China visa requirements · checked 13 October 2026

Visa & Entry Requirements for China

Q: What documents do I need to enter China?

Passport validity: The Chinese Embassy in the US says visa applicants' passports must have more than 6 months of remaining validity and at least 2 blank visa pages. Travel insurance: No official source we could read states a travel-insurance requirement for China. Return or onward ticket: China's National Immigration Administration says visa-free transit passengers need an onward ticket with a confirmed date and itinerary to a third country or region. Proof of funds: No official source we could read states a proof-of-funds requirement or amount.

Most travellers need a visa for China: 120 of 198 passports must apply at an embassy or consulate, while 78 passports enter visa-free.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says ordinary-passport holders of 50 countries, among them France, Germany, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the Republic of Korea, can enter without a visa for business, tourism, family or friends visits, exchange and transit, staying no more than 30 days. China's National Immigration Administration says nationals of 57 countries, including the United States, Russia and the UK, can transit without a visa through any of 65 ports in 24 provinces on their way to a third country or region, staying in the permitted areas for up to 10 days.

Check your passport

Your passport

Destination

Passports visa-free

120

Embassy visa required

Do I need a visa for China? Quick answers

Another passport? Use the checker or find it in the table below.

Visa for China — requirements summary

Visa-free: 78 (39%)
Visa required: 120 (61%)

All travellers must meet the entry rules set by China, and they depend on your nationality. Find your passport below — you may be able to enter visa-free, or need an eVisa, a visa on arrival or a visa from an embassy.

