Visa-free: mutual exemption
Your country has a bilateral visa exemption agreement with China, so short visits do not need a visa.
China Visa Checker
Pick your passport — plus one route question if it matters. In seconds you'll see which entry rule applies to you — and exactly what it allows.
Are you flying through China to a third country?
Your passport's only visa-free path is the 240-hour transit policy, so this answer decides your result. The route must be A → China → B, not A → China → A.
Select your passport country to get your result.
Visa-free for 30 days
The policy currently has no fixed end date.
Covers tourism, business, family visits and transit. The count starts at midnight of the day after you enter.
240-hour visa-free transit
Stay up to 240 hours (10 days), counted from midnight of the day after entry
You must meet all three conditions:
- A → China → B route: you arrive from one country and depart to a different one (A ≠ B). Flying back to the same country (A → China → A) is refused.
- You hold a confirmed onward ticket to the third country, with a fixed date and seat.
- You stay within the province or city zone of your port of entry — Shanghai, for example, covers Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Cross-zone travel is not allowed.
You'll need a visa
For this passport and route there is no visa-free option. Apply for a visa — such as the L tourist visa — at a Chinese embassy or consulate before you travel.
Heads-up: this passport qualifies for the 240-hour visa-free transit. If your trip is A → China → B to a third country, answer Yes to the route question above.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa to visit China?
It depends on your passport and route. 29 countries have full mutual visa exemptions with China; 50 more have 30-day unilateral visa-free entry; and travelers from 57 countries can use the 240-hour visa-free transit on an A → China → B itinerary. If your passport is on none of these lists, apply for a visa in advance. The checker above shows your exact case.
Which countries can enter China visa-free in 2026?
Two pools. First, 29 countries with mutual visa exemption agreements covering ordinary passports — including Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, the UAE, Georgia and Serbia. Second, 50 countries under the 30-day unilateral visa-free policy — most EU members plus the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Brazil and others. The unilateral policy currently runs to December 31, 2026, except Brunei (no fixed end date) and Russia (to December 31, 2027).
What is the 240-hour visa-free transit in China?
If you travel from country A through China to country B, with A and B being different countries, nationals of 57 countries can stay up to 240 hours (10 days) without a visa, with a confirmed onward ticket. You must remain within the province or city zone of your port of entry — cross-zone travel is not allowed. It is not a tourist visa: a same-country round trip (A → China → A) is refused.