China's Visa-Free Entry Policy
How it works
China currently extends a unilateral visa-free policy to ordinary passport holders from 50 countries — no advance visa application, no fee. Eligible travellers enter on a valid ordinary passport for stays of up to 30 days. Permitted purposes: tourism, business, family visits, exchange visits, and transit.
Unilateral means China has made this decision independently — the listed countries are not required to offer Chinese citizens the same treatment in return.
Countries currently eligible
Europe — 35 countries
Valid through 31 December 2026: France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovenia, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, Sweden, United Kingdom.
Valid through 14 September 2026: Russia.
Asia — 7 countries
No expiry date: Brunei.
Valid through 31 December 2026: South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain.
Americas — 6 countries
Valid through 31 May 2026: Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay.
Valid through 31 December 2026: Canada.
Oceania — 2 countries
Valid through 31 December 2026: Australia, New Zealand.
What you still need
Visa-free does not mean document-free. Border officers can and do check:
- Passport with at least 6 months remaining validity from your planned departure date from China
- At least one blank visa page
- Round-trip flight reservations and hotel bookings — carry these; you may be asked to show them at the border
What the policy doesn’t cover
- Stays longer than 30 days — requires a visa applied for in advance
- Employment, study, journalism, or permanent residence purposes
- Passports with insufficient validity or blank pages
- Non-ordinary passports (diplomatic, official, and service passports follow separate rules)
Recent additions
The list has grown rapidly:
- November 2025 — Sweden added (valid through 31 December 2026)
- June 2025 — Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain added; subsequently extended to 31 December 2026
- June 2025 — Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay added (valid through 31 May 2026)
The pace of additions suggests the list will continue to expand. Check for updates before your trip.
Unilateral vs mutual visa exemption
Two different arrangements are often confused:
- Unilateral exemption (this guide) — China grants visa-free entry on its own initiative. The other country has no reciprocal obligation.
- Mutual exemption — a bilateral agreement where both governments grant visa-free entry to the other’s citizens.
Countries with mutual visa exemption agreements with China include: Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, UAE, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Serbia, Belarus, Maldives, Fiji, and others. Citizens of these countries are also visa-free for China, but under a different legal framework.
If your country isn’t on either list, you need an L visa applied for before travel. See our Visas & Entry Documents guide.