Passport	Requirement	Max stay	Details
Afghanistan	Visa required	—	Details →
Albania	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Algeria	Visa required	—	Details →
Andorra	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Angola	Visa required	—	Details →
Antigua and Barbuda	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Argentina	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Armenia	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Australia	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Austria	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Azerbaijan	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Bahamas	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Bahrain	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Bangladesh	Visa required	—	Details →
Barbados	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Belarus	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Belgium	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Belize	Visa required	—	Details →
Benin	Visa required	—	Details →
Bhutan	Visa required	—	Details →
Bolivia	Visa required	—	Details →
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Botswana	Visa required	—	Details →
Brazil	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Brunei	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Bulgaria	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Burkina Faso	Visa required	—	Details →
Burundi	Visa required	—	Details →
Cambodia	Visa required	—	Details →
Cameroon	Visa required	—	Details →
Canada	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Cape Verde	Visa required	—	Details →
Central African Republic	Visa required	—	Details →
Chad	Visa required	—	Details →
Chile	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Colombia	Visa required	—	Details →
Comoros	Visa required	—	Details →
Costa Rica	Visa required	—	Details →
Côte d'Ivoire	Visa required	—	Details →
Croatia	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Cuba	Visa required	—	Details →
Cyprus	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Czechia	Visa required	—	Details →
Denmark	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Djibouti	Visa required	—	Details →
Dominica	Visa required	—	Details →
Dominican Republic	Visa required	—	Details →
DR Congo	Visa required	—	Details →
Ecuador	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Egypt	Visa required	—	Details →
El Salvador	Visa required	—	Details →
Equatorial Guinea	Visa required	—	Details →
Eritrea	Visa required	—	Details →
Estonia	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Eswatini	Visa required	—	Details →
Ethiopia	Visa required	—	Details →
Fiji	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Finland	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
France	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Gabon	Visa required	—	Details →
Gambia	Visa required	—	Details →
Georgia	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Germany	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Ghana	Visa required	—	Details →
Greece	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Grenada	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Guatemala	Visa required	—	Details →
Guinea	Visa required	—	Details →
Guinea-Bissau	Visa required	—	Details →
Guyana	Visa required	—	Details →
Haiti	Visa required	—	Details →
Honduras	Visa required	—	Details →
Hong Kong	Visa required	—	Details →
Hungary	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Iceland	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
India	Visa required	—	Details →
Indonesia	Visa required	—	Details →
Iran	Visa required	—	Details →
Iraq	Visa required	—	Details →
Ireland	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Israel	Visa required	—	Details →
Italy	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Jamaica	Visa required	—	Details →
Japan	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Jordan	Visa required	—	Details →
Kazakhstan	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Kenya	Visa required	—	Details →
Kiribati	Visa required	—	Details →
Kosovo	Visa required	—	Details →
Kuwait	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Kyrgyzstan	Visa required	—	Details →
Laos	Visa required	—	Details →
Latvia	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Lebanon	Visa required	—	Details →
Lesotho	Visa required	—	Details →
Liberia	Visa required	—	Details →
Libya	Visa required	—	Details →
Liechtenstein	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Lithuania	Visa required	—	Details →
Luxembourg	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Macau	Visa required	—	Details →
Madagascar	Visa required	—	Details →
Malawi	Visa required	—	Details →
Malaysia	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Maldives	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Mali	Visa required	—	Details →
Malta	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Marshall Islands	Visa required	—	Details →
Mauritania	Visa required	—	Details →
Mauritius	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Mexico	Visa required	—	Details →
Micronesia	Visa required	—	Details →
Moldova	Visa required	—	Details →
Monaco	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Mongolia	Visa required	—	Details →
Montenegro	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Morocco	Visa required	—	Details →
Mozambique	Visa required	—	Details →
Myanmar	Visa required	—	Details →
Namibia	Visa required	—	Details →
Nauru	Visa required	—	Details →
Nepal	Visa required	—	Details →
Netherlands	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
New Zealand	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Nicaragua	Visa required	—	Details →
Niger	Visa required	—	Details →
Nigeria	Visa required	—	Details →
North Korea	Visa required	—	Details →
North Macedonia	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Norway	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Oman	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Pakistan	Visa required	—	Details →
Palau	Visa required	—	Details →
Palestine	Visa required	—	Details →
Panama	Visa required	—	Details →
Papua New Guinea	Visa required	—	Details →
Paraguay	Visa required	—	Details →
Peru	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Philippines	Visa required	—	Details →
Poland	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Portugal	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Qatar	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Republic of the Congo	Visa required	—	Details →
Romania	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Russia	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Rwanda	Visa required	—	Details →
Saint Kitts and Nevis	Visa required	—	Details →
Saint Lucia	Visa required	—	Details →
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Visa required	—	Details →
Samoa	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
San Marino	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Sao Tome and Principe	Visa required	—	Details →
Saudi Arabia	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Senegal	Visa required	—	Details →
Serbia	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Seychelles	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Sierra Leone	Visa required	—	Details →
Singapore	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Slovakia	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Slovenia	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Solomon Islands	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Somalia	Visa required	—	Details →
South Africa	Visa required	—	Details →
South Korea	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
South Sudan	Visa required	—	Details →
Spain	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Sri Lanka	Visa required	—	Details →
Sudan	Visa required	—	Details →
Suriname	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Sweden	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Switzerland	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Syria	Visa required	—	Details →
Taiwan	Visa required	—	Details →
Tajikistan	Visa required	—	Details →
Tanzania	Visa required	—	Details →
Thailand	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Timor-Leste	Visa required	—	Details →
Togo	Visa required	—	Details →
Tonga	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Trinidad and Tobago	Visa required	—	Details →
Tunisia	Visa required	—	Details →
Türkiye	Visa required	—	Details →
Turkmenistan	Visa required	—	Details →
Tuvalu	Visa required	—	Details →
Uganda	Visa required	—	Details →
Ukraine	Visa required	—	Details →
United Arab Emirates	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
United Kingdom	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
United States	Visa required	—	Details →
Uruguay	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Uzbekistan	Visa-free	30 days	Details →
Vanuatu	Visa required	—	Details →
Vatican City	Visa required	—	Details →
Venezuela	Visa required	—	Details →
Vietnam	Visa required	—	Details →
Yemen	Visa required	—	Details →
Zambia	Visa required	—	Details →
Zimbabwe	Visa required	—	Details →

China visa types, fees and processing times

Tourist Visa (L)

Embassy

Fee and processing time not published — confirm with the embassy or consulate before you apply.

