30-day visa-free entry
Citizens of about 50 countries can visit for up to 30 days for tourism, business, family visits or transit.
- Stay
- Up to 30 days
- Applies to
- About 50 countries
- Valid until
- Dec 31, 2026
Visa & Entry
Four ways most tourists enter China. Each page lists the official source, who it applies to, what you need, and every change we've recorded.
Draft: Country lists, dates and rules below have not been checked yet — do not use them to plan travel.
Which rule applies to me?
A quick guide for tourists. It doesn't replace the official rules — the border officer makes the final decision.
Choose your passport to see the options.
The four rules
Entry options for tourists
240-hour visa-free transit
Stay up to 10 days in China while traveling between two other countries or regions.
- Stay
- Up to 240 hours
- Applies to
- 57 countries
- Ports
- 65, in 24 provinces
Hainan 30-day visa-free
Visit Hainan Island for up to 30 days. You must stay in Hainan.
- Stay
- Up to 30 days
- Applies to
- 59 countries
- Area
- Hainan Province only
L tourist visa
The regular tourist visa, applied for before you travel at a Chinese visa center.
- Stay
- Usually 30–60 days per entry
- Applies to
- Everyone who needs a visa
- Apply
- Before travel
Visa-free entry is not permission to work or study.
None of these four options lets you take a job, paid or unpaid, or enroll in a degree program. Working in China needs a work permit and a work-type residence permit; studying for more than 180 days needs an X1 visa. See Work & Study.
How we keep these pages accurate
- Every policy page uses the same 14-point standard: name, issuing authority, official source, who it applies to, conditions, documents, process, where, cost, processing time, start date, last-checked date, whether it's still in effect, and exceptions.
- Sources are official only: the National Immigration Administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Chinese embassies.
- Policy pages are rechecked at least every 30 days, and weekly when a deadline is close.
- Every change is dated in the page's change log.
General information only, not legal or immigration advice. Rules can differ by port and by case; the border authorities make the final decision.