China Visa Guide for UK, Korea & beyond
Check your visa-free eligibility, 240-hour transit rules, and entry requirements by passport country. Get the right answer in 5 seconds.
Check my visa now50
Countries with visa-free access
240h
Visa-free transit available
30
Max visa-free days for most passports
5s
To get your answer
Visa & Transit Calculator
We check unilateral visa-free, 240-hour transit, and regional limits for your exact situation.
How it works
Four simple steps to your personalized China visa answer.
Choose your nationality from our database of 50 countries. We instantly know which China visa policy applies to you.
Tell us your entry city. Not all ports support 240-hour transit, so this detail changes everything.
Add your origin, next destination, and how many days you plan to stay. Round trips do not qualify for transit exemptions.
We check visa-free, 240-hour transit, and standard visa rules — then show you exactly what you need to do next.
Requirements
See which passport countries can enter China visa-free and which need a tourist visa.
FAQ
Yes, if you hold a passport from one of 50 countries including the UK, Germany, France, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and many others. Most qualify for up to 30 days visa-free entry.
It allows you to stay in China for up to 10 days without a visa, as long as you are traveling from Country A to Country B via China. You need a confirmed onward ticket and must leave within the time limit.
No. The 240 hours start from midnight on the day AFTER you enter China. This often gives you more time than you think, but double-check your departure flight.
No. For 240-hour transit, your next destination must be a different country than where you came from. A round trip to your origin country does not qualify.
50 countries have visa-free access to China in 2026, including the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Russia, Canada, and many others. Use our calculator above to check your specific passport.
Yes. The 240-hour visa-free transit allows entry through one eligible port and exit from another eligible port, as long as you leave mainland China within 240 hours and your route is A → China → B (different countries).
Usually not, if you stay in the international transit area of the airport and do not pass immigration. If you want to leave the airport or enter mainland China, you must either qualify for 240-hour visa-free transit or have a valid Chinese visa.
No, US citizens need a Chinese tourist visa (L visa) for most visits. However, US passport holders may use the 240-hour visa-free transit if they meet the route, port, and onward-ticket requirements.