1.24-Hour 4-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy. All open exit-entry ports in China implement this policy for nationals of all other countries around the world. Foreigners transiting through China to third countries or regions may stay in China for no more than 24 hours without a visa, provided that they hold valid international travel documents and onward international flight/ship/train tickets with confirmed seats, and will not leave the restricted areas of ports. For any foreigner who does need to leave the designated restricted area, a temporary entry permit must be obtained first at the immigration inspection authority of the port concerned.

2. Till December 31, 2026, citizens holding ordinary passports from Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Australia, Poland, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Slovenia, Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, South Korea, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, Japan, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Sweden, Canada and UK, who come to China for business, tourism, family visit, exchange visit and transit purposes for no more than 30 days can enter China without a visa. People from the above-mentioned countries who do not meet the conditions for visa exemption still need to apply for a visa before entering China.

Citizens holding ordinary passports from Brunei, who come to China for business, tourism, family visit, exchange visit and transit purposes for no more than 30 days can enter China without a visa. People who do not meet the conditions for visa exemption still need to apply for a visa before entering China.

From Sep 15, 2025 to December 31, 2027, citizens holding ordinary passports from Russia, who come to China for business, tourism, family visit, exchange visit and transit purposes for no more than 30 days can enter China without a visa. People who do not meet the conditions for visa exemption still need to apply for a visa before entering China.

3. Fifty-Four Countries Eligible for 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy,  citizens of 55 countries, may transit through China using 240-hour visa-free transit policy if they hold valid international travel documents and interline tickets with confirmed dates and seats to a third country of region. They may enter China through any of the 60 open ports across 24 provinces and stay in designated areas for up to 10 days. During this period, visa-free transit travelers may engage in tourism, business, exchange visits, or family visits.

Please visit websit for details: https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147418/n147468/c178053/content.html

Starting from June 12, 2025, nationals of Indonesia may enter China under the 240-hour visa-free transit policy.

4. Regional Visa-Free Entry Policies for Foreign Nationals   2025-02-14

Please visit websit for details: https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147418/n147463/c180637/content.html

The major regional visa-free entry policies for foreign nationals of China are as follows.

I. 30-Day Visa-free Entry Policy for Foreign Nationals Entering Hainan Province. Foreign nationals holding ordinary passports from 59 countries may enter and stay within the administrative region of Hainan Province for a maximum of 30 days without a visa for short-term stays for purposes associated with tourism, business, visits, family visits, medical treatment, conferences and exhibitions, sports competitions, etc. The policy does not apply to those who intend to enter for working or studying. The exit-entry ports for the foreign nationals concerned include all the open ports in Hainan. The 59 countries are Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.

II. Visa-Free Entry Policy for Foreign Tourist Groups Traveling by Cruise Ships. Any foreign tourist group consisting of two or more individuals, which is organized and received by a travel agency registered in China, may enter China without a visa by a cruise ship via one of the cruise ports in the following 13 cities: Beihai (Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), Dalian (Liaoning Province), Guangzhou (Guangdong Province), Haikou (Hainan Province), Lianyungang (Jiangsu Province), Qingdao (Shandong Province), Sanya (Hainan Province), Shanghai, Shenzhen (Guangdong Province), Tianjin, Wenzhou (Zhejiang Province), Xiamen (Fujian Province) and Zhoushan (Zhejiang Province). All eligible foreign tourist groups shall continue their journey to the following scheduled ports and depart China with the same cruise ship as scheduled. The tourists concerned may stay in the Beijing and 11 coastal provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government (namely Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hebei, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Shandong, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Zhejiang) for a maximum of 15 days.

III. Visa-Free Entry Policy for Tourist Groups Entering Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province from ASEAN Member States. Any tourist group (consisting of two or more individuals holding ordinary passports) from a member state of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) may enter and exit China through Xishuangbanna Gasa International Airport, Mohan Railway Port, and Mohan Highway Port visa-free, provided that the tourist group is organized and received by a travel agency registered in China. The tourists concerned shall enter and leave China as part of their tourist group, and can stay within the administrative region of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture for a maximum of 6 days. The ASEAN member states include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

IV. Visa-Free Entry Policy for Tourist Groups Entering Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from ASEAN Member States. Any tourist group (consisting of two or more individuals holding ordinary passports) from a member state of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) may enter and exit China through the airport in Guilin visa-free, provided that the tourist group is organized and received by a travel agency registered in China. The tourists concerned shall enter and leave China as part of their tourist group, and can stay within the administrative region of Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region for a maximum of 6 days. The ASEAN member states include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

V. Visa-Free Entry Policy for Foreign Tourist Groups Traveling from Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions (SARs) to Guangdong Province. Foreign nationals holding ordinary passports from countries with diplomatic relations with China may enter nine cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, as well as Shantou, without a visa, provided that they will enter Hong Kong or Macao SAR first and then enter Guangdong Province as part of a tourist group organized by a travel agency registered in any of the two SARs. The foreign tourists in this case can stay for a maximum of 6 days in the following cities: Dongguan, Foshan, Guangzhou, Huizhou, Jiangmen, Shantou, Shenzhen, Zhaoqing, Zhongshan and Zhuhai. The tourists concerned shall enter and exit the Chinese mainland as part of their tourist group via any of the exit-entry ports in these 10 cities.

VI. Visa-Free Entry Policy for Foreign Tourist Groups Traveling from Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions (SARs) to Hainan Province. Foreign nationals holding ordinary passports from countries with diplomatic relations with China may enter Hainan Province without a visa, provided that they will enter Hong Kong or Macao SAR first and then enter Hainan Province as part of a tourist group organized by a travel agency registered in any of the two SARs. The tourists concerned shall enter and exit the Hainan Province as part of their tourist group via any of the exit-entry ports in Hainan and can stay for a maximum of 6 days.

The stay period specified in any of the aforementioned policies is calculated from 0:00 on the day after the day of entry. For the individuals who meet the requirements specified in the bilateral visa exemption agreements and the unilateral visa exemption policies of China, the relevant regulations shall prevail.

5. Please click List of Agreements on Mutual Visa Exemption-Up to 23102025 for details.

For further information or consultation, please visit the websit(www.en.nia.gov.cn) of Chinese National Immigration Administration, or call the Immigration Administration Service Hotline: +86 12367