Official application site →

Tourist visa (L-visa)

Embassy

Fee: 140 USD

USD 140 for US citizens (Chinese Embassy and Consulates-General in the US, reduced fees until 31 December 2026); express service adds USD 25 per visa. Its application requirements (updated September 2025) give processing as 4 business days for regular service and 3 for express.

Official application site →

240-Hour Visa-Free Transit

Extension

Max stay: 10 days

Fee and processing time not published — confirm with the embassy or consulate before you apply.

Entry requirements for China

Passport validity

6 months

The Chinese Embassy in the US says visa applicants' passports must have more than 6 months of remaining validity and at least 2 blank visa pages. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says visa-free entrants need an ordinary passport valid for at least the duration of their intended stay in China.

Department of Consular Affairs, MFA of China — FAQs on visa-free entry into China✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Blank passport pages

2 blank pages

Your passport needs at least 2 blank pages.

Embassy of China in the US — Requirements and Procedures for Chinese Visa Application (updated September 2025)✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Vaccinations: Yellow fever

9 months

WHO's country list says China requires proof of yellow fever vaccination from travellers aged 9 months or over arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission, and from travellers who transited for more than 12 hours through an airport of such a country.

WHO — International Travel and Health country list: vaccination requirements (China)✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Travel insurance

No official source we could read states a travel-insurance requirement for China. The UK Foreign Office says healthcare is not free in China and can be very expensive, and to make sure you have appropriate travel and medical insurance covering healthcare and medical evacuation and repatriation.

UK FCDO — China travel advice: health✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Return or onward ticket

China's National Immigration Administration says visa-free transit passengers need an onward ticket with a confirmed date and itinerary to a third country or region. For visa-free visitors, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends taking documents such as invitation letters, air tickets and accommodation reservations as proof corresponding to the purpose of entry. Canada's travel advice says to be prepared to show proof of onward travel.

National Immigration Administration — visa-free transit policy (过境免签政策)✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Proof of funds

No official source we could read states a proof-of-funds requirement or amount. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says visa-free entry is subject to examination and approval by border inspection authorities, and recommends taking documents such as invitation letters, air tickets and accommodation reservations as proof corresponding to the purpose of entry.

Department of Consular Affairs, MFA of China — FAQs on visa-free entry into China✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Registration after arrival

24 hours

Hotels register foreign guests and send the registration data to the local police. A foreigner staying anywhere other than a hotel must register with the local police within 24 hours of arrival, in person or through the host. If this is not done, a warning is given and a fine of up to RMB 2,000 may also be imposed. Hotels that fail to send the data are given a warning; in serious cases they are fined RMB 1,000 to 5,000.

National Immigration Administration (China) — Exit and Entry Administration Law of the PRC✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Overstay penalties

RMB 500

A foreigner who resides in China illegally is given a warning. In serious cases the foreigner is fined RMB 500 for each day of illegal residence, up to RMB 10,000 in total, or detained for 5 to 15 days. Repatriated persons may not enter China for one to five years from the date of repatriation.

National Immigration Administration (China) — Exit and Entry Administration Law of the PRC✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Customs allowances

No official source we could read states China's cash-declaration threshold: the customs page we cite could not be read.

General Administration of Customs of China — Customs Clearance Guide for International Passengers✓ Checked 6 Oct 2026

China visa requirements statistics

198

Passports covered

120

Most common: Visa required

Least common: Visa-free

39%

Visa-free access

Visa-free stays by length

30 days · 78 passports

Understanding China visa requirements

We track the entry rules of China for 198 passports. The most common situation is visa required, which applies to 120 passports (61%). 39% of passports can enter without a visa. The least common is visa-free (78 passports).

Entry categories for China

Visa-free entry: 78 passports can enter without a visa, for up to 30 days.
Visa required: 120 passports must apply at an embassy or consulate.

What else you need to enter China

Passport validity: The Chinese Embassy in the US says visa applicants' passports must have more than 6 months of remaining validity and at least 2 blank visa pages.
Travel insurance: No official source we could read states a travel-insurance requirement for China.
Return or onward ticket: China's National Immigration Administration says visa-free transit passengers need an onward ticket with a confirmed date and itinerary to a third country or region.
Proof of funds: No official source we could read states a proof-of-funds requirement or amount.

