A country list is only the beginning.
Compare entry paths by your actual passport and complete route. A nationality appearing on a list is not, by itself, permission for every purpose, port, destination or onward journey.
- What was checked
- The dated NIA, consular, visa-center and customs notices cited below, including ordinary-passport exemptions and the 240-hour transit conditions.
- Passport & document conditions
- The ordinary-passport list used here contains 45 nationalities and states validity through 31 December 2026; the 240-hour list contains 57 nationalities in the NIA notice published 20 August 2026. Both lists are dated references. Other passports and travel documents require their own official check. Match purpose, port, permitted area and onward ticket; the carrier and border authority make the actual decisions.
- Known limits
- No list guarantees boarding or admission. Policies, bilateral arrangements and individual circumstances must be rechecked for the actual departure date and full itinerary.
Ordinary-passport visa-free entry
The official notice consulted lists 45 countries whose ordinary-passport holders may enter for business, tourism, family or friend visits, exchange or transit for no more than 30 days, currently through 31 December 2026. It is not a lifetime nationality entitlement: check the actual policy in force on your travel date and any separate bilateral arrangement.
- Match your passport type and nationality to a current official notice—not only a map or social-media list.
- Confirm your purpose and stay fit the policy. Work, study and reporting need the appropriate prior approval or visa.
- Recheck extensions before booking and again before departure, especially for travel after 31 December 2026.
240-hour visa-free transit
The NIA policy published 20 August 2026 lists 57 nationalities and 65 designated ports in 24 provincial-level regions. Travelers must hold an ordinary passport and a confirmed onward ticket with a date and seat to a third country or region, stay only in the permitted areas and remain within the allowed period.
- Write the complete route in order. A simple return to the country you came from is not the required onward transit; complex routes need official confirmation.
- Check your exact arrival and departure ports and every destination against the current permitted-area list, including city-level limits within a province.
- Have the confirmed onward ticket available. Apply for temporary entry at immigration inspection; do not assume automatic issuance.
A tourist (L) visa
Choose this route when you do not qualify for an applicable exemption, your purpose or itinerary needs a visa, or you want the permissions of the visa actually issued. The visa's entries, validity, duration of each stay and conditions matter; there is no universal ten-year or single-entry tourist visa.
- Select the correct application location on the official visa-center site, or consult the Chinese mission responsible for you.
- Follow that location's current form, appointment, photograph, passport, itinerary, residence and supporting-document requirements.
- Wait for the actual decision and inspect the issued visa. Do not buy an irreversible route on the assumption of a processing time, fee or number of entries.
Other activities and regional permits
Work, study, journalism and some regional travel can require separate approval or a different visa even when an entry exemption exists. Hainan, cruise, group and bilateral arrangements are separate policy paths; do not merge their country lists or conditions.
- Describe the activity honestly to the responsible authority, including paid or remote work questions where relevant.
- Ask the specific destination or operator which permit is required, then verify with the issuing authority.
- Do not assume a transit policy authorizes a detour outside its permitted geographic area.
Read the dated official nationality lists used here
Ordinary-passport notice · 45 countries · valid through 31 Dec 2026 as published
France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Australia, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Slovenia, Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Andorra, South Korea, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, Japan, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain
240-hour transit · 57 countries · NIA publication dated 20 Aug 2026
Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Canada, United States, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam
These lists are a dated reference, not a live eligibility determination. Recheck the linked official notice for the actual departure date and any separate bilateral arrangement.Passport and traveler
Nationality, document type, validity, blank pages if required, any dual nationality and the document used for every booking.
Complete route
Origin, every transit, mainland entry and exit, Hong Kong/Macao segments and the next country or region after China.
Dates and duration
Arrival and departure dates, each visa's duration of stay and any transit-time calculation confirmed with the authority or carrier.
Every destination
Cities, day trips and overnight stays—not merely the airport city—against geographic and activity conditions.
Tickets and entries
Confirmed onward travel, separate tickets, whether leaving the mainland uses an entry and permission to return.
Carrier and authority
Check-in document review, immigration temporary-entry decision and the actual visa or exemption conditions.
Hong Kong, China and Macao, China are separate border checks.
A mainland visa or exemption does not itself grant entry to Hong Kong or Macao. Leaving the mainland may consume a single entry, and returning requires its own permission. For transit, confirm whether the next destination satisfies the third-country-or-region rule.
Apply for the visa that fits the actual purpose.
- Select the application location on the official Chinese Visa Application Service Center website or find the responsible Chinese mission.
- Read that location's current tourist-visa instructions. Forms, residence evidence, appointments, photographs, fees and processing arrangements can differ.
- Submit accurate itinerary and traveler information, then wait for the actual decision. Do not treat an estimated processing time as a promised delivery date.
- Inspect the issued visa: entries, validity, duration of each stay and any remarks. Keep it with the passport used for travel.
