If you hold an ordinary passport from one of the 50 countries on China’s unilateral visa-free list, and you are coming for tourism, business, a family visit, an exchange or transit, you can usually stay up to 30 days without a visa. The stay is counted from the day after entry. The United States is not on this list. For 48 of the 50 countries, official pages we checked in November 2026 still give an end date of 31 December 2026. Confirm before you travel.
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Key facts
| How many countries | 50, according to the Chinese Visa Application Service Center FAQ |
|---|---|
| How long | Up to 30 days, counted from the day after entry |
| Purposes | Business, tourism, visiting family or friends, exchange visits, transit — not work, study or journalism |
| United States | Not on this list. See the 240-hour transit instead |
| End date (most countries) | Currently announced through 31 December 2026 — we have not seen a public extension into 2027 for those 48 countries |
| Brunei / Russia | Brunei: no published end date. Russia: different official pages have given different expiry dates — confirm |
| Ports | Ordinary open ports, including Shenzhen’s land crossings from Hong Kong |
50 countries, 30 calendar days from 00:00 the day after entry. The United States is not on the list. For 48 countries, official pages we checked still end on 31 December 2026.
What the 30-day waiver is
China’s unilateral 30-day visa-free policy lets ordinary-passport holders from a list of countries enter for business, tourism, visiting family or friends, exchange visits, or transit, and stay for no more than 30 days, without applying for a visa in advance. It is a different rule from the 240-hour visa-free transit: you do not need an onward ticket to a third country.
According to the Chinese Visa Application Service Center’s FAQ and English pages of municipal foreign-affairs offices, the list now covers 50 countries. The duration of stay is counted from midnight at the start of the day after you enter, and then runs for 30 calendar days.
Which countries are on the list — and who is not
Ordinary-passport holders from the following 50 countries are named on the Visa Application Service Center FAQ: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Uruguay.
The United States is not on this list. Neither is India. US passport holders looking for a visa-free path should read the 240-hour transit guide instead, or apply for a visa. A country being on the 240-hour list does not put it on this one.
Holders of travel documents or temporary or emergency passports are not covered. Your ordinary passport needs to be valid for at least the stay.
What you can — and cannot — do
- Allowed purposes: business, tourism, visiting family or friends, exchange visits, and transit.
- Not covered: work, study, news reporting, and similar activities. Those still need the correct visa, obtained in advance.
- Border officers can ask for evidence of your purpose. Official advice is to carry things such as return tickets, hotel bookings, or an invitation letter.
- If you already know you will stay longer than 30 days, apply for a visa before you travel. Extending after you arrive is only for appropriate, sufficient reasons, through the exit-entry administration — it is not a casual option.
How the 30 days are counted
Official FAQs say the stay is calculated from the day after entry and lasts 30 calendar days. If you enter on 1 June, 2 June is day one, and you must leave by the end of 1 July — confirm the exact last day from the stamp in your passport, which is what officers will enforce.
This counting method is not the same as the 240-hour transit. Do not mix the two rules.
Which ports you can use
Unlike the 240-hour transit, this waiver is not limited to a short list of 65 ports. Eligible travellers can enter through China’s ordinary open ports, subject to inspection. In Shenzhen, that includes the land crossings from Hong Kong (Luohu, Futian, Shenzhen Bay) as well as the airport, Shekou and the high-speed rail — which is why a UK or Australian visitor can often walk across at Luohu, while a US visitor on the 240-hour transit cannot. Details: Hong Kong to Shenzhen border guide.
The arrival card is separate
Visa-free is not a reason to skip the arrival card. Since 20 November 2025 you can fill it online, for free, on the official NIA site. For the decision tree that covers the 240-hour transit as well, see do I need a visa for China in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is the United States on China’s 30-day visa-free list?
No. US passport holders are not covered by this waiver. They may be able to use the 240-hour visa-free transit if they meet that rule’s conditions, or they can apply for a visa.
Is the 30-day visa-free policy ending on 31 December 2026?
For 48 of the 50 countries, official FAQs and government English pages we checked in November 2026 still give that end date. We have not seen a public announcement extending those 48 countries into 2027. Confirm the current rule for your nationality before you book, especially for travel in 2027.
Are the UK, Canada, Australia, Japan and South Korea included?
Yes — they are named on the Visa Application Service Center’s 50-country list. Always re-check the official list, and the end date, before you travel.
Do I need an onward ticket to a third country?
Not for this waiver. That requirement belongs to the 240-hour transit. Official advice is still to carry evidence of your purpose, such as hotel bookings or a return ticket.
How is the 30-day stay counted?
Official FAQs say it is calculated from the day after entry and lasts 30 calendar days. The stamp in your passport is what officers will enforce.