China Visa 2026: Visa-Free Entry, 240-Hour Transit and Tourist Visas

China now lets citizens of 50 countries visit for up to 30 days without a visa, gives citizens of 57 countries up to ten days of visa-free transit, and issues ordinary tourist and business visas at a 25% discount. All three arrangements are temporary. The unilateral visa-free policy and the fee reduction both run to 24:00 Beijing time on 31 December 2026 unless renewed, which is why the exact rule for your passport, and its expiry date, matters more than for most destinations.

Key points about China visas: - Citizens of 50 countries enter visa-free for up to 30 days per entry for business, tourism, family and friend visits, exchanges or transit. The National Immigration Administration's list of 17 February 2026 covers 35 European countries, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Brunei, and six countries in the Americas including Canada, Brazil and Argentina. The United Kingdom and Canada were added on 17 February 2026 - The 30 days are counted from the day after you enter, there is no limit on the number of entries and no cumulative cap, and the policy is in force until 24:00 on 31 December 2026. Russia's exemption was extended separately to 31 December 2027 - Citizens of Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the UAE and Qatar enter visa-free under mutual agreements that do not expire in December: 30 days per entry, and for Thailand and Malaysia no more than 90 days in any 180 - Citizens of 57 countries, including the United States but not India, Nigeria or Pakistan, can transit visa-free for up to 240 hours through 65 ports in 24 provinces if they hold a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region - Everyone else, including Indian, Nigerian, Pakistani, Philippine, South African, Bangladeshi and US passport holders wanting more than a transit, needs a visa: the online COVA form, then an appointment at a Chinese Visa Application Service Centre or the mission, with a standard four-working-day turnaround - Consular fees are set by nationality and reduced by 25% until 31 December 2026: US$140 for US citizens at any validity, £64 single entry for British citizens, Rs2,900 single entry for Indian citizens, NGN 10,500 for Nigerian citizens, and nothing at all for Pakistani citizens. Applicants for stays of up to 180 days are also exempt from fingerprinting until the same date

Who does not need a visa: The unilateral list, in full: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Uruguay. Add the mutual-agreement countries: Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the UAE, Qatar, Ecuador, Suriname, Barbados, Dominica, Samoa, the Solomon Islands and Antigua and Barbuda. The waiver covers ordinary passports only, and it does not cover work, study or journalism, which still need the relevant visa.

Who needs one: Every nationality not listed above, which includes the site's largest audiences. Indian, Nigerian, Pakistani, Philippine, Bangladeshi, South African, Kenyan, Ghanaian, Egyptian, Nepali, Sri Lankan, Turkish, Colombian, Mexican and Indonesian passports all need a visa for an ordinary visit. So do United States passports: the US is on the 240-hour transit list and the Hainan list but not the 30-day list, so an American visiting Beijing for a week's holiday needs a tourist visa unless the trip is a genuine transit to a third country. Vietnamese and Kyrgyz citizens joined the transit and Hainan schemes on 20 August 2026 but still need a visa for anything else.

The visa itself: Ordinary visas are lettered by purpose: L for tourism, M for commercial and trade activities, F for exchanges and study tours, Q for visiting Chinese relatives, S for visiting foreign relatives working in China, X for study, Z for work, J for journalists and G for transit. Since 2019 every applicant completes the China Online Visa Application (COVA) form first, prints it, and lodges it with the passport and supporting documents. In most countries that happens at a Chinese Visa Application Service Centre run by an outsourcing company, which adds its own service fee; in the United States and a few other countries applications go to the embassy or consulate visa office directly. The embassy in Pakistan, the Lagos consulate and others state a standard processing time of four working days.

Hong Kong and Macao are separate: Both Special Administrative Regions run their own immigration. A mainland visa or waiver does not admit you to Hong Kong or Macao, and entering them does not admit you to the mainland. Many nationalities that need a mainland visa, including Indian, Nigerian and South African citizens, have different arrangements for Hong Kong.

After you arrive: Foreign nationals must register their place of stay with the local Public Security Bureau within 24 hours of arrival. Hotels do this automatically at check-in; if you stay in a private home, you or your host must go to the local police station. Carry your passport; it is the only accepted identity document for foreigners, and it is needed for train tickets, hotels, museums and often for payment app registration.