China travel rule changes
Every change to China’s visa-free entry, payment and booking rules that affects foreign visitors, with the date and the official source.
Hanging Temple: foreign visitors book on Trip.com only
From 2 October 2026, climbing tickets for the Hanging Temple near Datong are sold to foreign visitors only on Trip.com, 100 a day (shared with visitors from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan). The counter no longer sells tickets to foreigners. Online sales open twice: 20:00–23:00 the day before and 07:20–18:00 on the day.
Most 30-day visa-free entries are set to end on 31 December 2026
China’s one-sided visa-free policy covers most countries on the list until 31 December 2026 (Russia until 31 December 2027). Extensions have usually been announced a month or two before the end date. If your trip is in 2027, check again before you book. We will update this page and email subscribers as soon as there is an official announcement.
30-day visa-free entry for Canada and United Kingdom
Ordinary passport holders from these countries can visit China for up to 30 days without a visa, for tourism, business, family visits, exchanges or transit. Check the end date for your country in our visa checker.
30-day visa-free entry for Sweden
Ordinary passport holders from these countries can visit China for up to 30 days without a visa, for tourism, business, family visits, exchanges or transit. Check the end date for your country in our visa checker.
30-day visa-free entry for Russia
Ordinary passport holders from these countries can visit China for up to 30 days without a visa, for tourism, business, family visits, exchanges or transit. Check the end date for your country in our visa checker.
30-day visa-free entry for Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Saudi Arabia
Ordinary passport holders from these countries can visit China for up to 30 days without a visa, for tourism, business, family visits, exchanges or transit. Check the end date for your country in our visa checker.
30-day visa-free entry for Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay
Ordinary passport holders from these countries can visit China for up to 30 days without a visa, for tourism, business, family visits, exchanges or transit. Check the end date for your country in our visa checker.
Visa-free transit extended to 240 hours (10 days)
Citizens of eligible countries who travel through China to a third country or region can stay up to 240 hours without a visa, up from 72 or 144 hours. You must enter and leave through an approved port and stay inside the permitted areas. Use our visa checker to see whether your route qualifies.
30-day visa-free entry for Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Japan, Latvia, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Romania
Ordinary passport holders from these countries can visit China for up to 30 days without a visa, for tourism, business, family visits, exchanges or transit. Check the end date for your country in our visa checker.
30-day visa-free entry for Andorra, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovakia, and South Korea
Ordinary passport holders from these countries can visit China for up to 30 days without a visa, for tourism, business, family visits, exchanges or transit. Check the end date for your country in our visa checker.
30-day visa-free entry for Cyprus, Greece, Portugal, and Slovenia
Ordinary passport holders from these countries can visit China for up to 30 days without a visa, for tourism, business, family visits, exchanges or transit. Check the end date for your country in our visa checker.
30-day visa-free entry for Australia, New Zealand, and Poland
Ordinary passport holders from these countries can visit China for up to 30 days without a visa, for tourism, business, family visits, exchanges or transit. Check the end date for your country in our visa checker.
30-day visa-free entry for Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Switzerland
Ordinary passport holders from these countries can visit China for up to 30 days without a visa, for tourism, business, family visits, exchanges or transit. Check the end date for your country in our visa checker.