China China — entry & visa requirements

Visa-free for many nationalities, with tiers

Max stay: 30 days visa-free on arrival; longer stays need a visa

Short answer

China admits nationals of many countries visa-free for tourism, business, family visits, exchange and transit (0). A visa-free stay is normally capped at 30 calendar days, counted from the day after entry (0). Longer stays, or travellers whose passport is not covered by a waiver, must apply in advance through the China Online Visa Application System (0, 8). Our official archive does not state visitor visa fees.

Visa-free stay

30 calendar days counted from the day after entry[1]

Visa-free purposes

Tourism, business, family visit, exchange, transit[1]

Waiver scheme

Ordinary passports of 50 listed countries (tier A)[1]

Longer stays

Visa in advance, or a stay permit inside China[1]

Sparse archive — being expandedThe visa-free rules and stay limits are clear, but no visitor visa fee, applicant checklist or visitor FAQ appears in the archived official sources, and the tier table's country list is truncated.

Who can enter visa-free

Visa-free entry is open to nationals of 50 listed countries travelling on valid ordinary passports for tourism, business, family or friends visits, exchange and transit (0, 1). Border inspection officers at the port decide entry, and the scheme applies equally to tour groups and individual travellers, with the same rules for minors (0). Visitors must not do anything inconsistent with the purpose of entry they declared (0).

Nationals of the 50 listed countries may enter without a visa on a valid ordinary passport[1][2]
The waiver covers tourism, business, family or friends visits, exchange, transit, sports events, conferences, exhibitions and study tours[1]
Both tour groups and individual travellers qualify, and minors follow the same rules as adults[1]
Border inspection authorities grant or refuse entry, so carry proof of your stated purpose[1]
The waiver works at all sea, road and air ports open to foreign nationals unless other rules say otherwise[1]

Not included in this section: Left out the apostille and consular legalisation material, which concerns documents rather than entry.

Visa-exempt by stay length

The archived table shows one tier: nationals of 50 named countries holding valid ordinary passports, allowed 30 days (0, 1). The source indicates further tiers but gives no country names or day allowances for them, so other stay lengths are not stated here (0).

Tier A covers ordinary-passport holders of 50 listed countries including Brunei, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Australia[1][2]
Tier A permits a stay of 30 days[1][2]
The country list in the archived table is cut off after Iceland, so the full roster is not visible in these sources[1]
The material refers to further tiers but does not describe them, so longer allowances cannot be confirmed from the capture[1]

Not included in this section: Country names after Iceland are truncated in the capture and were not reconstructed.

Duration of stay

A visa-free stay is 30 calendar days, counted from the day after entry (0). Anyone intending to stay longer than 30 days must obtain a visa before travelling, or, if already in China for good reason, apply for a stay permit at a local exit-and-entry administration (0). Visa-waiver agreements likewise cap visa-free stays at under 30 days and require residence formalities for longer ones (1).

The 30-day visa-free clock starts on the day after you enter China[1]
If you plan to stay more than 30 days, apply for the matching visa in advance at a Chinese embassy or consulate[1]
If a longer stay becomes necessary after arriving visa-free, apply for a stay permit at the exit-and-entry administration of the local public security authority[1]
Under visa-waiver agreements, holders of specified passports may stay less than 30 days; longer stays need residence formalities with local authorities[2]
Where a visa states a duration of stay of 180 days or less, you may remain for exactly that period[6]

Not included in this section: Left out the articles on residence-permit extensions, which apply to residents rather than visitors.

Documents and requirements

For visa-free entry you need an ordinary passport valid at least for the intended stay; holders of travel, temporary or emergency documents cannot enter without a visa (0). Visa applicants generally submit a passport or other international travel document, qualified photos and material about the purpose of travel (4, 5). Most of the archived paperwork material concerns legalising Chinese documents for use abroad, not visitor visas (2, 3).

Carry an ordinary passport valid for at least the length of your intended stay in China[1]
Holders of travel documents, or temporary or emergency documents instead of an ordinary passport, cannot enter visa-free[1]
Visa applicants submit a passport or other international travel document, qualified photos and material on the purpose of the application[5]
Apply to the visa-issuing authorities abroad and complete formalities and any interview they require[6]
The archived requirements material largely covers apostilles and consular legalisation of Chinese documents for use abroad, not visitor visas[3][4]

Not included in this section: Left out the apostille, consular legalisation, fosterage, student (X1/X2) and family (Q1/Q2) document requirements.

How to apply

Applications are made online through the China Online Visa Application System at consular.mfa.gov.cn/VISA/ (8). The platform carries the Guidance on Visa Application, lets you start or resume an application, track status and manage appointments (8). You then provide your passport, photo and proof of legal stay or residence to the Chinese embassy or consulate covering your locality (6).

Fill in the visa application form online through the China Online Visa Application System[7][9]
Submit your passport and photo, proof of legal stay or residence, and any previous Chinese passport or visa as the embassy or consulate requires[7]
Use the same portal for the Guidance on Visa Application, saved drafts, status tracking and appointment bookings[9]
Lodge the application with the visa-issuing authorities abroad and attend an interview if asked[6]

Not included in this section: Left out the entry-permit, residence-permit and biometric steps that belong to long-stay applicants.

Fees

The archived official sources give no visitor visa fee; the figures present are for consular legalisation of Chinese documents (2, 3). Chinese applicants pay 50 yuan per civil-affairs document and 100 yuan per business-affairs document, while foreign applicants are charged on a reciprocal basis, and express service costs extra (2, 3). Foreigners must nonetheless pay visa or document fees under Chinese regulations (5, 7).

