• 24 or 240-hour visa-free transit: 55 countries worldwide can benefit from a 240 hour visa-free transit entry into China, offered at 65 open ports across 24 provinces.⁴
• APEC Business Travel Card Holders: Foreigners holding a valid Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business travel card can enter China without a visa, as of May 2023.⁵
• Visa exemption for Hainan province: Hainan, an island province of China, offers 30-day visa-free entry for citizens from 59 countries for business, family visits, medical treatments, tourism, and sports competitions.⁶
• Visa-free entry to the Pearl River Delta (Guangdong province): Foreign nationals of countries with diplomatic relations with China and who are already in Hong Kong or Macau are exempt from visas if they travel to the Pearl River Delta for a maximum of six days.
• Travel permit to Hong Kong and Macau permanent residents: Starting from July 2024, Macau and Hong Kong permanent residents can enter China for business, tourism, and visiting relatives or friends without a visa and stay for a maximum of 90 days.⁷

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Eligible countries - 30-day visa-free entry and stay

Nationals holding valid ordinary passports of 48 countries can enter without a visa and stay in China for up to 30 days.

Other countries with mutual visa exemption agreements allowing for a 30-day visa-free stay in China include:⁶

China Transit Visa-Free Policies

If you are just passing through the country, China has different visa-free transit policies for foreign nationals across accessible exit/entry points. Let's dig into how it works.

For up to 24-hour Transit

Foreign nationals from all countries get a 24-hour visa-free transit whenever they travel via China to their final destination. To qualify, you must:

1. Hold valid international travel documents and confirmed connecting tickets.
2. The stay period in China must not be more than 24 hours.
3. Remain within the airports or ports, if by sea. If you plan to leave the transit port, you must apply for a temporary entry permit.

For 240-hour Transit

Foreign nationals from 55 countries worldwide can benefit from a 240 hour visa-free transit entry into China, which is offered at 65 open ports across 24 provinces. This is an increase from the previous 72 hour and 144 hour no-visa transits.⁴

The eligible countries are spread across almost all continents:

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

Here are the conditions for eligibility:

• You are a citizen of one of the 55 eligible countries
• You have a valid passport with a validity of at least 3 month and meet the conditions to enter a third country
• You hold an exit ticket with a specified date and seat to another country within 240 hours of your entry in to China
• You've completed the 'Arrival Card for Temporary Entry Foreigners' on arrival

Once approved, your stay begins at 0:00 the day after your date of entry.

Check out the table below for a simplified way to understand China's visa-free transit policy:

Requirements for Visa-Free Travel to China

Here are a few of the requirements to enjoy visa-free travel to China:²

Valid passport requirements

Your passport should be valid for the entire period of your stay in China. However, you must ensure that your passport has at least six months of validity from the time of entry into China.

Confirmed travel tickets

You must show evidence of a return ticket. Foreign nationals on a layover in China without a visa must have tickets with a confirmed date and seat for their onward trip.

Temporary entry permits for transit

The 24-hour visa-free transit facility doesn't allow travellers to leave the port of entry. However, you can apply for temporary permits with the exit/entry border inspection authorities and leave the port.

Itinerary

You may be asked to provide an itinerary or schedule for your stay in China at immigration. If you're travelling with a tour group, you can provide the organised itinerary, or if you are visiting friends and family, you can provide details of your stay.

Accommodation registration

Foreign nationals travelling to China must register their details with the local police within 24 hours of entering China. Usually, the hotel where you stay does the registration automatically. However, if you get private accommodation, you must register your name at the local police station. Some cities, like Shanghai, allow for online registration.

Keep in mind that there may be additional requirements- it is best to check with your airlines and the embassies directly.

Application Process for Visa-Free Travel to China

Here is how to prepare for visa-free travel to China.

Pre-travel preparation

1. Check which category for visa-free entry you fall into, depending on your nationality.
2. If you're travelling for a stay in China, you must check to confirm whether you are eligible for the 24/240-hour or the 15/30-day visa-free entry.
3. Keep your international travel documents, such as passports, destination country visas, and confirmed flight tickets, ready for inspection at the Chinese entry port.

