Do I need a visa for China?
Three routes get most travellers in without a visa: unilateral visa-free entry, the 240-hour visa-free transit, and regional schemes such as Hainan. Pick your passport to see where you stand.
240-hour visa-free transit (onward ticket to a third country required)
Maximum stay: 10 days.
Rules change often and differ by port of entry. This is a starting point only — confirm on the National Immigration Administration site before you book.
The three routes, in plain words
- Unilateral visa-free: a set list of nationalities may stay up to 30 days. The list changes — verify it.
- 240-hour transit: 10 days if you arrive from and leave to a different country and hold an onward ticket.
- Full visa: otherwise, apply at CVASC. Allow several weeks.