As of November 2026, whether you need a Chinese visa depends on two things: your passport, and how you are travelling. Fifty nationalities can enter mainland China visa-free for 30 days, 29 more come in under bilateral agreements, 57 can use 240-hour visa-free transit, and everyone else needs a visa. The United States sits in an unusual position: US passport holders are not on any visa-free list, but they can use the 240-hour transit scheme if they are flying on to a third country.
This page sets out the rules by category, with the dates that actually matter, so you can work out in a minute which line you fall into.
Who needs a visa
You need a visa if none of the following applies to you:
- Your passport is on China's 30-day unilateral visa-free list (50 countries)
- Your country has a bilateral mutual visa-exemption agreement with China covering ordinary passports (29 countries)
- You are transiting to a third country and qualify for 240-hour visa-free transit (57 countries)
- You are connecting within 24 hours without leaving the port area (24-hour direct transit — all nationalities)
- You qualify for a regional scheme (Hainan, Guangdong group tours from Hong Kong and Macao, cruise groups, ASEAN groups to Guilin or Xishuangbanna)
Everyone else — including US, Indian, Brazilian, South African, Nigerian and Vietnamese passport holders travelling for ordinary tourism — needs an L visa. US travellers have one extra option: transit.
The four schemes, in detail
1. 30-day unilateral visa-free entry — 50 countries
Citizens of 50 countries can enter mainland China without a visa for up to 30 days for tourism, business, family visits, exchange or transit. The list covers most of Europe (including the UK, added 17 February 2026), Japan, South Korea, Brunei, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Australia, New Zealand, and six countries in the Americas — Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay and Canada.
The United States is not on this list. Neither is India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore or Vietnam — most of those come in under mutual agreements instead.
Dates: most of the 50 authorisations run to 31 December 2026. Russia's runs to 31 December 2027, and Brunei's has no end date. China has renewed the scheme each year since it began in December 2023, but renewal beyond 2026 has not been announced at the time of writing, so check before booking 2027 travel.
2. Bilateral mutual visa-exemption agreements — 29 countries
China has full mutual visa-exemption agreements covering ordinary passports with 29 countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the UAE, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Serbia, Belarus and Mauritius. These normally allow 30 days per visit and have no expiry date, because they are treaty commitments rather than temporary policy. Some allow 90 days within any 180-day period.
3. 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit — 57 countries
Citizens of 57 countries — including the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and most of Europe — can enter China without a visa for up to 240 hours (10 days) when travelling from one country to a third country or region. Entry and exit must be through one of 65 designated ports across 24 provincial-level regions.
You need: an ordinary passport, a confirmed onward ticket to a third country, and an arrival card. The stay is counted from 00:00 the day after you arrive. You can travel within the permitted area for the port you entered through, and cross provincial borders within that area. Work, study and news reporting are not permitted. This is the route most US travellers use.
4. 24-hour direct transit — all nationalities
Any nationality can transit any open Chinese port for up to 24 hours without a visa, provided you hold a confirmed onward ticket and do not leave the port's restricted area. If you need to leave the airport, you need either a visa or one of the schemes above.
Regional schemes that unlock specific trips
- Hainan, 30 days, 61 countries: includes the US, UK, Canada, Australia and most of Europe. Entry and exit must be through Hainan ports, and you must stay within the province; travel on to the mainland requires a visa.
- Guangdong group tours from Hong Kong and Macao, 6 days: foreign nationals resident in or travelling from Hong Kong/Macao, booked through a registered travel agency in groups of two or more, can enter Guangdong visa-free for up to 6 days, covering the nine Greater Bay Area cities plus Shantou — Jiangmen, where we are based, is on the list.
- Cruise groups, 15 days: tour groups arriving by cruise ship at 13 designated cruise ports can stay visa-free for up to 15 days.
- ASEAN group tours to Guilin or Xishuangbanna, 6 days: citizens of the ten ASEAN countries, in groups of two or more through a registered agency, can enter visa-free at Guilin Liangjiang or via Xishuangbanna's ports.
Applying for an L tourist visa instead
If none of the above applies, apply at a Chinese embassy, consulate or visa application centre before you travel. The standard file is:
- Passport with at least one blank page and about six months' remaining validity
- Completed visa application form and a recent 33 × 48 mm white-background photo
- Round-trip flight booking and hotel bookings covering every night in China
- Invitation letter, only if you are staying with friends or family rather than in hotels
Processing is normally four working days, with express service available for an extra fee. Consular fees in the US are currently US$140 for any ordinary visa, including the ten-year multiple-entry visa, under a temporary reduction valid to 31 December 2026; the standard fee is US$185. Fees elsewhere depend on reciprocity — check your local mission.
Edge cases travellers get wrong
Hong Kong and Macao are separate immigration zones. Most Western passport holders get 90 days in Hong Kong (180 for UK passports) and 30 days in Macao, but that gives you no right to enter mainland China. Crossing into Shenzhen or Zhuhai means clearing mainland immigration on the mainland's terms.
Old ten-year visas. Chinese visas issued before 2020 that were still valid were reinstated in 2023, and a ten-year visa that has not yet expired remains usable. Only apply for a new one if your visa has actually passed its printed expiry date.
Visa-free entry cannot be extended. Neither the 30-day scheme nor 240-hour transit can be extended inside China. If you want to stay longer, leave and re-enter, or apply for an L visa before you travel.
Onward tickets are checked. Airlines are fined if they carry a passenger who is refused entry, so expect the check-in agent to look at your onward booking when you use visa-free entry or transit.
FAQ
Do I need a visa for China as a US citizen?
Not if you are transiting to a third country and qualify for 240-hour visa-free transit. For a normal round trip to China and back to the US, yes — you need an L visa.
Can I stay 30 days visa-free as a British or Canadian citizen?
Yes. Both were added to the 30-day list on 17 February 2026, and the authorisation currently runs to 31 December 2026.
Is Singapore visa-free for China?
Yes, under the bilateral mutual agreement, which gives 30 days and has no expiry date. It is not part of the unilateral 50-country list.
How long does an L visa take?
Normally four working days. Express one- or two-day processing is available at most centres for an extra fee, but it cannot be guaranteed during holiday periods.
Can I enter China with a 240-hour transit stamp and then fly home from a different city?
Yes, as long as both the entry and exit ports are on the 65-port list and your onward destination is a third country — not the country you arrived from.
What if my plans change after I arrive visa-free?
Visa-free status cannot be converted or extended. If you need to stay longer, you must leave and re-enter, or apply for a visa from outside China.
Last reviewed: 2 November 2026. Figures are checked against China's National Immigration Administration and Ministry of Foreign Affairs publications; visa-free authorisations can change at short notice, so confirm before you book.
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