China Visa-Free Entry: Do You Need a Visa?
Check your passport, trip purpose, stay length and travel date against the current China visa-free entry rules — then get a clear visa-free, visa-required, or check result.
China ordinary-visit decision
Do you need a visa for this exact trip?
Answer only the facts that can change the decision. The result tells you NO NEED, NEED, or CHECK — then gives you the proof and next action for that result.
Common passport answers
Six passports, answered before you start
Same policy data the checker below uses — ordinary passport, short visit, mainland China. Your dates and purpose can still change the result. Skip to the checker ↓
| Passport | Short visit | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Visa needed for a normal visitNot on the current 30-day unilateral visa-free list. A multi-city trip needs a visa before travel. | Plan the visa before booking. A Hainan-only stay uses a separate regional route. If mainland China is only a stopover to another country, check the 24-hour and 240-hour transit route instead. |
| United Kingdom | Visa-free, up to 30 daysOn the current unilateral list for short visits; the published policy runs through 31 December 2026. | Confirm your dates, purpose and stay length below. |
| Canada | Visa-free, up to 30 daysOn the current unilateral list for short visits; the published policy runs through 31 December 2026. | Confirm your dates, purpose and stay length below. |
| Australia | Visa-free, up to 30 daysOn the current unilateral list for short visits; the published policy runs through 31 December 2026. | Confirm your dates, purpose and stay length below. |
| Japan | Visa-free, up to 30 daysOn the current unilateral list for short visits; the published policy runs through 31 December 2026. | Confirm your dates, purpose and stay length below. |
| South Korea | Visa-free, up to 30 daysOn the current unilateral list for short visits; the published policy runs through 31 December 2026. | Confirm your dates, purpose and stay length below. |
Transit is a separate rule set, and so is a Hainan-only stay. Neither one changes the answer above for a normal mainland trip.
Check your exact passport, dates and tripYou’re transiting through China.
Transit uses different entry rules. Your route, passport and time in mainland China determine whether you may use China’s 24-hour or 240-hour visa-free transit rules.
This automated checker currently covers ordinary passports only.
Check the official China visa information for the requirements that apply to your travel document.
Do not start from the official page
Open the step-by-step problem-solving guide first
It separates the document set, exact sequence, common failure points, and what to say. The official links are placed at the end of that guide after you know what to look for.
Open step-by-step visa action guideYour answer
Applicable short-stay path
Why this result
Rule checks for this trip
Your visa-free window
Before you fly
Prepare the actual files you may need to show
Do not rely on a text checklist alone. Keep the real files together on your phone and, if practical, offline.
Use this result at the airport
Turn the checker result into something you can actually carry
For a confirmed visa-free result, save one concise summary with your trip facts, policy path, official source, and the documents to keep ready.
Use it in the real situation
Keep one concise result beside the passport and booking
- Clear NO VISA NEEDED result
- Passport, purpose, entry date and stay length
- Applicable visa-free path and stay limit
- What to carry at check-in / border inspection
- Check-in note + official policy source
Problem · airline check-in
Airline staff says “visa required”
Show the entry summary beside your passport and booking details. If the agent still disagrees, ask them to verify the current visa-free policy source listed in the summary.
Problem · border inspection
Immigration asks why you are entering and what supports the trip
Show the real trip-purpose evidence that matches your answer — accommodation, invitation, flight details, or family/host evidence as relevant.
Problem · policy verification
Staff wants to see the official rule, not your generated summary
Open the official source shown in the summary and point to the nationality, passport, purpose and stay conditions that match your trip. Treat the summary as support, not as an official document.
Problem · trip changed
Your flight, accommodation, purpose, date or stay length changed
Do not defend a changed trip with an old result. Rerun the checker and regenerate the summary so the policy path and evidence match the new facts.
My itinerary has changed since I generated the previous check. I have rerun the checker using the current trip details and I am using the updated result and documents.
Do not jump straight to a policy page. Use the regional-route guide to check nationality, group/agency, port, permitted area and stay length against the booking.
Open regional visa-free problem-solving guide →Do this
Arrival preparation
Eligible to enter? Complete the official free China arrival card before travel. It does not replace your visa or visa-free entry result.
Planning Beijing?
Problem-solving guides explain the action first; official policy and application links are placed at the end of those guides.
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01 What to prepare
If your result is visa-free, prepare the trip evidence border inspection may ask to see
The current MFA FAQ recommends carrying evidence that matches your purpose of entry. You do not upload these documents to this checker.
For unilateral visa-free entry, the passport should remain valid for at least the intended stay in China.
Flight details, hotel reservations, or an invitation letter when relevant can help show why you are entering.
The MFA FAQ says eligible travelers do not need to notify a Chinese embassy or consulate in advance.
02 At the border
What happens when you arrive
A visa-free result means you can travel under the published exemption. China Immigration still performs the final border examination.
Go to China Immigration / border inspection
Present your passport and complete the required arrival formalities.
Answer the purpose-of-entry check
Keep flight, accommodation, or invitation evidence available if the officer asks for it.
Admission is decided at the checkpoint
The exemption removes the advance visa requirement; it does not replace the border inspection decision.
Different decision path
Transit instead?
If mainland China is only a stop on the way to another country or region, use the dedicated transit checker for 24-hour and 240-hour routing.
04 · Common questions
Before you travel
Does this page give everyone the same answer?
No. The answer can change with your passport, purpose, entry date, stay length and any qualifying regional route.
What if I am only transiting through China?
Transit has separate route-based rules. Use the China transit visa checker rather than this ordinary-visit check.
Is a visa-free result a final admission decision?
No. Recheck the official source before travel; Chinese immigration authorities make final admission decisions.
06 Sources and freshness
Trust
Sources
Last checked September 29, 2026
Final admission decisions rest with Chinese immigration authorities.
Plan your visit
- 01Ministry of Foreign Affairs — FAQs on unilateral visa-free entry (50 countries, validity dates, 30-day stay)
- 02China Consular Service — unilateral visa-free FAQs (same 50-country baseline)
- 03National Immigration Administration — details of mutual visa-exemption agreements
- 04National Immigration Administration — regional visa-free entry policies
- 05China Consular Service — Visa Application Instructions
- 06National Immigration Administration — 24-hour and 240-hour visa-free transit policy interpretation (English)