China Visa-Free Countries 2026: Full Country List & Entry Rules

See the complete China visa-free countries list for 2026, including mutual and unilateral access, 30-day stay rules, eligible passports and entry tips.

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For ordinary travelers, China’s current visa-free map has two parts. The first consists of countries with a mutual agreement covering ordinary or all valid passports. The second is the National Immigration Administration’s unilateral list. Special arrangements for diplomatic, service and official passports are not included here.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ agreement matrix, updated May 29, 2026, shows the following countries with agreements covering ordinary passports or all valid passports:

This list must be read with the agreement terms. Many arrangements allow 30 days per entry. Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kazakhstan and others use cumulative limits such as 90 days in a 180-day period. Mauritius permits a different stay period, and the MFA table carries a special current note for Ecuador. A country name alone is therefore not enough: verify the passport category, maximum stay and cumulative cap in the official MFA agreement table.

(Source: Google)

The National Immigration Administration’s list dated February 17, 2026 contains 50 countries. Their ordinary-passport holders may visit China for business, tourism, visiting relatives or friends, exchanges, or transit for no more than 30 days.

Australia and New Zealand.

Bahrain, Brunei, Japan, Kuwait, Oman, Republic of Korea (South Korea), and Saudi Arabia.

Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay.

(Source: Google)

Check again before flying.

Unilateral policy can be extended or revised. Use the NIA’s live unilateral visa-free country list, not an old embassy post or airline summary.

It means an eligible traveler does not have to obtain a Chinese visa before a qualifying short visit. It does not remove border inspection and does not guarantee admission. Officers may examine the passport, purpose, accommodation, return or onward plans, and whether the traveler is otherwise admissible.

The unilateral policy expressly covers business, tourism, family or friend visits, exchanges and transit. Treaty language varies but generally covers short visits. A traveler who intends to work, undertake long-term study, settle, or perform another activity requiring prior approval must obtain the appropriate visa or residence documentation.

A person using direct visa-free entry does not need a third-country itinerary. A French traveler can fly France–China–France. A traveler relying only on the 240-hour transit program cannot use that same route because the destination immediately after mainland China must differ from the place immediately before it.

(Source: Google)

The official maximum is 30 days. The stay is counted from 00:00 on the day after entry. Do not interpret “30 days” as one calendar month; check the departure deadline placed in your entry record and leave early enough to absorb schedule disruption.

The treaty controls. Thirty days is common, but some agreements use 60 days, three months, or a cumulative 90-in-180-days formula. Repeated visits can therefore be lawful under one agreement and exceed the cap under another.

An emergency or force majeure does not automatically extend a visa-free stay. Contact the local public security bureau’s exit-entry administration before the permitted stay expires. Approval is discretionary.

(Source: Google)

At the border, present the passport and answer questions consistently. After entry, hotels normally register foreign guests automatically. If staying at a private home, the traveler or host must register the accommodation with the local police within 24 hours.