China’s 30-day visa-free entry,
explained for Europeans.

Most European travellers can now enter China without any visa at all for stays of up to 30 days. The rule is simple — but the details at the border are not obvious the first time. Here is exactly how it works.

Is my country visa-free for China in 2026?

Very likely yes. Ordinary passport holders of 35 European countries may enter China visa-free for up to 30 days per entry — for tourism, business, family and friend visits, exchanges or transit. The arrangement is announced as running through 31 December 2026, and this page was last verified in August 2026. The full country list is below; the UK is among the most recent additions, effective 17 February 2026.

Table current as of August 2026.

List current as of August 2026 — 35 European countries, the UK being among the most recent additions (effective 17 February 2026). Notably not covered today: Czechia and Lithuania, among others; if your country is missing, a tourist visa or the 240-hour transit rule may still work. The arrangement is announced as running through 31 December 2026 and has been extended repeatedly before — but it is a unilateral Chinese policy, and we re-confirm it for your specific passport and dates before any booking.

The conditions, in plain sight

• Passport: ordinary passport, valid on arrival. (We recommend 6+ months validity, as airlines can be strict.)
• Stay: up to 30 days per entry. Longer stays, work, study or journalism require a visa in advance.
• Purpose: tourism, business, visiting family/friends, exchanges, transit. No permits are needed before travel for these.
• Multiple entries: the rule applies per entry, and there is no published annual cap — but expect questions if you live at the border.

What is the 240-hour transit rule?

The 240-hour transit rule is a separate visa-free scheme that lets passport holders of 55 countries stay in designated Chinese regions for up to 10 days without a visa, provided you arrive from one country and depart onward to a different third country within 240 hours. You apply at the border on arrival, and it covers 65 ports of entry as of 2026. It is the useful fallback if your passport is not on the 30-day visa-free list — or if a short China stopover on the way to Japan, Korea or Southeast Asia is all you need.

What actually happens at the border

1. Before you fly: complete the online arrival card (QR or app — we send you the current link with your documents).
2. On arrival: join the foreigners’ lane. Fingerprints are taken for most first-time visitors; it takes minutes.
3. The questions are routine: where you’re staying, how long, with whom. A printed hotel confirmation and return ticket make everything faster — officers like paper.
4. First 24 hours: your accommodation registration is done automatically by your hotel. If you stay with friends or in unregistered lodging, you must register at the local police station within 24 hours (72 in rural areas). This is the one rule first-timers most often miss.

Our honest advice

Visa-free entry removed the paperwork, not the culture shock of the border hall. Carry printed confirmations of your first hotel and your onward or return flight, know your first night’s address in Chinese characters, and the whole thing takes ten minutes. Travel with us and you receive both, prepared, before departure.