Answer 4 quick questions and we will tell you whether you can enter visa-free, use the 240-hour transit policy, or should apply for a regular visa.
Policy data last verified: 2026-05-16
Why a checker instead of another 3,000-word visa article?
China's entry rules changed more in the last two years than in the previous ten. A 30-day visa-free list that keeps growing, a transit policy that jumped to 240 hours, and a lot of outdated blog posts that still describe the old 72- and 144-hour rules. If you just want to know “can I board a plane to China with my passport?”, reading five conflicting articles is the wrong way to find out.
This checker encodes the current official rules — the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 30-day visa-free list and the National Immigration Administration 240-hour transit list — into a form you can answer in half a minute. You get a clear verdict plus the reasoning, and links to the official sources so you can verify everything yourself.
How the visa checker works
1. Pick your passport
Choose from 77 nationalities, grouped by region.
2. Describe your trip
Purpose of visit, planned length of stay, and whether you continue to a third country.
3. Get your verdict
Visa-free, transit, or regular visa — with the reasoning and official sources to double-check.
The three possible answers
30-day visa-free entry
50 countries qualify. Fly in with just your passport and stay up to 30 days for tourism, business or family visits. No paperwork before the trip.
240-hour visa-free transit
55 countries qualify, including the US and Singapore. Stay up to 10 days as long as you continue to a different country or region than the one you arrived from.
Regular visa before you fly
If neither policy fits your passport or itinerary, you apply for a visa (usually an L tourist visa) at a Chinese embassy, consulate or visa centre before travelling.
Want the full rules, edge cases and country-by-country details? Read the complete China Visa Guide.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a visa to visit China in 2026?
- It depends on your passport. As of early 2026, citizens of 50 countries can enter China visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism, business or family visits. Citizens of 55 countries can use the 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit policy when continuing to a third country or region. Everyone else needs a regular visa before travelling. The checker on this page sorts you into the right path in about 30 seconds.
- Can US citizens travel to China without a visa?
- Not under the 30-day visa-free policy — the US is not on that list. But US passport holders are eligible for the 240-hour visa-free transit policy: if you enter China and then continue to a different country or region (not back to where you flew in from), you can stay up to 240 hours without a visa. For a simple round trip like US → China → US, you need a regular L (tourist) visa.
- Which countries can enter China visa-free for 30 days?
- The current list covers 50 countries: most of Europe (including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, Switzerland and the Nordics), Japan, South Korea and Brunei in Asia, several Gulf states, Australia and New Zealand, and Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Peru and Uruguay in the Americas. Pick your passport in the checker above to confirm your exact status, including policy expiry dates.
- What is the 240-hour visa-free transit policy?
- It lets citizens of 55 countries stay in mainland China for up to 240 hours (10 days) without a visa, as long as they are transiting — meaning they arrive from one country or region and depart to a different one. It is the main visa-free route for travellers from the US, Singapore, Indonesia, the UAE and several other countries that are not on the 30-day list.
- Is this China visa checker official?
- No — it is a free planning tool, not a government service. The rules behind it come from official Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Immigration Administration announcements, last verified on 2026-05-16. Entry policies can change, so always confirm with a Chinese embassy or your airline before booking.
- Do I need to sign up or pay to use this tool?
- No. The checker is completely free, requires no account or email, and runs entirely in your browser — your answers are not stored or sent anywhere.