Arrival procedures

1. Gather your travel documents and have them easily accessible.
2. Fill out the landing card for foreigners in transit on arrival in China.
3. Be ready with your itinerary or schedule for your stay, plus accommodation details.
4. You should not leave the port without a temporary entry permit, even if your stay in transit is less than 24 hours.
5. Please check with the airline company about their boarding policy because you must enter and exit China through the same port. Guangdong province is an exception.

Border inspection process

Every visitor to China, while in transit or otherwise, has to go through the border inspection process. You must submit your travel documents for inspection at the border entry/exit port.

Visa-free entry into China doesn't require any prior registration with a Chinese consular office.

Required forms

You don't need to fill out any forms before arriving in China for a visa-free entry. However, you must complete the landing card at the entry port and present your international travel documents for inspection.

Restrictions & Exclusions

While China has a friendly visa-free policy for some, it's important to note that there are specific restrictions and exclusions to keep in mind. Let's take a closer look.

Ineligibility criteria

You may be deemed ineligible for a visa-free stay for the following reasons:

• You are not a national of any of the countries whose citizens are eligible for a visa-free stay in China
• The Chinese laws and administrative regulations don't permit you to enter China
• Your travel document or passport is expiring within three months
• Your travel document contains a previous rejection stamp from a Chinese visa-issuing authority
• You have illegally entered, exited, resided, or worked in China in the last five years
• You have violated any Chinese accommodation registration regulations in the last two years
• You don't show evidence of leaving the country once you've entered

Travel area limitations

A visa-free stay in China doesn't entitle you to travel anywhere within the country. You must abide by the restrictions and limitations imposed by the visa policy.

• You are allowed within mainland China if you are on a 15 or 30-day visa-free entry, but it doesn't grant you access to Macau or Hong Kong.
• If you are on a 24-hour visa-free transit facility, you can't leave the entry port without a temporary entry permit.

Duration restrictions

• A 15 or 30-day visa-free stay allows you to stay in China for a maximum of 15 or 30 days from the date of entry.
• Georgian and Thai nationals must not stay for over 90 days in total within a 180-day period.
• If you are transiting through China, you are allowed a visa-free transit stay of 24 hours at the entry port.
• If you are eligible for the 72, 144-hour, or 240-hour visa-free stay in China, you can stay for a maximum of three, six days, or 10 days, respectively. The visa-free stay period starts at 00:00 the next day after entry.

Prohibited activities

Visa-free travel makes travelling easier, but it doesn't mean you can do anything you'd like in China. Here are some of the things you can't do during your stay²:

• Study
• Work or take part in income-earning activities
• Engage in journalistic activities

If on a 24 to 144-hour visa-free transit period, you must not leave the permitted areas. Crossing over inadvertently into areas you are not permitted to enter is illegal.⁶

Special Regional Policies

Let's look at the special regional policies for areas like Hainan Island, Guangdong Province, and other unique regions.

Hainan Island policy

Hainan Island offers a 30-day visa-free entry for tourists from 59 nations for business purposes, family visits, medical treatment, and other activities except work and study.

Nationals from Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia can enter without a visa. The stay limit is 30 days, starting from 00:00 on the second day after entry. You will need a stay permit to extend your stay beyond 30 days or to leave for Mainland China.⁶

Guangdong Province rules

Citizens from countries with diplomatic relations with China can enter Shantou and nine other mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area without a visa and stay for a maximum of 144 hours if they meet the following conditions:⁶

1. Must belong to foreign tourist groups travelling from Hong Kong and Macao SARs (Special Administrative Regions) to Guangdong Province
2. They must enter Hong Kong or Macau first and then travel to Guangdong Province.
3. They must enter/exit Mainland China with their groups through the entry/exit ports.

