Visas & entry

01Three ways in, and how to tell which is yours

Almost everyone enters China through one of three routes. Work out which one covers you before you book anything, because the route decides what paperwork you need and how long you may stay. The test is your passport nationality first, then your itinerary.

• Visa-free — your passport is on a unilateral visa-free list and you are coming for tourism, business, family or transit. Usually up to 30 days per entry.
• 240-hour visa-free transit — you hold a ticket onward to a third country and enter through an approved port. Up to 10 days, and you must stay inside the permitted regions.
• A visa — everything else. Apply in advance at a Chinese embassy or visa application centre for the country where you legally reside.

02Visa-free: check four things before you book

Visa-free entry is not automatic for a passport that appears on a list — it is conditional. Officers apply the conditions, and the list itself changes several times a year, so confirm all four points against the current official announcement rather than a blog post.

• Passport nationality, and the ordinary-passport condition — many schemes exclude official and service passports.
• Purpose of visit — tourism, business, family visit and transit are usually covered; work and study are not.
• Permitted stay — commonly up to 30 days from the day after entry. Count carefully; overstaying is a serious matter.
• The policy end date — several schemes run to a stated date. A trip booked for after that date is not covered by it.

Visa-free lists are revised repeatedly through the year. Treat any list, including the one on this site, as a starting point and confirm the current position with the National Immigration Administration or your nearest Chinese embassy before you pay for flights.

03The 240-hour visa-free transit rule

If you are passing through China on the way somewhere else, the 240-hour (10-day) transit scheme can cover you without a visa. It is a transit scheme, not a tourist visa, and the conditions are strict. The scheme covers 55 nationalities through 65 ports across 24 provinces — check the current figures, as ports and regions are added regularly.

• You must hold a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region — not back to where you came from.
• You must enter through one of the approved ports and leave through an approved port.
• You may move within the permitted stay areas only. Each entry port has its own list.
• The clock runs 240 hours from 00:00 on the day after entry.
• Arriving from country A and returning to country A does not qualify, even with a side trip.

Transit is the single most common place visitors get caught out. If your itinerary touches a region outside the permitted area for your port, the scheme does not cover that leg.

04If you need a visa instead

Apply at the Chinese embassy or visa application centre for the country where you legally reside — not necessarily your country of citizenship. Most applications are lodged through a service centre that handles the paperwork and biometrics on the embassy’s behalf.

• Apply well ahead: processing is commonly 4–7 working days, longer in peak season or if the embassy asks for more documents.
• Bring an invitation or a full itinerary with accommodation — tourist visa applications are assessed on a concrete plan.
• Biometrics are usually collected in person at the centre; some applicants qualify for exemption.
• A visa states an expiry date and a permitted stay. The two are different things — the visa can expire while your permitted stay is still running.

05What to have ready at the border

Border officers are checking that your story holds together. Keep everything reachable on your phone rather than in a checked bag, and have the first night’s address written in Chinese characters so you can show it if asked.

• Passport valid for the whole trip — six months of remaining validity is the safe habit even where not required.
• Onward or return booking, and for transit passengers the third-country ticket.
• Accommodation details you can name — hotel name and address, or your host’s address and phone number.
• Travel insurance documents if you have them.
• The arrival card. Eligible visitors can now submit arrival information through official NIA channels before travel, which saves time at the desk.

06Registration in your first 24 hours

China requires foreign visitors to be registered with the police. In practice this is handled for you most of the time — but not always, and the 24-hour clock is real.

• Hotel, hostel or licensed guesthouse: the front desk registers you at check-in. Nothing further is needed.
• Staying with friends or family, or in a private rental: you register yourself at the local police station within 24 hours of arrival.
• Bring your passport and your host’s address; some stations ask for the rental contract or a letter from the host.
• If you move to a new address mid-trip, the same 24-hour rule applies again.

07If something goes wrong at boarding or at the border

Airlines refuse boarding far more often than border officers refuse entry — usually because the check-in agent cannot verify that you qualify. Carry evidence, not arguments.

• If you are travelling visa-free, keep the official announcement open on your phone showing your nationality and the policy dates.
• If you are transiting, have the onward ticket and the entry port visible.
• If you are refused boarding, ask the airline to record the reason in writing. That record is what an embassy or a refund claim will ask for.
• If you are refused entry, you have the right to contact your embassy or consulate. Ask to do so.