Entry Guide
How to Visit China Without a Visa
China border checkpoint where international travelers are going through entry procedures
China border checkpoint where international travelers are going through entry procedures
If you're planning to visit China and want to avoid the cumbersome visa application process, here are several common ways to enter China without a visa for your reference:
As of December 31, 2025, citizens from the following 43 countries and regions can enjoy a 30-day visa-free stay in China for purposes including tourism, business activities, cultural exchanges, family visits, and transit:
For foreign nationals eligible for the above visa-free policy, regardless of whether their entry purpose is business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, exchange visits, or transit, they do not need to provide other documents besides a valid passport. However, it's recommended that you carry supplementary materials related to your visit purpose, such as an invitation letter, round-trip flight tickets, and hotel reservation confirmation, for inspection purposes.
Eligible foreign nationals can enter China visa-free multiple times, and there are currently no restrictions on the number of entries or cumulative stay time under this policy.
A 30-day stay is sufficient to cover visits to most popular tourist attractions in China. Here are several recommended popular China tour routes:
Additionally, we can customize exclusive itineraries based on your schedule and personal preferences.
China implements a visa-free transit policy for citizens of 54 countries. Eligible foreign nationals can stay visa-free for up to 10 days when transiting through designated Chinese cities. With this policy, you can visit most popular tourist cities in China.
Beijing: As China's capital and top tourist city, Beijing has numerous international flights and is an ideal choice for transit stays and tourism activities. Typically, you can visit all major attractions in Beijing in 2-3 days; if time is limited, you can also visit the Great Wall and Forbidden City (Palace Museum) in 1 day. Here are three recommended Beijing itineraries:
Shanghai: As China's economic center, Shanghai also has abundant international flight resources. If you have a layover in Shanghai, you can arrange 1 day to visit Shanghai, and if conditions permit, you can also arrange an additional day to visit Suzhou. Here are two recommended Shanghai/Suzhou itineraries:
Other cities: Although some other cities in China have fewer international flights than Beijing and Shanghai, cities like Xi'an, Chengdu, and Guilin still offer high value for sightseeing if you have a layover there for a few days.
According to the 10-day visa-free transit policy, it is also permitted for foreign nationals to travel outside the transit city. Therefore, if you are transiting through Beijing or Shanghai, you can actually visit cities like Xi'an, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Guilin, and Zhangjiajie.
Additionally, you can enter and exit China through different cities. For example, you can enter from Beijing, spend 8-9 days visiting Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai, and finally exit from Shanghai.
For those applying for visa-free transit, you need to hold a confirmed onward flight or train ticket with a clear date and seat to a third country (or region); at the same time, your passport must be valid for at least three more months.
The 10-day visa-free stay period starts from 00:00 of the day following entry.
Foreign tourists arriving in China by cruise ship can enter visa-free if they are members of a tourist group of at least 2 people organized by a Chinese travel agency. Such tourists can engage in tourism activities in coastal provinces and Beijing, with a maximum stay of 15 days, but must proceed to the next port with the same cruise ship and exit on the scheduled cruise ship.
Therefore, if your cruise ship stops at Tianjin Port for 2 days or more, you can visit Beijing. Since it takes about 2.5 hours to drive from Tianjin Port to Beijing, it is recommended to stay one night in Beijing and return to the cruise ship the next day. If your cruise ship docks at Shanghai Port, you can arrange 1 day for ship-organized tours to Shanghai or Suzhou.