Other regional variations

Besides the Hainan Island and Guangdong Province policies, China offers other regional visa-free transit policies:⁶

1. Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Policy: Tourist groups consisting of at least two persons from ASEAN member states (Brunei, Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Laos, the Philippines, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam) can enter and exit China without a visa through the Guilin airport. The maximum stay allowed is 144 hours.
2. Foreign tourist groups travelling by cruise ships: Foreign tourist groups organized by Chinese travel agencies can enter China without a visa by a cruise ship through one of the ports in 13 specified cities (Beihai, Dalian, Guangzhou, Haikou, Lianyungang, Qingdao, Sanya, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Wenzhou, Xiamen, and Zhoushan). The maximum stay is 15 days, and the tourists can travel within Beijing and the 11 coastal provinces in this period.
3. Foreign tourists entering Hainan Island from Hong Kong and Macao SARs: Foreign tourist groups comprising citizens of countries holding diplomatic relations with China can enter Hainan province from Hong Kong or Macao SAR without a visa. The travel agency must be registered in Hong Kong or Macao SAR. The maximum stay allowed for tourism is 144 hours.

Tips for Traveling to China

Ready to head to China? Here are some tips to make the best of your trip.

Documents to Carry with You

• Carry your original valid passport with at least a six-month validity period after the date of entry in China. The Chinese authorities don't accept any alternative document to verify your identity.
• You must have the relevant visa for the third country if you are transiting through China. You should show this document to the immigration officials at the entry port in China.
• You must have confirmed flight tickets for your return or onward journey.
• You should have proof of hotel or accommodation for a stay in China.

Keeping a digital copy of all these documents on your mobile can help you get to them quickly.

Emergency Contacts

Foreign tourists must carry contact numbers to assist during an emergency. It includes the following:

1. Emergency contacts in their home country
2. Contact numbers of the respective embassy or consular office
3. Emergency service numbers (110), such as police, ambulance, and fire
4. Emergency number of tourist police, especially for non-Chinese speakers
5. Local emergency numbers, if available
6. Contact details of the travel insurance company
7. Transportation emergency numbers

It can also be a good idea to Install apps like WeChat for easier communication with emergency services and location-sharing.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Tipping at restaurants or for transportation is uncommon in China.
• Following basic Chinese etiquette, like not pointing at people, not holding chopsticks upright, and not calling people by their first names, can help you navigate the country more seamlessly.
• You can hail a marked taxi in China; just make sure the meter is on and you have your seatbelt fastened.
• It is advisable to avoid general tap water.

Paying for Expenses in China

China's currency is the yuan and the country has a well-developed digital payment economy where mobile apps and tap facilities can make it easy to make purchases. You'll want to plan out how to make payments when you're in China.

Using your credit or debit card for foreign spending may make sense if you don't get charged international transaction fees and have a favourable exchange rate. Plus many providers place a markup on the mid-market exchange rate — the currency conversion rate you usually see on Google, and the one used by Wise.

Meet Wise: Your Smart Travel Companion for China

The Wise card is a simple way to save up to 4x when you're spending internationally. You can spend in 150+ countries at mid-market rate — basically the rate you see on Google. With no foreign transaction fees and low, transparent pricing, Wise usually gives you the best value for your money.

Simply create a Wise account for free, order a card and top-up AUD to get started. Having a physical Wise card allows you to make chip and pin payments, as well as make some free ATM withdrawals each month for when you're abroad. You can get digital cards and add to your Google or Apple Pay wallet for instant use. Spend directly with the Wise account in AUD and let auto-conversion do the trick or convert in advance to your desired currency. You can hold and exchange 40+ currencies in your Wise account and spend the currencies you hold for free.

Wherever your travel takes you, the Wise card makes spending money abroad cheaper and easier.

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This general advice does not take into account your objectives, financial circumstances or needs and you should consider if it is appropriate for you. Savings claim based on our rates vs. selected Australian banks and other similar providers in Jan 2026. To learn more please visit https://wise.com/au/compare

Please see Terms of Use and product availability for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

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Sources used for this article:

1. China Visa Exemption
2. 15-day visa-free stay
3. 30-day visa-free stay
4. Direct Transit Passenger Visa Exemption
5. 72/144-hour visa-free transit
6. APEC Business Travel cardholders.)
7. Hainan 30-day visa-free stay
8. Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macau permanent residents
9. Eligible countries for the 15-day visa-free stay
10. Recent additions to the countries eligible for the 15-day visa-free entry
11. Countries having a 30-day visa-free stay arrangement
12. Requirements for visa-free travel to China
13. Application process for visa-free travel to China
14. Prohibited activities
15. Hainan Island Policy
16. Guangdong Province Policy
17. Other regional variations
18. 240-hour visa-free transit