Visa route finder
Do I need a visa for China?
Citizens of 50 countries — including the UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, Korea, and most of Europe — can now enter visa-free for up to 30 days. US and Indian passport holders have other routes below.
Step 2
What to do after you land
Step 3
Relevant tours from this city
The full picture
China visa rules, explained
Every route into China, summarized from East Marvel's staff visa guide. Use the finder above for your answer; the detail below is here for reference.
30-day visa-free entry
China grants unilateral visa-free entry to 50 countries for business, tourism, family visits, or transit, for stays of up to 30 days. A passport with at least 6 months' validity is required.
Separately, holders of ordinary passports from the 28 countries with a mutual visa-exemption agreement — including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the UAE, and Belarus — may enter visa-free for up to 30 days per stay (max 90 days within any 180 days).
If your purpose or stay falls outside these terms, a visa is still required.
240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit
Since 17 December 2024, the former 72/144-hour transit windows were extended to 240 hours (10 days). Citizens of 55 countries may transit China to a third country/region without a visa, entering at any of 65 ports across 24 provinces. The old fixed-city limit is gone — you may now travel freely across the 24 designated provinces during your 10 days.
What you need
- -A passport valid 6+ months (and the destination country's visa, if required).
- -A booked onward ticket (date and seat) leaving China within 240 hours, to a third country/region. Hong Kong and Macau count as a third region; your start and end points must be in different countries/regions.
- -At the airport: tell check-in staff you are using visa-free transit, complete the Temporary Entry Foreigner Arrival Card, and collect the Temporary Entry Permit stamp at customs.
Eligible nationalities (55)
Not eligible, or leaving the transit area / staying past 10 days? You'll need a regular visa, or a G transit visa.
Where you can go — ports & permitted areas by province
| Province / region | Main entry ports | Highlights you can reach |
|---|
24-hour visa-free transit is available to all nationalities at every open port, regardless of the list above.
Regional policies — Hainan & Pearl River Delta
Hainan: visitors from 59 countries (the UK included) can visit Hainan visa-free for up to 30 days. You must register through a local Hainan travel agency beforehand and submit passport, return tickets, hotel bookings, and a full itinerary. To extend or travel to other provinces, a regular visa is required.
Pearl River Delta: travelers already in Hong Kong or Macau holding a passport from a country with diplomatic relations may join a registered HK/Macau tour group to visit the Pearl River Delta (Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Zhaoqing, Huizhou) visa-free for up to 6 days.
Entering via Hong Kong
Around 170 nationalities can enter Hong Kong visa-free for 7 to 180 days (US and Australian passports up to 90 days; UK passports up to 180 days), which makes it a convenient base for applying for a mainland visa.
If you can't use visa-free entry or 240-hour transit, you may apply for a mainland Chinese visa while in Hong Kong — in person at a China Visa Application Service Centre, or through a licensed agent. Processing is about 4 working days, with a 2-day express option. First-time applicants must apply in person.
Tourist (L) visa — how to apply
- Check whether you need a visa — confirm with your local Chinese embassy or the China Visa Application Service Centre.
- Choose the visa type — tourists normally apply for the ordinary L (tourism) visa.
- Prepare your documents (see checklist).
- Submit — in person or by mail at the embassy / service centre; call ahead to confirm current rules. Start 30-45 days before travel.
- Collect — processing is typically 3-5 working days; you'll be notified when it's ready.
Tourist (L) visa document checklist
- -Original passport, valid 6+ months, with at least two blank visa pages.
- -A copy of the passport data/photo page.
- -A completed, accurate visa application form.
- -One colour passport photo (48 × 33 mm, taken within 6 months, full face, light background).
- -Copies of your travel itinerary — flight and hotel bookings.
- -An invitation letter from a Chinese entity such as a travel agency. East Marvel prepares this for you.
Fees accept Visa/Mastercard, bank draft, cashier's cheque or company cheque (no cash or personal cheques on site).
Tibet & other special areas
Entering Tibet requires a separate Tibet Entry Permit (入藏函) in addition to your China visa, arranged in advance through a travel agency as part of an organized itinerary. East Marvel can prepare this for you.