Visa-Free
Policy
What is a China Visa-Free and Transit Visa-Free Tour?
China has introduced two major visa-free policies to facilitate international travel: the 30-day visa-free policy and the 240-hour transit visa-free policy.
The 30-Day Visa-Free Policy (November 31, 2024 – December 31, 2025) allows citizens of designated countries to enter China without a visa for up to 30 days, covering the entire mainland China except Hong Kong and Macau.
The 240-hour visa-free transit policy in China was announced by the National Immigration Administration on December 17, 2024, and took effect immediately.
This policy extends the previous 72-hour and 144-hour visa-free transit periods to a unified 240-hour (10-day) stay, and 21 new ports of entry were added, bringing the total number of applicable ports to 60.
Additionally, the permitted areas of stay have been expanded to allow eligible foreign travelers to stay within designated regions in 24 provinces (or municipalities and autonomous regions).
Foreign nationals entering China through the visa-free transit policy can make cross-province travels within the allowed areas for visa-free transit travelers in these 24 provinces above (autonomous regions and municipalities).
1
Which countries are eligible for the 30-day visa-free policy?
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Citizens of the following countries can enter China without a visa for up to 30 days:
Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brunei, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand
Travelers can visit the entire mainland China, excluding the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau, which require separate entry permits.
2
Which countries are eligible for the 240-hour transit visa-free policy?
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Citizens of the following countries can enter China without a visa for up to 240-hour:
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Qatar, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States
3
What are the requirements to be eligible for the 240-hour visa-free policy?
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Be a citizen of a country eligible for the visa-free transit policy;
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Hold a valid international travel document with at least 3 months of validity, and meet the entry requirements for the destination country (or region);
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Possess a confirmed onward ticket with a set date and seat to a third country (or region) within 240 hours, complete a temporary entry form for foreigners, and undergo border inspection and questioning by immigration authorities;
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Must not have a denial stamp from a Chinese visa authority, and must not have any record of illegal entry, illegal stay, or illegal employment within the past 5 years.
4
When does the 240-hour period begin?
If a foreigner meets the conditions for visa-free transit, the immigration authorities will process their temporary entry. The visa-free stay period starts from midnight of the day following entry. For example, if Bob completes his temporary entry procedures on July 5th at 3 PM, his stay will begin from midnight on July 6th.
5
What should foreigners be aware of after entering China under the 240-hour visa-free transit policy?
During the visa-free stay, foreigners must comply with Chinese laws and regulations, and must not exceed the permitted area and duration of stay.
6
What should you do if, due to special circumstances, you are unable to leave within the stipulated time or need to stay beyond the designated area?
If you encounter emergencies or force majeure that require you to stay in China beyond the specified duration or outside the permitted area, you should proactively apply for the relevant foreigner stay permits from the exit and entry administration of the public security authority in advance.
Foreigners who exceed the specified time or area, exit from non-designated ports, or fail to register their accommodation as required during their visa-free transit period will be dealt with according to the law by the public security authority or border inspection authorities.
If you have any other questions, you can call the +86-12367 service hotline at any time.
7
The following countries have signed visa-free agreements with China, allowing travelers to explore China without regional restrictions within the visa-free duration:
The countries can obtain a visa-free entry period of 15 days:
Japan;
The countries can obtain a visa-free entry period of 30 days:
Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, Belarus, North Macedonia, Serbia, Fiji;
The countries can obtain a visa-free entry period of 90 days:
Israel, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador.