Enter China Without a Visa: The 2026 Guide

There are two types of visa-free policies for entering China:

240-hour visa-free transit: Requires holding a ticket to the transit country
30-day visa-free policy: Does not require a transit ticket

When using the 240-hour transit policy, you must hold a ticket to a third country. The 30-day visa-free policy doesn't require this.

Below are the 2 types of visa-free entry and the full list of eligible countries.

Travel Route Strategy

Example:

240-hour visa-free transit: A → Mainland China → B, where A and B must be 2 different countries
30-day visa-free: Enter and exit wherever you want

💡 Cost-Effective Tip for Extending Visa-Free Time:

Hong Kong and Macau are considered different regions from mainland China. If your visa-free time is insufficient, you can travel to Hong Kong or Macau and re-enter mainland China to get a new round of visa-free time.

Example: Tokyo → Mainland China → Hong Kong → Mainland China → Tokyo

This gives you 2 rounds of visa-free time. Theoretically, you could cycle: Tokyo → Mainland China → Hong Kong → Mainland China → Macau → Mainland China... However, we don't recommend cycling more than once or twice.Note: Check Hong Kong and Macau visa-free policies for your nationality.

240-Hour Visa-Free Transit

Effective June 12, 2025, nationals from 55 countries are eligible for China's 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit policy, including the newly added Indonesia.

Europe (40 countries):

Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, Russia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Belarus, Norway

Other Regions:

Americas (6): United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile

Oceania (2): Australia, New Zealand

Asia (7): Republic of Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia

Official Sources:

30-Day Visa-Free

China has extended unilateral visa-free policy to 43 countries. Travelers holding ordinary passports from these countries can enter China for business, tourism, family/friends visits, exchange, and transit purposes, staying up to 30 days without a visa.

Eligible Countries (43 total):

Brunei, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Australia, Poland, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Slovenia, Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Korea, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, Japan, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay

Official Source: China Visa Application Service Center

⚠️ Important Notes:

Ensure your passport is valid for at least 3 months
Always verify current visa policies before travel as they may change
Keep proof of onward travel when using transit policies
Check specific entry/exit port requirements for your route

Last updated: June 2026