Arrival

China’s ordinary visa categories

China’s ordinary visa (non-diplomatic, non-courtesy and non-official) categories include the C visa, D visa, F visa, G visa, J1 and J2 visa, K visa, L visa, M visa, Q1 and Q2 visa, R visa, S1 and S2 visa, X1 and X2 visa, and Z visa, to enter China for various purposes, including travel, visiting relatives and friends, and transit stay.

Applicants for these visas must meet the qualifications and requirements set by the relevant Chinese authorities, prepare the required application materials and submit their application.

240-hour visa-free transit policy

Eligible citizens from 55 countries (subject to policy updates) – holding valid international travel documents (with a validity of at least three months) and interline passenger tickets with confirmed dates and seats to a third country or region – can enter China visa-free and stay for up to 10 days, for business, tourism, visits to relatives or friends, exchange visits and transit.

They can now enter through any of the designated 65 open ports across 24 provincial-level regions (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government), enjoy cross-province travel within the designated areas and exit from any of these eligible ports.

★List of 55 countries:
•Europe (40 countries): Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, lceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, Russia, the United Kingdon, lreland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Belarus, and Norway
•Americas (6 countries): The United States, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico
•Oceania (2 countries): Australia and New Zealand
•Asia (7 countries): Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Qatar, Singapore, Republic of Korea, United Arab Emirates

★Eligible 65 open ports:
•Beijing: Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport
•Tianjin: Tianjin Binhai International Airport and Tianjin Port (Passenger)
•Shanghai: Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Shanghai Port (Passenger)
•Guangdong: Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport, Jieyang Chaoshan International Airport, Nansha Port (Passenger), Shekou Port (Passenger), Guangzhou Pazhou Ferry Terminal, Zhongshan Port (Passenger), Hengqin Port, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Port and West Kowloon Station Port of Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link
•Hebei: Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport and Qinhuangdao Port (Passenger)
•Jiangsu: Nanjing Lukou International Airport, Su'nan Shuofang International Airport, Yangzhou Taizhou International Airport and Lianyungang Port (Passenger)
•Zhejiang: Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, Ningbo Lishe International Airport, Wenzhou Longwan International Airport, Yiwu Airport, Wenzhou Port (Passenger) and Zhoushan Port (Passenger)
•Fujian: Fuzhou Changle International Airport, Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport, Quanzhou Jinjiang International Airport, Wuyishan Airport and Xiamen Port (Passenger)
•Shandong: Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport, Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport, Yantai Penglai International Airport, Weihai Dashuipo International Airport and Qingdao Port (Passenger)
•Hainan: Haikou Meilan International Airport and Sanya Phoenix International Airport
•Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region: Nanning Wuxu International Airport, Guilin Liangjiang International Airport, Beihai Fucheng Airport and Beihai Port (Passenger)
•Sichuan: Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and Chengdu Tianfu International Airport
•Yunnan: Kunming Changshui International Airport, Lijiang Sanyi International Airport and Mohan Railway Port
•Chongqing: Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport
•Guizhou: Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport
•Anhui: Hefei Xinqiao International Airport and Huangshan Tunxi International Airport
•Jiangxi: Nanchang Changbei International Airport
•Shanxi: Taiyuan Wusu International Airport
•Henan: Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport
•Hubei: Wuhan Tianhe International Airport
•Hunan: Changsha Huanghua International Airport and Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport
•Heilongjiang: Harbin Taiping International Airport
•Liaoning: Shenyang Taoxian International Airport, Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport and Dalian Port (Passenger)
•Shaanxi: Xi’an Xianyang International Airport

Unilateral visa-free policy
Eligible citizens holding an ordinary passport can enter China visa-free and stay for up to 30 days for business, tourism, visits to relatives or friends, exchange visits and transit through any sea port, land port or airport open to foreign nationals (except where laws, regulations or bilateral arrangements specify otherwise).

★List of eligible countries (subject to policy updates):
•Europe (34 countries): France, Germany, ltaly, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland, lreland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Slovenia, Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, lceland, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, Russia, Sweden
•Oceania (2 countries): Australia, New Zealand
•Asia (7 countries): Bahrain, Brunei, Japan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Republic of Korea
South America (5 countries): Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Uruguay

Visa-free entry policy for foreign tourist groups traveling by cruise ships

Cruise ship tourist groups, made up of at least two ordinary passport holders, organized and received by a travel agency in China, can enter China visa-free via any cruise port in the 13 designated coastal cities (subject to policy updates), and stay in Beijing and 11 coastal provincial-level regions (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government) for up to 15 days.

They must continue their journey with the same cruise ship to the following scheduled ports and depart China with the same cruise ship as scheduled.

★List of 13 coastal cities opening their ports for entry:
Beihai (Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region), Dalian (Liaoning province), Guangzhou and Shenzhen (Guangdong province), Haikou and Sanya (Hainan province), Lianyungang (Jiangsu province), Qingdao (Shandong province), Shanghai, Tianjin, Wenzhou and Zhoushan (Zhejiang province), Xiamen (Fujian province)

★Permitted stay areas:
Beijing, Liaoning province, Tianjin, Hebei province, Shandong province, Jiangsu province, Shanghai, Zhejiang province, Fujian province, Guangdong province, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Hainan province

Visa-free policy for tourist groups from ASEAN countries entering Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province

Tourist groups, made up of at least two ordinary passport holders from any of the 10 ASEAN member countries, can enter Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture visa-free and stay for up to six days.

★List of the 10 ASEAN countries:
Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

★Open ports:
Xishuangbanna Gasa International Airport
Mohan Railway Port
Mohan Highway Port

30-day visa-free entry policy for foreign nationals entering Hainan province

Eligible citizens holding ordinary passports from 59 countries (subject to policy updates) can visit Hainan visa-free via any of its open ports and stay for up to 30 days, for tourism, business, family visits, medical treatment, participation in exhibitions, attendance at sporting events and other non-work or non-study reasons.

★List of 59 countries:
Russia, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Norway, Ukraine, Italy, Austria, Finland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Monaco, and Belarus.

Visa-free entry policy for foreign tourist groups entering Hainan province via Hong Kong and Macao

Eligible citizens from countries with diplomatic relations with China, holding ordinary passports, can enter Hainan visa-free via any of its open ports as a tourist group of at least two people organized by travel agencies legally registered in Hong Kong or Macao, and stay for up to 144 hours, or six days, after arriving in Hainan via Hong Kong or Macao, and they must also exit as a tourist group.

Visa-free policy for tourist groups from ASEAN countries entering Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region

Tourist groups, made up of at least two ordinary passport holders from any of the 10 ASEAN member countries, can enter Guilin visa-free and stay for up to six days.

★List of the 10 ASEAN countries:
Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

★Open ports:
Guilin Liangjiang International Airport

Visa-free entry policy for foreign tourist groups entering Guangdong province via Hong Kong and Macao

Eligible citizens from countries with diplomatic relations with China, holding ordinary passports, can enter 9 cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as well as Shantou visa-free as a tourist group of at least two people organized by travel agencies legally registered in Hong Kong or Macao, and stay for up to 144-hours, or six days, after arriving via Hong Kong or Macao, and they must also exit as a tourist group.

★Permitted stay areas:
Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhaoqing, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Huizhou, Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Shantou and Jiangmen

★Open ports:
Any of the open ports in the 10 cities

(Information updated in December 2025)