Do I need a visa for China? 30-day visa-free entry and 240-hour transit explained

Check three things in order

1. Your passport nationality and passport type. The visa-free policies apply to ordinary passports. Travel documents, temporary or emergency documents are not covered.
2. Your purpose and length of stay. Visa-free entry covers business, tourism, visiting family or friends, exchange visits and transit. Work, study and news reporting always need the right visa before arrival.
3. Your route. A direct round trip uses the 30-day policy. Continuing to a third country or region with a confirmed onward ticket may use the 240-hour transit policy instead.

If any step does not fit, apply for a visa before you travel.

30-day unilateral visa-free entry: the 50 countries

The Chinese Embassy in Canada lists the following countries, with the end date of each arrangement:

• Stay: up to 30 days, counted from the day after entry.
• No advance registration is needed, you can depart from any country, and the policy applies at air, land and sea ports. Minors follow the same conditions as adults.
• The embassy page says there is currently no limit on the number of visa-free entries or total days.
• The UK and Canada were added from 17 February 2026, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

No extension beyond 31 December 2026 had been announced when this page was checked. For a trip in 2027, check the embassy or Ministry of Foreign Affairs before you book.

240-hour visa-free transit: the 57 countries

The National Immigration Administration lists 57 countries, updated on 20 August 2026:

• You must be travelling on to a third country or region, with an onward ticket that has a confirmed seat and departure date.
• You must hold an ordinary passport and enter through one of the 65 designated ports in 24 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities.
• You may stay up to 10 days, only within the permitted areas for that port. Check the area list on the National Immigration Administration page before planning side trips.
• Tourism, business, visits and family reunions are allowed. Work, study and news reporting are not.

24-hour transit

Nationals of any country transiting to a third country or region may stay up to 24 hours without a visa if they hold a valid travel document and an onward ticket with a confirmed seat, and stay in the port restricted area. Leaving that area requires a temporary entry permit from the border inspection authority at the port.

When you still need a visa

• Your nationality is not on the 30-day list and you are not transiting to a third country. This includes US citizens on a direct round trip.
• You plan to stay longer than 30 days, or longer than the 240-hour limit when transiting.
• You will work, study or report news in China.
• You hold a document other than an ordinary passport.
• You have a bilateral mutual visa exemption agreement with China. These agreements have their own terms and are not covered here; check with the Chinese embassy in your country.

If you need to stay longer after a visa-free entry, the embassy page says you must apply for a stay permit at a public security exit-entry office. Plan the right visa in advance where you can.