Read this first
China's entry rules have changed several times recently and depend on your nationality, your port of entry, your onward ticket and how long you are staying. This page is a checklist, not legal advice. Confirm your own case on the National Immigration Administration site or at your nearest Chinese embassy before booking anything non-refundable.
Which permission applies to you
| Situation | What usually applies | What you must be able to show |
|---|---|---|
| Short visit from a country covered by a unilateral visa-free arrangement | Visa-free entry for a fixed number of days | Passport valid well beyond your stay, confirmed onward or return travel, accommodation address |
| Stopping over on the way to a third country | Transit visa-free entry at participating ports, within a fixed window | Confirmed onward ticket to a third country, entry permission for that country |
| Anything else, or a longer stay | A visa obtained before travel | Completed application, photos, itinerary, proof of funds, sometimes an invitation letter |
Because the country lists and day counts are revised without much notice, we do not reproduce them here. Two minutes on the official site beats a blog post from last year — including this one.
At the border
- Fingerprints and photo are collected at self-service kiosks or counters for most foreign nationals. Follow the lane markings; staff will point you to the right queue.
- Arrival card — some ports issue it on the plane, some require it at a kiosk. Fill in your hotel name and address exactly as booked.
- Answer questions plainly. Purpose (tourism), length of stay, where you are staying. Have the hotel booking open on your phone.
- Keep the entry stamp. Photograph the page. Hotels and any later exit-formality process will want it.
The 24-hour registration rule
Foreign visitors are required to register their accommodation with local police within 24 hours of arrival. In practice:
- Hotels handle it for you — they scan your passport at check-in and file the registration. This is the normal case and needs nothing from you.
- Staying with a friend, in an apartment, or in a homestay — you generally need to register at the local police station yourself, with your passport and your host's ID or rental contract. Ask your host; they usually know the local office.
- Not every property is licensed to host foreign guests. If a budget hotel refuses you at check-in, this is usually why. It is not personal and not negotiable — book somewhere that accepts foreign passports.
Overstaying is expensive
Fines are charged per day of overstay, and a serious overstay can include detention and a ban on re-entry. If something goes wrong — illness, a lost passport, a cancelled flight — go to the exit-entry administration before your permitted date and ask for an extension or for guidance. Turning up early is a paperwork problem; turning up late is an enforcement problem.
Before you book the flight
- Checked your nationality's current status on the official immigration site, and saved a screenshot
- Passport valid for at least six months beyond your planned exit
- Onward or return ticket booked and downloadable offline
- First night's accommodation confirmed, address saved in Chinese
- Travel insurance that covers medical treatment in China
- Entry stamp photographed after arrival; hotel registration confirmed
Questions people actually ask
Transit rules, arrival paperwork, and what officers actually ask at the counter.
Can I transit through China without a visa?
China's main transit scheme is now 240 hours (10 days) at most major ports, including Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Chengdu. A 24-hour transit exemption also exists at most airports. You must hold a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region, and stay inside the permitted area. Eligibility depends on your nationality and the port you enter — check the National Immigration Administration list before booking.
Where it usually goes wrong: 'Third country' means a DIFFERENT country than where you came from. USA → Shanghai → Japan = OK. USA → Shanghai → USA = NOT eligible for transit-free.
The airline says I need a visa but the website says visa-free. Who is right?
This happens when airline staff aren't updated on the latest visa-free policy. Always carry a printed copy of the official visa-free announcement from China's embassy or immigration website. Show it at check-in. If the airline still refuses, ask to speak to a supervisor. The policy is real — some airlines are just slow to update their training.
Where it usually goes wrong: Print the official document BEFORE you fly. You may not have internet access to prove it at the check-in counter.
My passport has only a given name — how do I fill the arrival card?
Put the full name exactly as printed in the given-name field, and repeat it (or use 'N/A' if the form insists) in the surname field. What matters is matching the passport machine-readable zone. Carry a printout of your booking and the name mismatch will rarely be an issue.
Where it usually goes wrong: Airline check-in systems often reject a blank surname. Enter the given name in both fields there too, so the ticket matches the passport.
Does US → Beijing → Hong Kong → US qualify for 240-hour visa-free transit?
Yes — and this is the routing most people miss. The 240-hour rule requires you to travel from one country or region to a different one, and Hong Kong counts as a separate region, so arriving from the US and departing to Hong Kong satisfies it even though you fly home to the US afterwards. Two conditions: the Hong Kong flight must be booked and confirmed (print it, because check-in staff often do not know the rule), and you must stay inside the permitted area — for a Beijing entry that means Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei.
Where it usually goes wrong: The 240 hours are not 'ten days from landing'. The clock starts at 00:00 the day after you arrive, so a ten-day trip sits right on the limit — check your actual flight times.
I'm flying US → Hong Kong → Shanghai → US. Is that valid transit?
Yes. Hong Kong is treated as a separate region, so Hong Kong → Shanghai → US meets the third-country requirement, and both Shanghai airports are designated ports. Keep the US leg confirmed with a date. The permitted stay area for a Shanghai entry is Shanghai plus Jiangsu and Zhejiang, so day trips to Suzhou and Hangzhou are fine — Beijing is not.
Where it usually goes wrong: Do not add a domestic hop to another province 'while you are there'. Leaving the permitted area breaks the transit condition, even if your onward flight is still valid.
Is visa-free entry for Canadian passport holders being extended?
China's visa-free entry schemes are time-limited and extended by official announcement, not automatically — but renewal is announced rather than guaranteed. If your travel dates fall after the current expiry, check the National Immigration Administration site before booking anything non-refundable. Entry before the expiry date is not affected.
Where it usually goes wrong: Airlines enforce whatever version of the rule is in their check-in system, which can lag the official announcement. Carry a screenshot of the notice with its date.
Do I need printed hotel bookings and onward tickets at immigration?
Usually the officer just scans your passport, takes a photo and fingerprints, and asks nothing — but offline copies cost nothing and end the conversation if they do ask. Save your first night's address in Chinese, your onward or return flight, and your hotel confirmation where you can open them without internet. On the arrival card, write the full street address rather than only the hotel name; that's the field people most often get stuck on.
Where it usually goes wrong: Airport wifi that needs a Chinese number to log in is useless at that moment — download everything before you board.
Can I visit China several times a year on a tourist visa without trouble?
There is no published cap on entries, but each entry is decided on the spot, and what draws questions is a pattern of long back-to-back stays that looks less like tourism. Travel with an onward ticket, accommodation booked for the whole trip, and a short consistent answer about what you're doing and when you leave. Keep it brief — volunteering extra detail tends to invite more questions rather than fewer.
Where it usually goes wrong: Stays of 50+ days with vague plans are the pattern people report being pulled aside over; have your dates and one clear reason ready.
More answers, across every category, in the full FAQ.
Last reviewed 2026-11-06 — rules and prices in China change often. Confirm critical details in the app or on the official site before you rely on them.
Official sources used for this guide
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