Visa-Free Policies at a Glance
30-day visa-free entry. The United Kingdom and Canada have been eligible since 17 February 2025, valid until 31 December 2026; Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Malta are eligible until 31 December 2026. Holders must carry ordinary passports. Permitted purposes include business and tourism, visiting relatives and friends, exchange visits and transit. Each stay is capped at 30 days, you may enter through any open port of entry in China, and the duration is counted from 00:00 the day after arrival.
240-hour (10-day) transit visa-free. Available to citizens of 55 countries, including the English-speaking countries above as well as the United States. You must hold a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region. Entry is through one of 65 designated ports across 24 provincial-level regions, and you may travel freely within those 24 regions during your stay.
The Five Steps at the Airport
Before departure: make sure your passport is valid for at least six months. Download the “NIA 12367” app or use the WeChat / Alipay mini-programme to pre-fill the digital Arrival Card (launched 20 November 2025; it consolidates the immigration card, customs declaration and health declaration, is free, and should ideally be submitted within 24 hours before arrival). Transit travellers should have their onward ticket ready.
1. Health quarantine. Walk through thermal screening. Report fever, vomiting, diarrhoea or an acute skin rash. Travellers from yellow fever endemic areas must present a valid vaccination certificate.
2. Immigration inspection. Present your passport and arrival card (digital or paper); fingerprints and a facial photo are taken. For 30-day visa-free entry, the officer verifies your nationality and stamps your passport; for 240-hour transit, they check your onward ticket and stamp it with a transit notation. Allow roughly 5–15 minutes per person.
3. Baggage claim. Check the display screens for your flight number to find the right carousel.
4. Customs. Take the Green Channel if you have nothing to declare, the Red Channel if you do. Typical allowances: alcohol up to 1,500 ml, cigarettes up to 400, RMB cash up to 20,000 yuan, foreign currency cash up to the equivalent of USD 5,000, and personal items up to 5,000 RMB for residents or 2,000 RMB for non-residents.
5. Exit to the arrivals hall — you are in.
Six Major Airports: Getting Into the City
● Beijing Capital (PEK). International arrivals use T3. Route: T3-E Level 3 (immigration) → APM train to T3-C Level 2 (baggage) → customs → arrivals hall. The Airport Express reaches Dongzhimen in 25 minutes; taxis and airport buses are also available. Budget 45–90 minutes for arrival formalities.
● Shanghai Pudong (PVG). T1 or T2 — confirm your terminal before you fly. The maglev reaches Longyang Road in 8 minutes; Metro Line 2 and taxis are also options.
● Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN). T1/T2. Metro Line 3 (North Extension) takes about 50 minutes to the city centre, or around 150 RMB by taxi. A China Southern hub; most European flights use T2.
● Shenzhen Bao'an (SZX). T3. Metro Line 11 reaches Futian in about 45 minutes, and you can continue to Hong Kong, China via the Futian or Luohu border crossing.
● Chongqing Jiangbei (CKG). T3. Metro Lines 3 and 10 reach the city centre in about 40 minutes. The gateway to Chongqing and the Three Gorges cruises.
● Chengdu Tianfu (TFU). T1. Metro Line 18 takes about 40 minutes downtown, or around 200 RMB by taxi. Opened in 2021, it is modern and well equipped — the gateway to Sichuan, including the panda reserves.
Practical Tips
WeChat Pay and Alipay now support international credit cards. SIM cards and eSIMs are sold in airport arrival halls, and currency exchange is available at airports and major banks. Keep these numbers handy: Police 110, Ambulance 120, Fire 119, and the National Immigration Administration hotline 12367. Check your destination's weather before you pack.
Disclaimer: This guide is for reference only. Before travelling to China, verify the latest visa-free and entry policies at www.nia.gov.cn or with Chinese embassies and consulates.