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Destination · data reviewed 2026-10

China Visa Requirements by Passport (2026)

79 of 207 passports can enter China without arranging a visa in advance: 79 visa-free. 124 need a visa before travel.

  • Visa-free 79
  • Visa 124
  • Special 4
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No visa in advance

79 of 207

Visa-free, ETA or on arrival

Visa-free

79

E-visa online

0

Visa required

124

How to enter China

What to apply for, what it costs and where to apply.

Citizens of 50 countries, including the UK and Canada since 17 Feb 2026 and Sweden since 10 Nov 2025, can visit visa-free for up to 30 days until 31 Dec 2026. Americans and most others need a visa unless they qualify for 240-hour visa-free transit to a third country.

Visa-free entryUnilateral visa-free entry

Ordinary passport holders of 50 listed countries (most of the EU, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Gulf states and others); not the US

Fee
Free
Stay
Up to 30 days for business, tourism, family visits, exchange or transit
Valid for
Policy runs to 31 Dec 2026 (Russia to 31 Dec 2027)
Official site: en.nia.gov.cn
Visa-free entry240-hour visa-free transit

Nationals of 57 countries (including US, UK, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, UAE, Singapore) flying on to a third country with a confirmed onward ticket

Fee
Free
Stay
Up to 240 hours (10 days) within permitted areas of 24 provinces; enter via any of 65 ports
Processing
Granted at the port of entry
Official site: en.nia.gov.cn
Arrival cardOnline Arrival Card

Foreign nationals entering China (visa or visa-free); paper card and port kiosks still accepted

Fee
Free
Processing
Submit before arrival via the NIA website, NIA 12367 app, or WeChat/Alipay mini programs
Official site: en.nia.gov.cn

Passport validity

Valid for the whole stay; 6 months recommended

Official entry rules

en.nia.gov.cn

Recent and upcoming changes

  1. Unilateral visa-free policy due to expire

    The 30-day visa-free policy for most listed countries ends at 24:00 on 31 Dec 2026 unless extended; no extension announced as of 31 Oct 2026. Source

  2. 240-hour transit adds Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam

    The visa-free transit list grew to 57 nationalities. Source

  3. Russia visa-free extended to end of 2027

    Visa-free entry for Russian citizens extended to 31 Dec 2027. Source

  4. Visa-free for UK and Canada

    British and Canadian ordinary passport holders can enter visa-free for up to 30 days until 31 Dec 2026. Source

  5. Online Arrival Card launched

    Foreigners can file arrival information online before reaching a Chinese port. Source

  6. Sweden added; policy extended to end of 2026

    Sweden joined the unilateral visa-free list and the policy for existing countries was extended to 31 Dec 2026. Source

  7. Visa-free for Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain

    Four Gulf states added to the 30-day visa-free list. Source

  8. Visa-free for Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay

    Five Latin American countries added to the 30-day visa-free list. Source

Checked against 7 sources on Oct 31, 2026. Rules for China can change quickly: confirm on the official site before you book.

Passports that can visit China visa-free

79 passports. No visa or online approval needed. Show your passport at immigration.

Albania90 daysAndorra30 daysAntigua and Barbuda30 daysArgentina30 daysArmenia90 daysAustralia30 daysAustria30 daysAzerbaijan30 daysBahamas30 daysBahrain30 daysBarbados30 daysBelarus30 daysBelgium30 daysBosnia and Herzegovina90 daysBrazil30 daysBrunei30 daysBulgaria30 daysCanada30 daysChile30 daysCroatia30 daysCyprus30 daysDenmark30 daysDominica30 daysEcuador30 daysEstonia30 daysFiji30 daysFinland30 daysFrance30 daysGeorgia30 daysGermany30 daysGreece30 daysGrenada30 daysHungary30 daysIceland30 daysIreland30 daysItaly30 daysJapan30 daysKazakhstan30 daysKuwait30 daysLatvia30 daysLiechtenstein30 daysLuxembourg30 daysMalaysia30 daysMaldives30 daysMalta30 daysMauritius60 daysMonaco30 daysMongolia30 daysMontenegro30 daysNetherlands30 daysNew Zealand30 daysNorth Macedonia30 daysNorway30 daysOman30 daysPeru30 daysPoland30 daysPortugal30 daysQatar30 daysRomania30 daysSamoa30 daysSan Marino90 daysSaudi Arabia30 daysSerbia30 daysSeychelles30 daysSingapore30 daysSlovakia30 daysSlovenia30 daysSolomon Islands30 daysSouth Korea30 daysSpain30 daysSuriname30 daysSweden30 daysSwitzerland30 daysThailand30 daysTonga30 daysUnited Arab Emirates30 daysUnited Kingdom30 daysUruguay30 daysUzbekistan30 days

Passports that need a visa for China

124 passports. Apply for a visa at an embassy, consulate or official visa center before you go.

AfghanistanAlgeriaAngolaAnguillaBangladeshBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBotswanaBritish Virgin IslandsBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadColombiaComorosCosta RicaCubaCzechiaDjiboutiDominican RepublicDR CongoEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEswatiniEthiopiaGabonGambiaGhanaGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHondurasIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIsraelIsraeli Travel Document (Teudat Ma'avar)Ivory CoastJamaicaJordanKenyaKiribatiKosovoKyrgyzstanLaosLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLithuaniaMadagascarMalawiMaliMarshall IslandsMauritaniaMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNorth KoreaPakistanPalauPalestinePanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPhilippinesRepublic of the CongoRussiaRwandaSaint HelenaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSao Tome and PrincipeSenegalSierra LeoneSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth SudanSri LankaSudanSyriaTajikistanTanzaniaTimor-LesteTogoTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited StatesVanuatuVatican CityVenezuelaVietnamYemenZambiaZimbabwe

Special permits and unconfirmed entry

4 passports. A special permit is needed, or entry on this passport isn't confirmed. Contact the destination's embassy.

British National (Overseas)Hong KongMacauTaiwan

China visa: common questions

Do US passport holders need a visa for China?

Yes. US passport holders need a visa for China, arranged before travel through an embassy, consulate or official visa center.

Do UK passport holders need a visa for China?

No. UK passport holders can visit China visa-free for up to 30 days.

Do Canada passport holders need a visa for China?

No. Canada passport holders can visit China visa-free for up to 30 days.

Do Australia passport holders need a visa for China?

No. Australia passport holders can visit China visa-free for up to 30 days.

Do India passport holders need a visa for China?

Yes. India passport holders need a visa for China, arranged before travel through an embassy, consulate or official visa center.

How long can you stay in China without a visa?

Most visa-free visitors can stay up to 30 days, and some passports get up to 90 days. The limit depends on your passport, so check yours above.

How many passports need a visa for China?

124 passports need a visa arranged before travel, and 0 can apply for an e-visa online. Look up your passport above for the exact rule.

Visa requirements for every destination

Tourist visits only. Requirements come from a dataset compiled in October 2025, with changes since then checked against official government sources on 2026-10-31. Rules change, so confirm with China's official site before you book and again before you fly.