Open your passport in the table for the exact rules — maximum stay, fees, how to apply and the official source. Entry rules change at short notice: confirm with the embassy of China or its official immigration website before you travel.

Frequently asked questions about China visas

Do I need a visa for China?

Most travellers need a visa for China: 120 of 198 passports must apply at an embassy or consulate, while 78 passports enter visa-free. It depends on your passport — check yours.

Do US citizens need a visa for China?

The United States is not among the 50 countries whose ordinary-passport holders China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists for visa-free entry. The Chinese Embassy in the US charges US citizens USD 140 for a single-entry visa. US nationals travelling on to a third country or region can instead use the visa-free transit scheme, which China's National Immigration Administration says allows a stay of up to 10 days in the permitted areas.

Which nationalities can visit China visa-free?

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists 50 countries whose ordinary-passport holders can come to China without a visa for business, tourism, family or friends visits, exchange and transit, staying no more than 30 days. They include Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and other European countries, Switzerland, Ireland, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Brazil and Russia. The ministry says the waiver for Brunei has no expiry date, the one for Russia remains in effect until 31 December 2027, and those for the other 48 countries until 31 December 2026.

How does China's 240-hour visa-free transit work?

China's National Immigration Administration says nationals of 57 countries, including the US, the UK, Canada and Mexico, holding their own ordinary passport and an onward ticket with a confirmed date and itinerary to a third country or region, can enter without a visa at any of 65 open ports in 24 provinces and stay in the permitted areas for up to 10 days.

Can I pay with my foreign card in China?

Canada's travel advice says international credit cards are accepted in many hotels and larger establishments but not universally, and that major Chinese platforms allow foreign travellers to link an international credit card and pay by scanning QR codes. The UK Foreign Office says outside major cities credit cards are not always accepted and ATMs are limited.

Do I have to register with the police in China?

The UK Foreign Office, in its advice for people travelling on a full British citizen passport, and Canada say you must register your place of residence with the local Public Security Bureau within 24 hours of arrival. Hotels register you at check-in; Canada says those staying with family or friends in a private home must register themselves, and that failure to do so can result in fines and or detention.

How much does a Chinese tourist visa cost?

The Chinese Embassy and Consulates-General in the US list USD 140 for US citizens. For non-US citizens applying in the US, the reduced fees in force until 31 December 2026 are USD 23 single entry, 34 double, 45 for multiple entries over 6 months and 68 for multiple entries over 12 months or more; express service adds USD 25 per visa. The embassy notes that fees for certain non-US citizens vary. Its application requirements (updated September 2025) give processing in the US as 4 business days for regular service and 3 for express. No official source we could read states the fee or processing time for applications made elsewhere.

Do UK citizens need a visa for China?

UK citizens can visit China visa-free for 30 days. Full rules for United Kingdom passport holders.

Do German citizens need a visa for China?

German citizens can visit China visa-free for 30 days. Full rules for Germany passport holders.

What documents do I need to enter China?

Passport validity: The Chinese Embassy in the US says visa applicants' passports must have more than 6 months of remaining validity and at least 2 blank visa pages. Travel insurance: No official source we could read states a travel-insurance requirement for China. Return or onward ticket: China's National Immigration Administration says visa-free transit passengers need an onward ticket with a confirmed date and itinerary to a third country or region. Proof of funds: No official source we could read states a proof-of-funds requirement or amount.

How long can I stay in China without a visa?

Up to 30 days for every visa-free passport.

How many countries can visit China without a visa?

78 of 198 passports can enter China visa-free (39%). and 120 need a visa from an embassy.

Data: TravelRequirements.info — Entry Requirements Dataset, AXG Sp. z o.o. (CC BY 4.0) — official sources are linked on each passport page. Gaps filled from the Passport Index dataset (MIT).

Check other requirements

Travelling from China?

Where can China citizens travel visa-free?

China passport holders can visit 43 countries without a visa. Open a country for the exact rules.

Map and full list →