China visa-free travel & 240-hour transit

It depends on your passport, purpose, route, arrival port, and length of stay. In 2026, China grants unilateral visa-free entry to ordinary passport holders from about 50 countries—often for stays of up to 30 days for tourism, business, family visits, exchanges, or transit—currently framed through 31 December 2026 unless extended. The United Kingdom and Canada were added to that 30-day list from 17 February 2026. The United States is not on the unilateral 30-day list; U.S. travelers usually need a visa for a direct visit, or may use the separate 240-hour transit policy when the route qualifies. Confirm your nationality and dates with the National Immigration Administration and the Chinese embassy or consulate for your location before you book.

Eligible travelers from about 55 nationalities can transit through designated ports (expanded across dozens of ports nationwide) and stay within permitted areas for up to 240 hours (10 days), but the journey must continue to a third country or region with a confirmed onward ticket. The United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States are among the nationalities covered by the transit policy, which is separate from 30-day unilateral visa-free entry. The 240-hour policy replaced the former 72-hour and 144-hour transit periods. Check your nationality, port, route, and permitted stay area with the National Immigration Administration before booking.

No. Unilateral 30-day visa-free entry is passport-based: if your nationality is on the current list and your purpose fits, you can enter for an approved short stay without needing an onward ticket to a different third country. 240-hour visa-free transit is route-dependent—you normally arrive from one country or region, continue to a different one, and stay only within the permitted area and time. Do not treat a simple return trip to the same origin as qualifying transit without official confirmation. UK and Canadian ordinary passports may use the 30-day policy when eligible; U.S. passports generally cannot, and should evaluate a visa or qualifying transit instead.

UK and Canadian ordinary passport holders are usually eligible for unilateral 30-day visa-free entry for tourism, business, family visits, exchanges, or transit when the current policy window applies (added 17 February 2026, framed through 31 December 2026 unless extended). U.S. ordinary passport holders are not on that unilateral list for a typical direct visit and usually need a tourist visa, or may use 240-hour transit only with a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region. Always confirm your nationality, dates, and port rules with official sources before booking.

Keep your passport, visa or qualifying entry evidence, onward or return ticket, and first hotel details easy to reach—name, full address, and phone in English and Chinese, on your phone and offline.