The Complete China Visa & Entry Guide (2025–2026): Visa-Free, Transit, e-Visa & More

Everything foreign travellers need on China entry policy (2025–2026): the four layers of visa-free entry (30-day unilateral, 240-hour transit, 24-hour direct transit, Hainan 30-day), the COVA online visa system, visa fees, the new online arrival-card filing, mutual exemptions and the ASEAN visa — with exact country lists and a quick decision path.

In 2025, China welcomed over 150 million inbound trips. Foreign tourist spending exceeded $130 billion. Over 73% of international travelers entered visa-free or through transit visa exemption. The number of countries whose citizens can visit China without a visa went from a handful in 2023 to 50 by 2026.

If you're reading this on Google, ChatGPT, or Perplexity, you're probably asking one question: "I hold a [your country] passport. Can I enter China without a visa?"

The answer is: probably yes. But which path you take depends on four distinct layers of policy that most guides lump together. This guide separates them clearly, gives you the exact country lists, and tells you what to do if none of them apply to you.

Before 2023, entering China meant filling out a multi-page visa application form, visiting a Chinese embassy or visa center in person, waiting up to two weeks, paying $30 to $140, and risking rejection. Today, citizens of approximately 50 countries simply book a flight and show up. This shift happened in less than three years.

Layer 1: 30-Day Unilateral Visa-Free Entry

This is the broadest and simplest path. If your country is on the list below, you can enter China without a visa, stay for up to 30 days, and repeat as many times as you want. No visa application, no fee, no embassy visit.

Policy basics (as of September 2026):

• Who: Citizens of approximately 50 countries (including Brunei, Canada, and the UK, added in early 2026) holding ordinary passports.
• How long: 30 days per entry, calculated from the day of entry to the 30th calendar day at midnight.
• How many times: Unlimited entries. No cap on total days across multiple visits.
• Purpose: Business, tourism, family visits, cultural exchange, transit. Not for work, study, or journalism.
• Where to enter: Any port open to foreigners (air, land, sea).
• Validity: Policy extended through December 31, 2026.

Complete country list (by batch):

What to bring:

Your valid ordinary passport. Immigration officers may ask for return tickets, hotel reservations, or invitation letters. Carry printed copies just in case.

If your country isn't on this list, check Layer 2 (transit visa-free), Layer 4 (Hainan visa-free), or the COVA online visa application system below.

Layer 2: 240-Hour Transit Visa-Free Entry

If your country isn't on the 30-day unilateral list, this is your second-best option. China's transit visa-free policy was unified and extended in December 2024, replacing the old 72-hour and 144-hour versions with a single 240-hour (10-day) policy.

Policy basics (as of September 2026):

• Who: Citizens of 57 countries.
• How long: Up to 240 hours (10 days).
• Where: Enter through 65 designated ports across 24 provinces.
• Activity range: Limited to the province where you entered. Cross-province travel requires a visa.
• Latest additions: Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam added in August 2026 (57th and 56th countries). Five new ports in Guangdong added in November 2025.

The critical rule most travelers miss is this. You must hold a confirmed onward ticket to a third country. Your departure country and destination country cannot be the same. If you fly London → Beijing → London, you do not qualify. If you fly London → Beijing → Tokyo, you do.

The 240-hour clock starts from midnight of the day after entry, not from the moment you clear immigration. For example, if you clear immigration at 3 PM on October 1, your 240 hours start from 00:00 on October 2, giving you until 00:00 on October 12. Plan accordingly.

Without a confirmed onward ticket, you will be denied boarding at your departure airport. Airlines check this before letting you on the plane. If you arrive without one, you'll need to book a same-day onward flight or apply for a regular visa on arrival (which is expensive, time-consuming, and not guaranteed).

Transit visa-free usage grew 60.8% compared to before the policy was unified and extended. In Shanghai alone, approximately 72,000 travelers used this route annually. In Beijing, 55% of inbound foreigners benefited from visa-free policies.

Countries eligible for 240-hour transit visa-free (as of September 2026):

All 50 countries on the Layer 1 unilateral visa-free list are also eligible for 240-hour transit visa-free entry. The following additional countries are eligible for transit visa-free but not on the unilateral 30-day list:

Note: Canada and the United Kingdom were originally on the transit visa-free list only, but joined the 30-day unilateral visa-free list in February 2026. Other countries including Albania, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, and Uzbekistan are also eligible for transit visa-free. For the complete and most current list, verify at en.nia.gov.cn.

Layer 3: 24-Hour Direct Transit

This layer applies to all nationalities without exception. If you're transiting through China with a confirmed onward ticket and do not leave the airport's restricted transit area, you need no visa at all.

Policy basics:

• Who: All foreign nationals.
• How long: Up to 24 hours.
• Condition: Must stay within the airport's international transit zone. Cannot pass through immigration control.
• Direct transit channels: Some airports, including Haikou Meilan Airport (as of August 2026), have dedicated 24-hour direct transit corridors that let you skip immigration procedures entirely.

If you want to leave the airport during your layover, you need to use Layer 2 (240-hour transit visa-free) instead, provided your country is eligible.

Layer 4: Hainan 30-Day Visa-Free Entry

Hainan Province has its own separate visa-free policy that covers a different set of countries. If you're planning a beach holiday in Sanya or exploring Haikou, this may be your path.