No visitor visa fee appears in the archived official sources; the amounts shown are for consular legalisation[3][4]
Consular legalisation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs costs 50 yuan per civil-affairs document and 100 yuan per business-affairs document for Chinese applicants[3]
Foreign applicants pay on a reciprocal basis, so rates differ by nationality, and fees are payable when documents are submitted[3][4]
Express service carries an extra charge and must be requested when the application is submitted[4]
Foreigners applying for visas, stay permits or residence permits must pay visa or document fees as required by regulation[6]

Not included in this section: Left out the legalisation processing-time rows, the processing-time table and the per-document price detail.

At the border

Exit-and-entry border inspection authorities handle checks and may search travellers and their belongings to safeguard security and entry order (5). Anyone barred by a lawful decision cannot leave or enter, and those decisions are communicated to the border authorities (5). Baggage and vehicle checks follow the same regime, with vehicles inspected at the first arriving and last departing port (5).

Expect border inspection on arrival and departure, including possible searches of your person and belongings[6]
A personal search is carried out by two officers of the same sex as the traveller[6]
If you lose or damage your identity document, border inspection verifies your identity, entry record and loss report before you may exit[1]
A person barred by a lawful decision cannot exit or enter, and the decision is passed to the border inspection authorities[6]
Vehicles are checked at the first arriving port on entry and the last port on exit[6]

Not included in this section: Left out the rules for transport-vehicle operators, cargo declarations and crew reporting as not visitor-relevant.

Notices & things to watch

The archived notices are aimed mainly at workers, seafarers and guardians rather than visitors, so visitor-specific warnings are thin (4, 5, 6). One item states that foreigners needing to enter China temporarily must apply to border inspection agencies for temporary-entry formalities (5). Guardians who allow a foreign child under 16 to stay illegally in China face a warning and a fine of up to RMB 1,000 (5).

The archived notices cover work permits, seamen's shore leave and guardianship, offering visitors little specific guidance[5][6][7]
Foreigners who need to enter China temporarily must apply to exit-and-entry border inspection agencies for temporary-entry formalities[6]
Guardians who allow a foreign child under 16 to reside illegally in China face a warning and a fine of up to RMB 1,000[6]
A foreigner whose original purpose of residence changes must report it to the exit-and-entry administration within the deadline, or face enforcement after a public notice[5]

Not included in this section: Left out the work-permit notice and the seamen's temporary-entry provisions.

Legal basis

The Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China has applied since 1 July 2013 (5). The Regulations on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners were adopted on 3 July 2013 and took effect on 1 September 2013, replacing the 1986 implementing rules (4). They govern visa issuance and the administration of foreigners staying in or residing in China (4).

The Exit and Entry Administration Law has been in force since 1 July 2013[6]
The Regulations on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners took effect on 1 September 2013, replacing the 1986 rules[5]
Those regulations cover visa issuance and services and administration for foreigners staying in or residing in China[5]
Where a foreigner is repatriated, the deciding authority also sets the period during which they may not re-enter China[5]

Not included in this section: Left out the articles on Chinese citizens' entry and exit and the statutory repeal citations.

Recent changes

The archived timeline is short and legal rather than practical. It records adoption of the Regulations on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners at the State Council's 15th executive meeting on 3 July 2013, effective from 1 September 2013 (4). The same entry notes that the 1986 implementing rules were repealed (4).

The current regulations were adopted on 3 July 2013 and took effect on 1 September 2013[5]
They replaced the 1986 rules on implementing the law on entry and exit of aliens[5]

Not included in this section: Left out the formal promulgation citation, which is legal boilerplate.

Official downloads

2 documents · grouped by how they are used2 files as ZIP ≈552 KB

Two files were archived. One is a Macau SAR visa application form and the other is a spreadsheet about long-stay, work and study categories; neither is needed for a mainland China visitor visa.

PDF

Macau SAR Visa Application Form (fsm.gov.mo) 20260909 120651

A four-page English Macau SAR visa application form from fsm.gov.mo; it applies only if you also travel to Macau, not to mainland China entry.

OptionalApplication form4 pp480 KBenMacau SAR Visa Application Form (fsm.gov.mo)_20260909_120651.pdf

[10]
XLS

P020260806350833583851

A small spreadsheet from the Chinese foreign ministry covering long-stay, work and study categories, which visitor visa applicants would not normally use.

BackgroundOther72 KBP020260806350833583851.xls

[11]

Official sources

61 citations · 8 unique pages · 1 official domains

Coverage is mixed: visa-free entry, stay limits and border procedure are well documented, but the visa-application, fee and FAQ pages archived deal mainly with consular legalisation of documents rather than visitor visas.

Numbers match the markers in the text above; click a marker to jump here. Groups are collapsed by domain - click a heading to expand. A source cited more than once keeps a single number.

cs.mfa.gov.cn8 URLs · cited 61 times

1cs.mfa.gov.cn/lh/lhqz_149493/cjwdcited 19×
2cs.mfa.gov.cn/lh/lhqz_149493/list/202607/t20260713_11981384.htmlcited 4×
3cs.mfa.gov.cn/lh/lsrz_149494/cjwdcited 8×
4cs.mfa.gov.cn/lh/lsrz_149494/zzgcited 5×
5cs.mfa.gov.cn/lh/flxy/202607/t20260716_11984071.htmlcited 8×
6cs.mfa.gov.cn/lh/flxy/202607/t20260716_11984066.htmlcited 12×
7cs.mfa.gov.cn/lh/lhqz_149493/qzxz/202608/t20260806_11999100.htmlcited 3×
9cs.mfa.gov.cn/lh/lhqz_149493/qzsq/202607/t20260713_11981382.htmlcited 2×

Popularity rank #21 (score 27.64). This page was written by an AI from the official material listed above and adds no facts from outside it; visa rules change, so always confirm on the official portal before you apply.