Can you re-enter China visa-free after your 30 days expire?

Yes — the official rule allows unlimited visa-free re-entries with no cap on total days, but every entry is examined on its own merits and rapid back-to-back entries attract scrutiny at the border. The playbook is simple: make each trip match the tourist rules, keep gaps between entries, and carry proof you're a visitor, not a resident.

What the official rule actually says

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' official FAQ on visa-free entry (updated November 2025) addresses this exact question: “Foreign nationals eligible for the visa waiver can enter China without a visa multiple times. Currently, there is no restriction on the number of entries or total days of stay, but those who enjoy visa-free travel to China shall not engage in activities inconsistent with their purpose of entry.” The 30-day clock restarts at 00:00 on the day after each entry — it is a per-entry allowance, not an annual quota.

The same FAQ reserves the other half of the deal: border inspection authorities examine your purpose of entry and can deny entry to anyone whose documents or plans don't match a genuine business/tourism/family visit. Multiple entries are a right; any particular entry is still a decision an officer can make.

The border reality on Hong Kong and Macau runs

The classic move — mainland visa-free time running out, hop to Hong Kong or Macau for a night, re-enter for a fresh 30 days — is legal on paper and routine for many travelers. What gets flagged is the pattern: several 30-day cycles in a row broken only by overnight hops looks like de facto residency or undeclared work, and officers at Pudong, Baiyun and the Shenzhen land checkpoints question exactly that. Travelers who get refused are usually on their third or fourth quick re-entry within a few months, or arrived without onward travel plans.

Practical habits that keep re-entries boring: spend a few days (not hours) outside the mainland between entries; carry printed onward tickets and hotel bookings for the new stay; keep your answers consistent with a short-term visitor's; and never treat the visa-free channel as a work or residency route — that's the “activities inconsistent with your purpose” clause.

How the 240-hour transit differs

Re-entering on the 240-hour visa-free transit is a different mechanism: each entry needs its own qualifying A→China→C journey with an onward ticket to a different country or region (Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan count as C), for a stay of up to 10 days. Chaining repeated transit entries back-to-back draws even more scrutiny than 30-day re-entries — it's possible, not a strategy.

Before you fly

Run your passport and trip shape through the entry checker, fill the arrival card online before boarding, and confirm the rules within two weeks of travel — the lists and ports have changed repeatedly since 2024.