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Until June 9, 2025, citizens from 47 countries can visit China under a unilateral visa exemption policy.
Countries included: Brunei, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Cyprus, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Australia, Poland, Portugal, Greece, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Hungary, Monaco, Liechtenstein, South Korea, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, Japan, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain.
Holders of ordinary passports from these countries can enter China visa-free for business, tourism, visiting friends, exchange visits, or transit—up to 30 days.
What is China’s visa-free transit policy?
Visa-free transit is one of China’s visa exemption policies that are provided to eligible foreigners coming from selected countries.
Under the visa-free transit policy, foreign travelers can enjoy a 10-day stay in certain Chinese cities without a visa, provided they come from 54 eligible countries, enter and exit China from eligible ports, stay within the allowed cities and regions, as well as satisfy other requirements. The extended stay duration from 72 hours/144 hours to 10 days is one of the most substantial upgrades in recent years.
To obtain this visa exemption, the foreign national must have a valid passport from one of the 54 countries, which are:
- 25 countries in the Europe Schengen area: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
- 15 other countries in Europe: Russia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Monaco, and Belarus.
- Six countries in the Americas: the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile.
- Two countries in Oceania: Australia and New Zealand.
- Six countries in Asia: South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.
As per the requirements of China’s National Immigration Authority (NIA), people applying for 144-hour visa-free transit must have:
- A valid passport or another international travel document that is valid for more than three months from the arrival date;
- An interline ticket (connecting ticket) with the confirmed departure date and seat number leaving for a third country or region within 144 hours; and
- The landing card for foreigners in transit that is filled out upon arrival in China.
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