Under any of the following circumstances, foreigners may be exempted from visas for China:
1. Visa Exemption Based on Bilateral Agreements
Under bilateral agreements signed between China and relevant countries, qualified foreign nationals may be exempt from visa requirements when entering China (for detailed information, please visit the website of the Consular Affairs Department of the MFA of China: http://cs.mfa.gov.cn/wgrlh/lhqz/lhqzjjs/).
2. Transit Visa Exemptions
(1) 24-Hour Transit Visa Exemptions
Foreign nationals holding valid international travel documents and connecting tickets with confirmed seats, who intend to transit via China by international flights, ships, or trains to third countries or regions, are exempt from visa applications, provided that their stay periods in China will not exceed 24 hours and that they will remain within the corresponding ports. Those who plan to leave the ports must apply for temporary entry permits at the exit/entry border inspection authorities of the corresponding ports.
(2) 240-Hour Transit Visa Exemptions
A total of 60 ports across 24 provinces (including autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government) have implemented a transit visa exemption policy allowing nationals from 54 countries to transit through China exemption from a visa for 240 hours. Nationals of these countries must possess valid international travel documents and confirmed onward tickets with confirmed dates and seats within specified time frames. They can apply for visa-free transits at exit/entry border inspection authorities of the ports in the cities where the visa-free transit policies are in effect. The duration of stay for each foreign national starts from 0:00 on the day following the day of entry. Foreign nationals entering China through the visa-free transit policy can make cross-province travels within the allowed areas for visa-free transit travelers in the 24 provinces(including autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government).
54 countries include:
- Europe (40 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.
- Americas (6 countries): the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile.
- Asia (6 countries): South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar.
- Oceania (2 countries): Australia, New Zealand.
60 exit/entry ports include:
3. Visa-Free Residency
(1) Permanent Residency exemption from Visa Requirements
Holders of valid permanent residence permits for foreigners in the People's Republic of China.
(2) Residence Permit exemption from Visa Requirements
Holders of valid residence permits for foreigners in the People's Republic of China issued by the public security authorities in China. Foreigners who come to China for study, employment, family reunion, long-term visits to relatives, and resident foreign journalists must apply for foreigner residence procedures at the public security authorities after entering China. During the validity period of the residence permit, foreigners can reside in and enter and exit China multiple times without applying for a separate visa.
4. APEC Business Travel Card Holders' Exemption
Holders of valid APEC Business Travel Cards or APEC Virtual Cardholders may enter China without a visa.
5. Regional Exemptions from Visas
(1) Group Tour to Guangdong and Hainan for Foreigners from Hong Kong and Macao with No Visas Required
Guangdong: Any individual holding an ordinary passport from a country having diplomatic relations with China may visit 9 cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhaoqing, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Huizhou, Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Jiangmen) and Shantou without a visa for tourism purposes, provided that he/she will travel from Hong Kong or Macao SAR in a tourist group organized by a travel agency that is registered in any of the two SARs. The eligible foreign nationals may enter and exit in groups through any of the exit/entry ports in the above 10 cities, and shall stay within the administrative region of the 10 cities for up to 144 hours.
Hainan: Any individual holding an ordinary passport from a country having diplomatic relations with China may visit and stay for up to 144 hours without a visa in Hainan Province for tourism purposes, provided that he/she will travel to Hainan from Hong Kong or Macao SAR in a tourist group organized by a travel agency that is legally registered in any of the two SARs and consists of at least two persons. For any foreign national covered by a mutual visa exemption agreement or any other visa exemption policy of China, the relevant provisions shall prevail. The eligible foreign nationals may enter and exit in groups through any of the exit/entry ports set up by the State in Hainan Province, and shall stay within the administrative region of Hainan. The duration of stay for each foreign national is calculated from 0:00 on the day following the day of entry.
(2) Tourist Groups from ASEAN Countries Entering Guilin (Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region) with No Visas Required
Tourist groups from ASEAN countries (consist of at least two persons, holding ordinary passports) may enter and exit Guilin Airport in groups without a visa provided organized and received by travel agencies in China, and shall stay within the administrative region of Guilin City for up to 144 hours.
(3) Cruise Ship Tourist Group Entries via Ports with No Visas Required
Any foreign tourist group consisting of two persons or more arriving on a cruise ship for a trip organized and handled by a Chinese travel agency may enter as a whole group into China without visas at one of the cruise ports located in the 13 following cities: Tianjin, Dalian (Liaoning Province), Shanghai, Lianyungang (Jiangsu Province), Wenzhou and Zhoushan (Zhejiang Province), Xiamen (Fujian Province), Qingdao (Shandong Province), Guangzhou and Shenzhen (Guangdong Province), Beihai (Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), and Haikou and Sanya (Hainan Province). All foreign tourist groups under this circumstance are obliged to continue their journey to the next scheduled port and depart from China by the same cruise ship as scheduled. Visitors may remain in China for a maximum of 15 days. In addition, foreign tourist groups are permitted to travel within the coastal provinces (including autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government) and Beijing.
(4) Entry Into Hainan For Foreign Visitors with No Visas Required
Citizens of the following 59 countries holding ordinary passports may enter Hainan Province for tourism, commercial activities and trade, visit and exchange, and family reunions, receiving medical treatment, attending exhibitions, taking part in sporting events and other needs (excluding working and studying) for up to 30 days without a visa. The eligible foreign nationals may enter and exit through any of the exit/entry ports in Hainan Province, and shall stay within the administrative region of Hainan.
Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, the Republic of Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, the United Kingdom and Ukraine.
6. Citizens of Some Countries Holding Ordinary Passports Entry into China with No Visas Required
(1) China implements visa-free policy for Brunei citizens holding ordinary passports.
(2) Until December 31, 2025, China has implemented a trial visa-free policy for citizens holding ordinary passports from 37 countries, including France, Germany, Italy, the 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, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia and Japan.
Citizens holding ordinary passports from the above countries may enter China without a visa for business, tourism, family or friends visits, exchange and transit for no more than 30 days. Citizens who do not meet the visa-free conditions must obtain a visa to China before entering the country.