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China Visa Checker
Find out in a minute whether you can enter China visa-free for 30 days, use 240-hour visa-free transit, or need a visa, based on your passport, route, entry port and the provinces you plan to visit.
Your trip
Result
Sources: Shanghai government — 240-hour visa-free transit (updated Aug 2026) · Beijing government — 65 ports, Nov 2025 · China MFA — UK & Canada visa-free, Feb 2026 · Chinese consulate — unilateral visa-free extension to Dec 31, 2026. Checked October 27, 2026. Not an official decision.
Rules the checker applies
- 30-day visa-free (unilateral, valid to Dec 31, 2026, or mutual agreements): business, tourism, family visits, exchanges and transit, up to 30 days. The US is not on the list.
- 240-hour transit (57 nationalities incl. the US): confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region; enter through one of 65 designated ports; stay within 24 permitted provinces; count starts at 00:00 the day after arrival; you may exit from a different port.
- Third country or region: where you fly on to must differ from where you came from. Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan count as regions.
- Not 240-hour ports: the Shenzhen Luohu and Futian land crossings from Hong Kong. Use West Kowloon high-speed rail station, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, or fly.
- Tibet also needs a separate Tibet Travel Permit, arranged through a licensed agency, whatever your visa status.
- Arrival card: since November 20, 2025 you can submit it online before arrival (NIA website, NIA 12367 app, WeChat or Alipay mini-programs) or on arrival.
Questions
Can Americans visit China without a visa in 2026?
Only through 240-hour visa-free transit. US citizens are not on China's 30-day visa-free list. With a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region, they can stay up to 240 hours in 24 permitted provinces after entering through one of the designated ports. Otherwise they need a visa, usually an L (tourist) or M (business) visa.
Does a round trip like New York–Beijing–New York qualify for 240-hour transit?
No. The trip must continue to a third country or region different from where you came from. New York–Beijing–Seoul qualifies; New York–Beijing–Los Angeles does not, because both ends are in the United States. Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan count as separate regions.
How are the 240 hours counted?
From 00:00 on the day after you arrive. Arrive at 4 pm on June 1 and you must leave before midnight on June 11, so you get the arrival day plus 10 full days.
Which provinces can I visit on 240-hour transit?
24 provincial-level regions: Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Guangxi, Liaoning, Anhui, Fujian, Shandong, Hunan, Sichuan, Yunnan, Hainan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Heilongjiang, Jiangxi, Henan and Hubei. Tibet, Xinjiang, Gansu, Qinghai, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and Jilin are not included.
Which countries get 30 days visa-free?
About 50 countries under China's unilateral policy, valid to December 31, 2026, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and, since February 17, 2026, the United Kingdom and Canada. Some countries, such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, have mutual visa exemption agreements.
Is this tool an official visa decision?
No. Border officers make the final decision, and rules change. Check with the Chinese embassy or consulate, or the National Immigration Administration, before you book.
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