Visa-free policies
China has implemented a series of visa-free policies to streamline travel for foreign nationals visiting the country. These policies include transit visa-free arrangements, mutual visa exemption agreements, and the latest updates on visa-free entry.
Below is an overview of the key visa-free policies available for foreign nationals entering China.
Visa-free transit
Visa-free entry
Brunei, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Georgia, New Zealand, Australia, and Poland have varying visa-free entry policies with China.
Each country specifies eligible passport categories, stay limits, and effective dates for visa-free stays. Check them out.
| No |
Country |
Eligible passport categories |
Stay limits for visa-free stay |
Visa-free policy effective date |
| 1 |
Brunei |
Ordinary passport holders for business, tourism, family visit, or transit |
15 days |
Effective as of July 26, 2023 |
| 2 |
Singapore |
30 days |
Effective as of Feb 9, 2024 |
|
| 3 |
France |
15 days |
Valid until Dec 31, 2025
|
|
| 4 |
Germany |
|||
| 5 |
Italy |
|||
| 6 |
The Netherlands |
|||
| 7 |
Spain |
|||
| 8 |
Switzerland |
|||
| 9 |
Ireland |
|||
| 10 |
Hungary |
|||
| 11 |
Austria |
|||
| 12 |
Belgium |
|||
| 13 |
Luxembourg |
|||
| 14 |
Malaysia |
|||
| 15 |
Thailand |
Thai citizens holding ordinary passports |
A single stay of no more than 30 days and a cumulative stay of no more than 90 days within a 180-day period |
Effective as of March 1, 2024 |
| 16 |
Georgia |
Ordinary passport holders for business, tourism, family visit, or transit |
A single stay of no more than 30 days and a cumulative stay of no more than 90 days within a 180-day period |
Effective as of May 28, 2024 |
| 17 |
New Zealand |
15 days |
Valid until Dec 31, 2025 |
|
| 18 |
Australia |
|||
| 19 |
Poland |
Mutual visa exemption agreements
[Photo/VCG]
China has established over 150 mutual visa exemption agreements with foreign countries, fostering closer ties and facilitating international travel.
Explore the full list of countries with mutual visa exemption agreements here.
Visa-free entry for cruise ship passengers
On May 15, 2024, the National Immigration Administration announced that China will fully implement a visa-free entry policy for foreign tourist groups arriving by cruise ship, effective immediately.
Foreign tourist groups, comprising two or more individuals, arriving by cruise ship and organized and received by China's domestic travel agencies can enter China visa-free through any coastal cruise port and stay for up to 15 days.
The tourist groups must travel together on the same cruise ship to the next port when the cruise leaves China. The activity area is limited to the coastal provinces, municipalities, and Beijing.
The visa-free entry ports include 13 national cruise ports located in Tianjin, Dalian in Liaoning province, Shanghai, Lianyungang in Jiangsu province, Wenzhou and Zhoushan in Zhejiang province, Xiamen in Fujian province, Qingdao in Shandong province, Guangzhou and Shenzhen in Guangdong province, Beihai in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and Haikou and Sanya in Hainan province.
Additionally, to support the development of the cruise tourism industry, seven cruise ports in Dalian, Lianyungang, Wenzhou, Zhoushan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Beihai will be added as transit visa-free ports for citizens of 54 countries, facilitating tourism via cruise ships, according to the immigration administration.
Sources: en.nia.gov.cn, english.news.cn, cs.mfa.gov.cn, chinadaily.com.cn, VCG