Policy basics:

• Who: Citizens of 59 countries. When combined with China's unilateral and mutual visa-free policies, the total reaches 88 countries as of August 2026.
• How long: 30 days.
• Where: Limited to Hainan Province only. You cannot travel to Beijing, Shanghai, or other provinces under this policy.
• Purpose: Tourism, business, family visits, medical treatment, exhibitions, sports events. Not for long-term work or study.
• Entry: Through any port in Hainan open to foreigners.

Hainan visa-free countries (59):

Hainan data: In 2025, Hainan received over 1.46 million international arrivals (per industry reports), surpassing 2019 levels by approximately 16%. Visa-free entry accounted for approximately 90% of all foreign arrivals in Hainan.

If you want to visit Hainan and then continue to Beijing, you need a regular visa. The Hainan visa-free policy does not allow travel outside Hainan Province. If you arrive in Hainan visa-free and then want to fly to Beijing, you'll need to apply for a visa at a local exit-entry administration office, which takes time and is not guaranteed.

If None of the Above Apply: COVA Online Visa Application

If your country isn't on any of the four visa-free lists, you need a visa. The good news: China launched the COVA (China Online Visa Application) system in September 2025, and the process is significantly smoother than it used to be.

COVA is the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs' online portal for visa applications. Instead of filling out paper forms at a visa center, you complete everything online at consular.mfa.gov.cn.

Apply at consular.mfa.gov.cn by following these steps:

1. Visit consular.mfa.gov.cn and create an account.
2. Fill out the online visa application form. The new form is significantly simplified compared to the old version, with fewer fields and streamlined questions.
3. Upload required documents (passport photo page, invitation letter if applicable, travel itinerary, etc.).
4. Submit your application online for preliminary review.
5. Follow your local Chinese embassy's instructions for next steps. Some embassies require you to bring your passport in person for final processing. Others have shifted to near-fully-digital workflows.
6. Pay the visa fee as instructed by your embassy.
7. Receive your visa and travel.

Important caveats:

• Embassy rollout is not uniform. COVA launched in September 2025, but each Chinese embassy and consulate has its own timeline for full adoption. Check your local embassy's website to confirm whether COVA is active for your jurisdiction.
• COVA handles the application form and document submission. Your visa is still approved by the embassy. COVA just makes the form-filling and document submission digital.
• Fingerprint exemption: Single-entry and double-entry visa applicants may be exempt from fingerprint collection. The exemption has been extended through December 31, 2026, per official notices from multiple Chinese embassies (including Mongolia and the UK, December 2025). Check with your local embassy for the current policy.

If COVA isn't available at your embassy yet, use the traditional process. Download the visa application form from your embassy's website, fill it out, and submit in person or by mail. The COVA system is gradually replacing this, but the paper path still works.

China Visa Fees: What You'll Pay

Visa fees vary by country, visa type (single/double/multiple entry), and whether your country has a reciprocal fee arrangement with China. There is no single global price.

Current policy:

From December 2023 to December 2024, China offered a temporary 25% discount on visa fees (charging 75% of the standard rate). This discount has been extended through December 31, 2026, per official notices from multiple Chinese embassies and consulates (including Vancouver, December 2025). Check with your local embassy to confirm the reduced rate applies to your visa type.

Typical ranges:

• Single-entry tourist visa (L): $30–$140 depending on country and processing speed
• Double-entry: $45–$170
• Multiple-entry (6 months): $60–$200
• Express processing (2–3 business days): additional $20–$50

Some countries have reciprocal agreements that reduce or waive fees. US citizens, for example, pay higher fees due to reciprocal pricing.

Arrival Card Online Filing (New as of November 2025)

Once your visa or visa-free entry is sorted, there's one more thing to handle before you land: the arrival card.

Starting November 20, 2025, foreign visitors can submit arrival card information online before reaching the border. This is a new policy that most existing travel guides have not yet covered.

You can file through any of these five channels:

1. National Immigration Administration (NIA) website: https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/
2. Government service platform
3. "Immigration 12367" app
4. WeChat or Alipay mini-program
5. Scan the arrival card QR code with your phone

Who is exempt from filing:

Holders of Chinese permanent residence IDs, Hong Kong/Macau travel permits (non-Chinese nationals), group visa holders, 24-hour direct transit passengers, cruise ship same-entry-exit passengers, express lane users, and foreign crew members.

If you don't pre-file, you can still fill out the arrival card at the port of entry by scanning a QR code on-site or using a smart kiosk. Paper cards are also available but are being phased out. Pre-filing simply saves you time at the queue.

Mutual Visa Exemption & ASEAN Visa

Beyond the unilateral policies above, China has two additional pathways:

Mutual visa exemption:

China has signed bilateral mutual visa exemption agreements with 29 countries, including Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, UAE, Qatar, Georgia, Serbia, and Belarus. Citizens of these countries can enter China visa-free, and Chinese citizens get the same treatment in return.

ASEAN Visa:

In 2025, China introduced simplified visa procedures for citizens of ASEAN countries. If you're from Southeast Asia, check whether the ASEAN Visa or mutual exemption applies to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick Decision: Which Path Are You On?

What to Do Next

Once your entry is sorted, two more guides will get you trip-ready:

1. What apps to download before entering China (2025–2026 guide) — Download and set up Alipay, WeChat, DiDi, AMap, and 12306 before you land. Without these apps, you're functionally locked out of China's digital economy.
2. China Travel Guide: Itineraries for First-Time Visitors — Four route options covering Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Chengdu, and the Great Wall, with day-by-day breakdowns and practical tips.

Source & reference