Into China Guide

Visa policies · Verified 2026-08-11

China visa-free countries, 2026

Every passport we track, grouped by policy. Click your country for the full rules, conditions, and FAQ — or use the interactive checker.

The 2026 picture in one paragraph: 68 passports can currently enter China without any visa — 50 under a unilateral 30-day policy that is a trial, authorized through December 31, 2026, and 18 under permanent mutual agreements (most recently added: United Kingdom and Canada, February 2026). Another 6 passports, the United States among them, get up to 240 hours only when transiting onward to a third country. If your plans reach into 2027, note that the trial policy has so far been extended in stages rather than made permanent — check close to departure.

30-day visa-free entry (50)

Unilateral trial policy — enter for tourism, business, family visits, or transit with no visa at all.

Visa-free by mutual agreement (18)

Permanent two-way agreements. Most allow 30 days — the badges mark the exceptions.

240-hour visa-free transit (6)

Up to 10 days when traveling onward to a third country or region.

Visa required (9)

Apply for an L (tourist) visa before departure.

Visa-free list: questions travelers actually ask

How many countries can enter China visa-free in 2026?

68 of the passports we track can enter China without a visa: 50 under the unilateral 30-day policy and 18 under permanent mutual agreements. A further 6 qualify only for the 240-hour visa-free transit, which requires onward travel to a third country or region.

Is China's 30-day visa-free policy permanent?

No — it is a unilateral trial, currently authorized through December 31, 2026, and China has extended it in stages rather than making it permanent. Mutual-agreement countries are different: those are permanent two-way treaties and don't carry an expiry date.

What's the difference between the 30-day policy and a mutual agreement?

The 30-day policy is something China grants one-way and can withdraw or extend on its own schedule. Mutual agreements are negotiated treaties that work in both directions, and their durations vary — most allow 30 days, but Mauritius allows 60, and Albania, Ecuador and San Marino allow 90 (Albania's counted per calendar year).

My country isn't on the visa-free lists — what are my options?

Check whether your passport qualifies for the 240-hour visa-free transit, which covers stopovers of up to 10 days when you're continuing to a third country. If not, you'll need to apply for an L (tourist) visa before you fly. Each country page above walks through the process.

How to read this list

China currently runs three doors, and which one you use changes your paperwork entirely. The 30-day unilateral list is the broad one — most of Europe plus the UK, Canada, Australia, Japan and others walk in with nothing but a passport, under a trial policy currently extended through the end of 2026. Mutual agreements are the quiet second door: countries like Singapore, Thailand, and the UAE hold permanent two-way deals, some allowing stays past 30 days. The 240-hour transit door covers passports that didn't make either list — including the United States — but only when you continue to a third country or region, which is a real routing constraint, not fine print.

Every country page spells out its door's exact conditions, the official source, and the date we last checked it. If your passport appears nowhere on this page, you need a tourist visa before you fly — allow about a week and start with the pre-trip checklist.

Policies change quickly — every country page links to official sources and shows its last verification date.