Ordinary visit
China Visa-Free Entry Checker
Ordinary-visit entry check: visa-free stay, regional paths, or when a visa is still required.
Use this if: China is your destination rather than a stopover.
Check ordinary entry →Entry & Visa
China Entry & Visa Decisions
Start by separating four different systems: ordinary visa-free entry, transit without a visa, a regular visa application, and special regional entry policies.
Official rules first
Primary immigration sources
Route before detail
Start upstream, then narrow down
Decision-first
Use the right checker for your case
Start with these tools
Start here
Three entry decisions, ordered from broadest to most specific.
Transit
China Transit Visa-Free Checker
Find whether 30-day visa-free, 24-hour transit, or 240-hour transit may apply to your route.
Use this if: You are connecting through mainland China to another country or region.
Check my transit route →Beijing detail
Beijing 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit Checker
Exact Capital / Daxing timing check after the upstream transit entry decision.
Use this if: You already know the 240-hour route may apply and need the Beijing-specific check.
Check Beijing 240 hours →Arrival preparation
China Arrival Card Online
Already know you can enter China? Complete the official arrival card online for free before travel. This is arrival preparation, not visa permission.
Complete the China arrival cardSpecial entry policies
Regional routes are separate from ordinary visa-free entry and transit
Use the page that matches the specific policy instead of assuming one exemption applies nationwide: Hainan 30-day visa-free entry, 15-day cruise-group visa-free entry, or the Shenzhen 5-day port visa.
Entry system first
Do not mix visa-free entry, transit and visa applications
If China is your destination, start with China Visa-Free Entry Checker. If China is an intermediate stop on an A → China → B itinerary, use the China Transit Visa-Free Checker. If neither route applies and you need a visa, move to the Visa Action Guide. City-specific pages such as the Beijing 240-hour checker come only after the upstream decision.
Already visited mainland China and returning from Hong Kong? Check the 30-day visa-free repeat-entry rules →
More entry and visa decisions
Find the specific passport, arrival or transit problem that follows your main entry check.
Can You Bring Food Into China? Snacks, Meat, Dairy, Fruit & Baby Food Customs GuideUse a quick China Customs food classifier for jerky, sausages, cheese, milk, eggs, fruit, vegetables, seeds, baby food and packaged snacks.Can You Leave the Airport on China’s 24-Hour Visa-Free Transit?Under China’s 24-hour transit policy, staying airside and entering China are different. Check when a temporary entry permit is required for baggage, hotels, city visits or airport changes.Can You Take High-Speed Rail Between Cities During China's 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit?Yes, cross-province travel can be allowed during China’s 240-hour visa-free transit — but only within NIA permitted areas. Validate your entry port, stay cities, exit port and third-country route.China Arrival Card Hotel Address: First Night, Airport Transit & Multiple CitiesWhat address should you put on China’s Arrival Card if you have multiple hotels, an airport overnight, friends’ accommodation or changing plans? Use truthful field logic and separate it from accommodation registration.
See 17 more entry guides
Can You Use China’s 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit with Separate Tickets?Are separate bookings, different airlines or two PNRs allowed for China’s 240-hour transit? Distinguish NIA requirements, airline check-in, baggage transfer, and immigration approval.Does Hong Kong or Macau Count as a Third Region for China’s 240-Hour Transit?Check Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan third-region routes for China’s 240-hour visa-free transit. Compare the last stop before mainland China and the first destination after it, then prepare evidence.China Visa Application Rejected or Unapproved: What to Fix Before You ReapplyDecode China visa application statuses such as Rejected, Rejected to be modified and Unapproved, then choose whether to amend, upload documents, withdraw or reapply.China Visa-Free Entry Before Dec 31, 2026: Can You Leave in January 2027?Planning to enter China visa-free in late December 2026 and leave in January 2027? Calculate the 30-day stay and understand what the published policy does — and does not — say about cross-year trips.Can You Enter China Visa-Free With Less Than 6 Months on Your Passport?For China’s unilateral 30-day visa waiver, check passport validity against your planned stay and separate China’s official rule from airline and transit-country requirements.Can You Extend China’s 30-Day Visa-Free Stay? Stay Permit Rules & PSB StepsEntered China visa-free for 30 days and need longer? Check whether a stay-permit application is available, what evidence is required, when to apply and what to do if it is denied.Which China visa path applies to my trip?It depends on your passport, whether you are transiting to a third country, and your trip length. Check visa-free entry first, then 240-hour transit, otherwise apply for a visa.China Onward Ticket Proof for TransitPrepare a confirmed onward ticket, printable check-in evidence and current policy references for 24h / 240h transit.Airline Denied Boarding for China's 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit? (2026)What to do when airline check-in demands a China visa despite planned 240h transit: current NIA policy, confirmed onward proof and supervisor escalation.Can You Use China's 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit Twice on One Trip? (2026)Can you enter China twice under 240-hour visa-free transit? Check two A-China-B routes separately with current NIA rules and onward ticket evidence.Lost Passport in China? Police, Embassy and ExitUse nationality-specific replacement, police loss certificate and visa-free or visa exit checksHong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge: 240-Hour China Transit Entry in 2026Crossing from Hong Kong into Zhuhai using China's 240-hour transit exemption? Check the bridge port, passport eligibility, Guangdong travel and onward destination before boarding.China 240-Hour Transit With Extra Layovers: How to Check Your Flight RouteDo overseas layovers before and after mainland China change 240-hour transit eligibility? Use a segment-by-segment route check and show the correct onward flight at check-in.China Visa Processing Time in 2026: Regular, Express and Rush by Visa CenterHow many working days does a China visa take, and can you obtain one in a few hours? Compare official center-specific processing windows, appointment delays and urgent travel pitfalls.Tibet Travel Permit in 2026: Can Foreign Tourists Go Independently?Do foreign passport holders need a Tibet travel permit and local tour operator? Learn what to verify before flights, trains and Lhasa bookings in 2026.China Arrival Card Port of Entry Missing? Land Borders and West Kowloon (2026)Resolve missing land-border entry port and West Kowloon station options with official free fallbackChina 30-Day Visa-Free: Does Arrival Day Count?Calculate the last day of a 30-day unilateral visa-free stay from the next calendar date.