How to Visit China Without a Visa

Last updated on 2024-12-23

Want to visit China but don't want to go through the hassle of applying for a Chinese visa? Here are several common ways you might be able to tour China visa-free:

Visa-Free Entry for Specific Nationalities

Until December 31, 2025, citizens of the following 38 countries and territories are able to enjoy a 30-day visa-free stay for tourism, business, cultural exchange, family visits, or transit purposes in China:

Australia, Austria, Andorra;
Belgium, Bulgaria, Brunei;
Croatia, Cyprus;
Denmark;
Estonia;
France, Finland;
Germany, Greece;
Hungary;
Italy, Iceland, Ireland;
Japan;
Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg;
Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro;
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, North Macedonia;
Poland, Portugal;
Romania;
Spain, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea;

30 days is more than enough to visit the most highlight tourist destinations in China. Here are several popular China itineraries for your reference:

Of course, we can completely custom the itinerary according to your schedule and preference.

Great Wall of China

10-Day Visa-Free Transit

China allows nationals of 54 countries to stay for up to 10 days without a visa when transiting through specific Chinese cities. Taking advantage of the visa-free transit policy, travelers can visit most of the popular tourism cities in China.

Nationals of which 54 countries can apply for transit visa exemption:

Australia, Argentina, Austria, Albania;
Brazil, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus, Brunei;
Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Croatia;
Denmark;
Estonia;
France, Finland;
Germany, Greece;
Hungary;
Italy, Ireland, Iceland;
Japan;
Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg;
Mexico, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro;
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, North Macedonia;
Poland, Portugal;
Qatar;
Romania, Russia;
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, South Korea;
United States, United Kingdom, UAE, Ukraine;

Popular Chinese Cities for Transit & Layover Tours

As the capital and top tourist city of China, Beijing has a large number of international flights, making it an ideal city for transit and layover tours in China.

Usually, 2 to 3 days is enough to visit all the highlight attractions in Beijing. But if you don’t have that much time, one day is also ok to visit the Great Wall and the Forbidden City only.

Summer Palace

Here are three popular Beijing itineraries for your reference:

Shanghai, the economic center of China, also has many international flights. If you have a stopover in Shanghai, you can allow one day to visit Shanghai and, if possible, another day to visit Suzhou.

Here are two popular Shanghai/Suzhou itineraries for your reference:

The Bund

Other Chinese cities don't have as many international flights as Beijing or Shanghai, but if you're stopping over in Xi’an, Chengdu, or Guilin, it’s definitely worth staying a couple of days for sightseeing.

Terracotta Army

Visit multiple cities under the 10-day visa-free transit policy

Under the 10-day visa-free transit policy, foreigners are allowed to travel outside the city they are transiting in. Therefore, if you are transiting in Beijing or Shanghai, you can actually travel to Xi'an, Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Guilin, Zhangjiajie, etc.

In addition, you can also enter and exit China via different cities. For example, you can enter via Beijing, spend 8 or 9 days visiting Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai, and finally exit China via Shanghai.

Requirements for Transit Visa Exemption

To apply for a transit visa exemption, the applicant must have an interline plane or train ticket with a specific date and seat departing from China within 10 days and bound for a third country or region. The applicant's passport must be valid for at least three months.

The 10-day visa-free stay period begins at 00:00 on the day following entry.

Visa-free entry for foreign tourists arriving on cruise ships

Foreign tourists arriving on cruise ships can enter China without a visa if they are part of a group of at least two people organized by a Chinese travel agency. They can travel within coastal provinces and Beijing for up to 15 days. But they must travel to the next port with the same cruise ship and depart from China by the same cruise ship as scheduled.

Therefore, if your cruise ship stops at Tianjin Port for 2 days or more, you can go to Beijing for sightseeing. Because it takes about 2.5 hours to drive from Tianjin Port to Beijing, you'd better stay one night in Beijing and return to the ship the next day.

If your cruise ship stops at Shanghai Port, you can visit Shanghai or Suzhou on a day tour from your ship.

Tips for Visa-Free Travel

Since China’s visa-free policies may change at the time of your travel, please do confirm your eligibility with your local Chinese consulate or embassy before booking.

Ensure you meet all requirements, such as having a confirmed onward ticket and an ordinary passport valid for at least 6 months at the time of entry.

If you book a tour with us, we can also issue an invitation letter to facilitate your entry into China.

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The China Guide is a Beijing-based travel agency that customizes private tours and educational student tours across China. We have more than fifteen years of experience crafting tours for tens of thousands of travelers from the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, and beyond. We promise all our tours have no hidden fees, no shopping stops, no touristy restaurants, just memorable experiences! Learn more about us or contact us to start planning your perfect China trip.