China · Visa-Free Eligibility

Can you enter China without a visa?

Pick your passport. Get the answer in plain English — days, documents, and exactly where you're allowed to roam. No legalese.

Check your passport

Rules changed several times in 2024–2026. This re-checks weekly against China's official immigration sources.

Passport / Nationality

Visa-free, but not everywhere

Travelers on the 240-hour visa-free transit can move freely across most of China — but seven regions are outside the transit zone. Travelers with 30-day visa-free entry can go country-wide. Select a passport above and the map updates.

Where your passport lets you go · select a passport above to update

Open to visa-free travellersMost of China. The 7 clay provinces are outside the 240-hour transit zone.

Outside the transit zoneXinjiang, Tibet, Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Jilin — generally need a separate visa/permit on 240-hour transit.

Before you fly to China

Two things every traveler needs — because Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and Gmail are blocked behind the Great Firewall the moment you land.

Essential · Connectivity

A China eSIM

Land with working data + apps that bypass the firewall. Activate before boarding — no SIM swap, no airport queue.

Compare eSIMs →

Essential · Access

A VPN that works in China

Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and Gmail are blocked the moment you land. Most VPNs are blocked too — these still connect. Install it before you arrive.

See working VPNs →

Recommended · Cover

Travel insurance

Short-stay cover for the trip — medical, delays, baggage. Useful context for the onward-ticket rule.

Get a quote →