Online filling is available; it is not the only option.
Since 20 November 2025, the official NIA website, government-service platform, NIA 12367 app and WeChat or Alipay mini programs offer online filling. The official notice also provides on-site QR, smart devices and paper cards for travelers who cannot fill it in advance.
Do not purchase an ‘expedited arrival card’ from an unrelated site. Check the official exemptions and keep any confirmation the official form provides.
Before the flight
Fill the arrival card through the official NIA channel before travel if you wish. The online form is only one channel; on-site QR, smart devices and paper cards remain available for travelers unable to fill it in advance.
At document inspection
Keep your passport, visa if required, onward ticket, accommodation details and itinerary accessible without relying on one app.
At immigration
At immigration, answer the actual route and purpose. A 240-hour traveler applies for temporary entry; a visa-free eligibility list is not an automatic entry stamp.
At customs
Declare goods when required and follow the correct customs channel. Check medicines, foods, currency and restricted items before packing.
At your accommodation
Keep the passport available for hotel registration. At a non-hotel residence, verify the local registration process; official guidance states registration within 24 hours by the traveler or host.
Can I visit China for ten days without a visa just because my passport is on the 240-hour list?
No. You also need the required onward transit to a third country or region, a confirmed ticket, eligible ports, permitted areas and the immigration authority's temporary-entry decision. A separate ordinary-passport exemption may offer another path if your nationality and dates qualify.
Can I go from Shanghai to Beijing and Chengdu on the 240-hour policy?
Cross-provincial travel can be possible within permitted areas, but you must check every destination and your actual entry/exit ports against the current NIA list. Sichuan's permitted area is not the entire province, so side trips beyond listed cities need separate verification.
Does Hong Kong, China count as just another mainland stop?
No. Hong Kong, China has separate entry and exit procedures. Check permission to enter Hong Kong and permission to enter or re-enter the mainland separately. For transit, the onward destination must satisfy the current third-country-or-region condition.
Is the online arrival card mandatory for everyone?
Online advance filling is an available official channel, not the only way. Official guidance allows on-site QR, smart devices or a paper card for travelers unable to fill it in advance, and lists exemptions including eligible direct transit without leaving the restricted port area. Check your situation.
If I am eligible for visa-free entry, is admission guaranteed?
No. Airlines review documents for carriage and border authorities decide admission. Keep the complete itinerary and supporting details available and resolve doubts with the responsible official channel before travel.
Official references used in this guide
These are outbound references to official channels, not live eligibility, fare or account-availability guarantees. Policies, apps and menus change; recheck for the actual route before departure.
Official-policy dates: the ordinary-passport notice states validity through 31 Dec 2026; the 240-hour policy was published on 20 Aug 2026. Eligibility depends on your actual passport, complete route, port, purpose and onward ticket, not nationality alone.
Visa-Free Transit Policies
57 eligible nationalities, 65 ports, permitted areas, confirmed onward ticket and activity conditions.
Notice on Extension of Unilateral Visa-Free Policy
The listed 45 ordinary-passport countries, permitted purposes and current 31 Dec 2026 validity; recheck for your nationality and departure date.
Official application-center location selector
Location-specific forms, appointments, documents, fees and processing instructions. Do not apply another city's requirements to your own.
Chinese diplomatic missions abroad
Use the mission responsible for your residence and nationality for consular and visa confirmation.
Online Arrival Card Filling
Official online form; airport QR, on-site devices and paper forms remain alternatives for travelers who cannot fill it in advance.
NIA English website / 12367 service information
Current policy notices and immigration-help channel; individual eligibility and admission remain official decisions.
Visit / transit entry requirements
Hong Kong, China has separate entry requirements. Mainland permission does not itself grant Hong Kong entry, and a mainland exit can consume a single entry.
Official entry and exit information
Macao, China has separate border procedures; recheck the onward mainland entry after leaving it.
Guide to Accommodation Registration for Foreigners in Beijing
Hotels handle registration; at a non-hotel residence, the traveler or host should complete registration within 24 hours. Check the local process for the destination.
Customs clearance guide for inbound passengers
Declaration channels and baggage checks; medicines, foods, currency, batteries and restricted items need route- and item-specific verification.
IATA Travel Centre
A document-check aid for the complete route, not a replacement for government, immigration, consular or airline decisions.
Updates and corrections
The dates above apply only to the checks described here. Recheck current prices, opening hours, availability and account or document eligibility with the responsible provider before you rely on them. When an official rule changes, the affected guidance and its review date should be updated. To report a specific change, email support@slowchinaguide.com with the place, date and current source.
Send a correctionPrepare the decisions. Keep the alternatives.
Desk-researched guidance, not a booking, visa, account-approval or live-availability service. Recheck dynamic details with the responsible official channel.
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