China visa-free entry 2026: which countries, 30 days and 240-hour rules

Short answer: Many Western passports can enter China without a visa for up to 30 days. For several countries this is a unilateral policy that runs until 31 December 2026. If your country isn’t on the 30-day list, the 240-hour transit may still work, but only if you travel onward to a third country or region. All facts here come from our policy data, last verified 18 October 2026.

Want the quick check? Use the visa-free checker. For more detail on each route, see our main visa-free entry guide and the 240-hour transit guide.

Before you start

• An ordinary passport. The lists below are for ordinary passports. Chinese consular guidance says the passport must be valid for at least the length of your stay. Some third-party guides say three months, so a passport with six months left is the safe choice. For 240-hour transit the rule is official and specific, see the transit section below.
• Your passport country. Find it in the lists below. Some countries appear in more than one list.
• Flexible bookings. Some rules have end dates, so choose changeable or refundable flights and hotels where you can.
• The official source. Rules change. Read the NIA page again close to your travel date.

The routes in one table

Route	Days	End date	Countries in our data
Unilateral visa-free	30	31 December 2026	48
Unilateral visa-free (Russia)	30	31 December 2027	Russia
Unilateral visa-free (Brunei)	30	No end date in our data	Brunei
Mutual exemption	30	No end date	24
Mutual exemption (Mauritius)	60	No end date	Mauritius
Mutual exemption	90	No end date	4
240-hour transit (travel onward to a third country or region)	240 hours (10 days)	–	57

30-day visa-free, until 31 December 2026

These 48 countries have unilateral 30-day visa-free entry until 31 December 2026:

Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Uruguay.

The United States is not on this list. US passports appear only in the 240-hour transit list below.

Two more unilateral 30-day cases:

• Russia: until 31 December 2027.
• Brunei: no end date in our data.

If you travel near 31 December 2026, check the NIA page for what happens next. We don’t know yet, and we won’t guess.

30-day mutual exemption (no end date)

These 24 countries have a mutual 30-day exemption with no end date in our data:

Antigua and Barbuda, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Dominica, Ecuador, Fiji, Georgia, Grenada, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Maldives, Qatar, Samoa, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Thailand, Tonga, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan.

Longer stays: 60 and 90 days

• 60 days (mutual, no end date): Mauritius.
• 90 days (mutual, no end date): Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, San Marino.

240-hour transit

This is not a normal visa-free stay. You must travel onward to a third country or region, with confirmed onward arrangements. Our data lists 57 countries:

Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam.

The official condition: Your ordinary passport must be valid for at least three months, and you need confirmed onward travel arrangements to a third country or region within 240 hours. Source: NIA transit conditions.

What counts as onward travel: it may be by international flight, ship or train, subject to the policy’s ticket and port conditions. Source: NIA.

Your next stop can’t be the place you came from. Ports and allowed areas depend on the official conditions linked above. Our 240-hour guide has the onward ticket details.

Step by step

1. Find your passport in the lists above. Note which routes include it.
2. Pick the route that fits your trip. If you are on the 30-day list, that is usually simpler than a transit. If you are only on the transit list, you need confirmed onward travel to a third country or region.
3. Read the official page for your route: NIA visa-free policies.
4. Fill in the arrival card. Since 20 November 2025, foreign visitors can fill in the Arrival Card for Temporary Entry Foreigners online before travelling to China (NIA). The official web page is s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC. The NIA also offers it through its “NIA 12367” app and through WeChat and Alipay mini-programs. If you don’t fill it in beforehand, you can do it on arrival with the QR code or a paper card. Avoid unofficial websites that charge to file it for you.
5. Keep your documents ready on your phone and printed: passport, hotel bookings, and your onward ticket if you use transit. Official guidance doesn’t list a hotel booking or return ticket as a formal condition of 30-day entry, but it recommends carrying accommodation reservations and air tickets as proof of your purpose of entry, in case an officer asks.

If it doesn’t work

Problem	Why	Fix
Your country isn’t on any list	No nationwide visa-free route in our data	Check the official sites for regional policies, then look at the visa application route
You are on the transit list only	It needs confirmed onward travel to a third country or region	Book the onward ticket first, or see the 240-hour guide
A news site shows different dates	It may be old, or not official	Compare with the NIA page
You are unsure about your rights at the border	Rules differ by route and port	Call the China Immigration Service Hotline, 12367

FAQ

Can US citizens enter China visa-free for 30 days?

Not in our data. The US appears only in the 240-hour transit list, which needs onward travel to a third country or region.

Is visa-free entry permanent?

Not for everyone. The big 30-day list runs until 31 December 2026. Some mutual exemptions have no end date in our data. Check the official page before you book.

Does Hong Kong count as a third place for transit?

The NIA text only says “third country or region”. Confirm with your airline before you rely on it.

Is there a special ASEAN scheme?

We haven’t confirmed one. See our ASEAN visa-free page.

Still stuck?

Do it yourself with the steps above — or get help from a real person.

Sources: policy data last verified 18 October 2026 (NIA, China Briefing, Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles). Transit conditions: NIA. Arrival card: NIA. Some links are affiliate links — see our disclosure.