Can you enter China without a visa?
TL;DR
50 countries get 30-day visa-free entry. 57 nationalities (including the US; Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam joined Aug 2026) can use 240-hour transit. Most Western passports qualify for at least one — but the transit route also depends on your routing and onward ticket, so answer the trip-plan questions for a sharper result. Official NIA lists, checked 2026-10-15.
Step 1 Your passport country
Step 2 Trip plan — sharpens the answer (optional)
Results appear as you type. Data: National Immigration Administration.
Before flying, confirm:
- your arrival card is submitted online before boarding (how to) — or grab a paper card at the border
- your onward ticket meets the transit rule (if using 240-hour transit)
- your entry port handles visa-free / transit entry (most do; check if using a small crossing)
- your passport is valid 6+ months
- the official source: en.nia.gov.cn
This is a planning tool, not an immigration decision. Confirm with the National Immigration Administration or your airline before travel.
Verified: 2026-10-15 · Source: National Immigration Administration · Next scheduled review: 2026-11-15
The two policies, side by side
30-day visa-free entry (unilateral)
50 countries · 30 days · purposes: business, tourism, family & friend visits, exchange, transit
Duration counted from 00:00 on the day following entry. Full list on the NIA official page.
240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit
57 nationalities · 10 days · A→China→third-country routing with confirmed onward ticket
HK, Macau and Taiwan count as third regions. Source: NIA via Chinese embassy.
Full country lists
30-day visa-free entry (50 countries)
Europe: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Oceania: Australia, New Zealand
Asia: Bahrain, Brunei, Japan, Kuwait, Oman, South Korea, Saudi Arabia
Americas: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Peru, Uruguay
240-hour transit (57 nationalities)
Europe: Austria, Belgium, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Albania, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Americas: United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile
Oceania: Australia, New Zealand
Asia: South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam
Common questions
Who can enter China without a visa in 2026?
Citizens of 50 countries—including nearly all of the EU, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico—can enter China visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism, business, family visits or transit, under the unilateral exemption policy in force as of February 17, 2026. Separately, 57 nationalities (Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam joined in August 2026) including the US and Canada can use the 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit when flying into China and onward to a third country. Source: National Immigration Administration, en.nia.gov.cn.
Do US citizens need a visa for China?
US citizens cannot use China's 30-day unilateral visa-free entry (the US is not on that list), but they can use the 240-hour visa-free transit: fly from country A into China, then onward to a different country C (Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan count as third regions) with a confirmed onward ticket, and stay up to 10 days. For longer or A-to-A-round trips, a visa or a cruise/other special policy is required.
Do UK citizens need a visa for China?
No, for stays up to 30 days: the United Kingdom joined China's unilateral visa-free list effective February 17, 2026, covering tourism, business, family visits, exchanges and transit. Canada joined the same list at the same time.
How does the 240-hour visa-free transit work?
It replaced the old 72/144-hour schemes on December 17, 2024. You fly from country A into China and continue to a different country or region C—your onward ticket is checked at check-in and at immigration, and it cannot be a return to A. Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan count as third regions, which is why 'fly into Shanghai, out of Hong Kong' has become the most popular open-jaw routing. You may travel between permitted provinces during the 10 days, not just the arrival city.