China 30-Day Unilateral Visa-Free Entry: Passports, Countries and Dates

Official sources checked: 2026-10-19. This summary reflects the notices located in this review; recheck before departure.

This guide covers the 30-day unilateral waiver for foreign ordinary-passport holders, not every visa exemption. Residence abroad, Chinese heritage or language does not establish eligibility. Travelers from Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan, and people with nationality or document issues, need a separate document-specific check.

Country list and policy end dates

The verified list contains 50 countries. Russia’s policy runs through 2027-12-31; Brunei has no specified end date; the other 48 countries run through 2026-12-31. A policy end date is different from the permitted length of an individual stay. No extension beyond that date for the other 48 countries has been verified in this review.

Official source: China Consular Service visa-free FAQ

Official source: Chinese Embassy in Russia: extension notice · 2026-05-20

Passport, visit purpose and the 30-day clock

You need a valid ordinary passport from a listed country, covering your intended stay in China. Travel documents and temporary or emergency documents other than ordinary passports do not qualify under this unilateral waiver. Do not substitute the transit policy’s three-month validity requirement for this policy’s passport rule.

Permitted purposes include business, tourism, visits to family or friends, exchanges and transit. Work, study and news reporting require the appropriate visa in advance. Each stay is limited to 30 calendar days, counted from the day after entry. Border inspection and permission to enter are still required.

Official source: China Consular Service visa-free FAQ

Departure location and entry ports

You may depart from any country or region outside China; departure from your passport country and onward travel to a third country are not required. Entry is through sea, land or air ports open to foreign nationals, subject to exceptions in laws, regulations or bilateral arrangements. Private vehicles require separate procedures. This is not the 240-hour scheme restricted to 65 ports.

Official source: China Consular Service visa-free FAQ

Supporting documents and longer stays

Prepare evidence matching your actual purpose, such as an invitation, tickets, accommodation bookings and itinerary. These are official recommendations; do not treat travel insurance or paper printouts as universal statutory requirements. Apply for a visa in advance if planning more than 30 days. If appropriate and sufficient reasons arise after visa-free entry, apply to the public security exit-entry administration for a stay permit; an extension is not automatic.

Eligible visitors may use the waiver more than once. The current FAQ sets no cap on entry frequency or total days, but each visit must match its declared purpose. This does not guarantee approval of any particular exit-and-re-entry arrangement.

Official source: China Consular Service visa-free FAQ

How this differs from transit and bilateral waivers

The unilateral 30-day list has 50 countries. The 240-hour transit list has 57 and requires onward travel to a third country or region, designated ports and permitted stay areas. Bilateral agreements and regional waivers such as Hainan have separate rules; their country lists, documents and time limits must not be combined.

Official source: NIA policy interpretation (Chinese) · 2026-08-20

Official source: NIA: Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan added · 2026-08-20

Still to confirm for your trip

Any extension for the other 48 countries after 2026-12-31; non-ordinary passports or nationality issues; actual port operations and carrier requirements; and any separate permits for specific areas. Confirm against your documents and dates with the embassy or consulate, NIA or port immigration authority. Routes, quotations and availability remain subject to the agreed written plan.