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China Visa-Free Entry Tracker 2026: 79 Countries, Arrivals and Timeline

Short answer: as of 18 October 2026, 50 countries have China's 30-day unilateral visa-free entry (48 of them until 31 December 2026), 29 have a mutual visa exemption with no end date, and 57 nationalities can use the 240-hour visa-free transit. Every table on this page is generated from the same data as our visa-free checker; journalists and bloggers are welcome to cite it (CC BY 4.0, link back).

How many visa-free foreign arrivals does China get?

QuarterVisa-free foreign arrivalsShare of all foreign arrivalsYear on yearSource
Q3 20268.99 million77.5%+24.1%Xinhua / NIA, 20 Oct 2026

Figures are the National Immigration Administration's quarterly releases as reported; we add a row each quarter. The NIA publishes in English at en.nia.gov.cn.

How did China's visa-free policy grow?

DateChange
24 November 202330-day visa-free trial announced for France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia (from 1 December 2023)
1 November 2024Scheme extended to 31 December 2025 and widened to more countries
3 November 2025Scheme extended to 31 December 2026; Sweden added from 10 November 2025
17 February 2026United Kingdom and Canada added
20 May 2026Russia's 30-day visa-free entry extended to 31 December 2027
20 August 2026240-hour visa-free transit expanded to 57 countries, 65 ports and 24 provinces (Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam added)

Each renewal so far was announced in November. What a 2027 decision could look like: will China extend visa-free entry to 2027?

Which countries get 30-day visa-free entry? (50 countries)

CountryMax stayValid until240-hour transit
Andorra30 days31 December 2026—
Argentina30 days31 December 2026Yes
Australia30 days31 December 2026Yes
Austria30 days31 December 2026Yes
Bahrain30 days31 December 2026—
Belgium30 days31 December 2026Yes
Brazil30 days31 December 2026Yes
Brunei30 daysNo end dateYes
Bulgaria30 days31 December 2026Yes
Canada30 days31 December 2026Yes
Chile30 days31 December 2026Yes
Croatia30 days31 December 2026Yes
Cyprus30 days31 December 2026Yes
Denmark30 days31 December 2026Yes
Estonia30 days31 December 2026Yes
Finland30 days31 December 2026Yes
France30 days31 December 2026Yes
Germany30 days31 December 2026Yes
Greece30 days31 December 2026Yes
Hungary30 days31 December 2026Yes
Iceland30 days31 December 2026Yes
Ireland30 days31 December 2026Yes
Italy30 days31 December 2026Yes
Japan30 days31 December 2026Yes
Kuwait30 days31 December 2026—
Latvia30 days31 December 2026Yes
Liechtenstein30 days31 December 2026—
Luxembourg30 days31 December 2026Yes
Malta30 days31 December 2026Yes
Monaco30 days31 December 2026Yes
Montenegro30 days31 December 2026Yes
Netherlands30 days31 December 2026Yes
New Zealand30 days31 December 2026Yes
North Macedonia30 days31 December 2026Yes
Norway30 days31 December 2026Yes
Oman30 days31 December 2026—
Peru30 days31 December 2026—
Poland30 days31 December 2026Yes
Portugal30 days31 December 2026Yes
Romania30 days31 December 2026Yes
Russia30 days31 December 2027Yes
Saudi Arabia30 days31 December 2026—
Slovakia30 days31 December 2026Yes
Slovenia30 days31 December 2026Yes
South Korea30 days31 December 2026Yes
Spain30 days31 December 2026Yes
Sweden30 days31 December 2026Yes
Switzerland30 days31 December 2026Yes
United Kingdom30 days31 December 2026Yes
Uruguay30 days31 December 2026—

Which countries have a mutual visa exemption? (29 countries)

Bilateral agreements with no end date, so they are not part of the 31 December 2026 renewal.

CountryMax stay240-hour transit
Albania90 daysYes
Antigua and Barbuda30 days—
Armenia90 days—
Azerbaijan30 days—
Bahamas30 days—
Barbados30 days—
Belarus30 daysYes
Bosnia and Herzegovina90 daysYes
Dominica30 days—
Ecuador30 days—
Fiji30 days—
Georgia30 days—
Grenada30 days—
Kazakhstan30 days—
Malaysia30 days—
Maldives30 days—
Mauritius60 days—
Qatar30 daysYes
Samoa30 days—
San Marino90 days—
Serbia30 daysYes
Seychelles30 days—
Singapore30 daysYes
Solomon Islands30 days—
Suriname30 days—
Thailand30 days—
Tonga30 days—
United Arab Emirates30 daysYes
Uzbekistan30 days—

Who can only use 240-hour transit? (8 countries)

No visa-free entry for a regular visit, but up to 10 days when flying on to a third country or region. Which cities count: 240-hour transit by city.

Czech Republic · Indonesia · Kyrgyzstan · Lithuania · Mexico · Ukraine · United States · Vietnam

FAQ

Which countries can enter China visa-free in 2026?

As of 18 October 2026, 50 countries have 30-day unilateral visa-free entry and 29 have a mutual visa exemption. A further 8 nationalities have no visa-free entry for a regular visit but can use the 240-hour transit.

Will China extend visa-free entry beyond 31 December 2026?

48 of the 50 unilateral countries are currently set to end on 31 December 2026. Each renewal so far was announced in November. We update this page when a new announcement is published, so check the official sources below before you book a 2027 trip.

Does the 31 December 2026 deadline affect mutual visa exemption countries?

No. The 29 mutual visa exemptions are bilateral agreements with no end date, so they are not part of the 31 December 2026 renewal.

Can US citizens enter China without a visa?

Only through the 240-hour transit. The United States is on the 57-country transit list, which allows up to 10 days when you fly on to a third country or region. It is not on the 30-day visa-free list.

Where do these numbers come from?

Country status comes from the National Immigration Administration and Chinese consular notices. For the official word, see the NIA English site, en.nia.gov.cn, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs consular site, cs.mfa.gov.cn. Always check them, or your nearest Chinese embassy, before you book.

How do I cite this page?

China Easy Mode, "China visa-free entry tracker", chinaeasymode.com/visa/visa-free-tracker/, data as of 18 October 2026; country status from the National Immigration Administration and Chinese consular notices, arrivals from NIA quarterly releases. Need a quote or a custom breakdown? Contact us.

Last verified 2026-10-18. Sources: [1] [2] [3] .

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