China Visa Requirement Checker

1. visaMay 20, 2026

   Russia visa-free entry extended to the end of 2027

   China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on May 20, 2026 that the unilateral visa-free policy for Russia is extended through December 31, 2027. Russian ordinary passport holders can enter mainland China visa-free for up to 30 days for business, tourism, family visits, exchange visits, or transit. The arrangement began as a one-year trial on September 15, 2025 and had been due to lapse on September 14, 2026.

2. visaFeb 17, 2026

   UK and Canada added to China's 30-day visa-free list

   From February 17, 2026, ordinary passport holders from the United Kingdom and Canada can enter mainland China visa-free for up to 30 days through December 31, 2026. Canada moves from 240-hour transit-only to full visa-free.

3. visaNov 10, 2025

   Sweden added to 30-day visa-free list

   Effective November 10, 2025 through December 31, 2026, Swedish ordinary passport holders can enter mainland China visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism, business, family visits, exchange visits, or transit.

4. transitNov 5, 2025

   240-hour visa-free transit expanded to 65 ports of entry

   China added five new ports to the 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit program — Guangzhou Pazhou (Canton Fair) Cruise Terminal, Zhuhai Hengqin, Zhongshan Port, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge mainland checkpoint, and West Kowloon Station on the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail. Total now 65 ports across 24 provinces and regions.

5. visaNov 4, 2025

   Visa-free policy consolidated for additional Gulf and micro-states

   By 4 November 2025, China's unilateral 30-day visa-free policy had been expanded to cover additional Gulf Cooperation Council states and European micro-states — Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, and North Macedonia — all brought under a unified 30-day visa-free framework alongside earlier batches.

6. visaNov 3, 2025

   All unilateral visa-free schemes extended through end-2026

   On 3 November 2025, China announced that its unilateral visa-exemption arrangements for 40+ countries — originally scheduled to expire on 31 December 2025 — would be extended to 31 December 2026, giving travelers and airlines more certainty when planning 2026 itineraries.

7. visaSep 15, 2025

   Russia added to 30-day visa-free list (one-year trial)

   Russian ordinary passport holders are eligible for visa-free entry to China from September 15, 2025 through September 14, 2026 — the first time mainland China has extended visa-free entry to Russian citizens.

8. visaJun 1, 2025

   Five Latin American countries gain 30-day visa-free entry

   From 1 June 2025, ordinary passport holders from Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay became eligible for unilateral 30-day visa-free entry to mainland China under a trial scheme later extended through 31 December 2026.

9. transitDec 17, 2024

   240-hour visa-free transit launched (~54 countries, ~60 ports)

   China consolidated the existing 72-hour and 144-hour transit programs into a single 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit scheme for ~54 eligible nationalities at ~60 ports across 24 provinces. The third-country onward-travel requirement still applies.

Sources: China's National Immigration Administration · State Council press releases · embassy notices.