How to Visit China Without a Visa

Last updated on 2024-12-05

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

Visa-Free Transit

China allows nationals of 54 countries to transit through specific cities without a visa for up to 72 or 144 hours. These 54 countries are:

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

Here is a tool that allows you to select your nationality and your transit port to check if you are qualified for the visa-free transit policy.

Taking advantage of the visa-free transit policy, travelers can visit quite some popular tourist destinations in China.

Visit Beijing by transferring at Beijing’s PEK or PKX airport

As China's top tourist destination, Beijing is home to many world-famous attractions, such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and etc. In addition, Beijing is also the capital of China, so it has the most international flights. All of these make Beijing an ideal city for traveling during a layover.

Summer Palace

Travelers are allowed to stay in Beijing for up to 6 days when transferring at certain ports, such as Beijing’s PEK or PKX airport. 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. Here are three popular Beijing itineraries for your reference:

Visit Shanghai/Suzhou/Hangzhou by transferring at Shanghai’s PVG or SHA airport

Travelers are allowed to stay in Shanghai/Suzhou/Hangzhou for up to 6 days when transferring at certain ports, such as Shanghai’s PVG or SHA airport.

The Bund

Here are three popular Shanghai/Suzhou/Hangzhou itineraries for your reference:

Transferring in other tourist cities

Although other Chinese cities don't have as many international flights as Beijing or Shanghai, if you can conveniently transfer in Xi'an, Chengdu, Guilin, or Kunming, you can also allow some time for tourism.

In Xi’an, you can transfer at XIY airport and stay for up to 6 days. But usually 1 to 2 days are enough to visit Xi’an’s top attractions such as the Terracotta Army.

Terracotta Army

If you can transfer at Chengdu’s CTU airport, you are allowed to stay in Chengdu for up to 6 days. Usually 1 day is enough to visit Chengdu’s top attractions such as the Chengdu Panda Base. But if you can allow one more day, you can also visit the popular Leshan Giant Buddha.

Leshan Giant Buddha

In Guilin, you can transfer at KWL airport and stay in Guilin and Yangshuo for up to 3 days. If possible, you can allow 2 or 3 days to visit Guilin and Yangshuo.

Yangshuo

If you can transfer at Kunming’s KMG airport, you can layover in Lijiang and Dali for up to 6 days.

Lijiang Old Town

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.