Summary of visa-free policies

2024-12-09 14:06

Summary of visa-free policies

1. As of December 31, 2025, citizens of the following countries holding ordinary passports can enter China without a visa for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, exchange visits, or transit for no more than 30 days:
France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Australia, Poland, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Slovenia, Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, South Korea, Brunei, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, Japan.

2. Bilateral agreements
1. According to the bilateral agreements or agreements signed or reached between China and relevant countries, persons from some countries who meet certain conditions can come to China without visas. For more information, please refer to the list of mutual visa exemption agreements between China and foreign countries

http://cs.mfa.gov.cn/zlbg/bgzl/lhqz/
2. According to the bilateral visa exemption agreement, except for activities that require prior approval such as work, study, news reporting, and settlement, the following countries can stay visa-free for a single stay of no more than 30 days from the date of entry:
Singapore;
Cumulative stay of no more than 90 days per 180 days: Thailand, Kazakhstan, Antigua and Barbuda, Georgia.

3. Direct transit
1. 24-hour visa-free transit:
See https://www.nia.gov.cn/n741440/n741577/c759334/content.html for details

Foreigners holding connecting tickets who take an aircraft, ship or train for an international voyage from China to a third country or region, and stay in China for no more than 24 hours without leaving the port, may be exempted from applying for a visa; Foreigners who need to leave the port of entry without a visa and stay for no more than 24 hours with a connecting ticket shall apply for a temporary entry permit from the exit/entry border inspection authorities.
2. Transit 72 hours/144 hours visa-free:
See https://www.nia.gov.cn/n897453/c1613010/content.html for details
China's 72/144-hour transit visa-free policy applies to 54 countries:
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, Russia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Belarus, Norway, United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Qatar.
Nationals of the above-mentioned countries may apply for transit visa exemption to the port exit and entry border inspection authorities of cities where China has implemented the transit visa-free policy with valid international travel documents and connecting tickets with a fixed date and seat within a limited time, and the visa-free stay period shall be calculated from 0:00 on the next day of entry.

Fourth, go to Hainan Province
1. Hainan 144-hour transit visa-free:

https://www.nia.gov.cn/n897453/c1663153/content.html

From 30 July 2024, a 144-hour visa-free entry policy for foreign tour groups from Hong Kong and Macao will be implemented. Citizens of countries that have diplomatic relations with China can stay in Hainan without a visa for no more than 144 hours after arriving in Hong Kong and Macao with ordinary passports, and entering Hainan in a group (2 or more people) organized by a travel agency legally registered in Hong Kong and Macao (in accordance with the provisions of the Mutual Visa Exemption Agreement signed with China or other visa-free policies of the Chinese government)。 The entry and exit ports are all open ports set up by the state in Hainan Province, which must enter and exit the whole group, and the scope of activities is the administrative region of Hainan Province, and the stay time is calculated from 0:00 on the next day of entry.
2. 30-day visa-free travel to 59 countries in Hainan:
https://www.hainan.gov.cn/hainan/5309/202311/58bf0483fde6462a8069ad1df780a966.shtml

5. Holders of valid foreigners' residence permits issued by the Chinese public security organs. Foreigners and resident foreign journalists who go to China for study, employment, family reunion, long-term family visits, must apply to the public security organs for foreigner residence formalities after entering the country. During the validity period of the residence permit, foreigners can stay in China and enter and exit China multiple times without applying for a separate visa.

6. Holders of valid permanent residence permits for foreigners of the People's Republic of China.

7. Holders of valid APEC business travel cards (APEC virtual card holders can enter the country without a visa from May 1, 2023).

Useful Links

The Central People’s Government of China
http://www.gov.cn

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
http://www.mfa.gov.cn

Ministry of Public Security
http://www.mps.gov.cn

National Health Commission of the PRC
http://www.nhc.gov.cn

General Administration of Customs of the PRC
http://www.customs.gov.cn

Beijing Customs District of the PRC
http://beijing.customs.gov.cn/