China Visa-Free Entry 2024/2025: Policy & Travel Ideas

China's visa-free entry policy allows citizens of certain countries to enter and stay in China for a specified period without obtaining a visa. You may wonder if you can visit China without a visa or find it hard to decide where to visit when you're planning a visa-free China tour. In this article, we will introduce the visa-free policy in China and the most recommended itineraries to help you plan a perfect China tour.

What Is the Visa-Free Entry Policy in China?

There are mainly 5 types of visa-free entry policies in mainland China: unilateral visa-free policy, 72/144-hour visa-free transit policy, mutual visa-free policy, and Hainan visa-free policy.

Unilateral Visa-Free Countries

China has implemented a unilateral visa-free policy for ordinary passport holders from 15 countries. This visa-free policy allows citizens from these countries to enter China for up to 15 days without a visa for many purposes, including business, tourism, family visits, or transit.

These 15 countries are:

Germany, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Australia, and Poland

Countries with Mutual Visa-Free Agreements

Currently, China has mutual visa exemption agreements with 23 countries for ordinary passport holders. These agreements typically allow for visa-free stays of up to 30 days.

The 23 countries with mutual visa exemptions include:

Thailand, Singapore, the Maldives, Kazakhstan, Antigua and Barbuda, Albania, the United Arab Emirates, Barbados, The Bahamas, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dominica, Ecuador, Fiji, Grenada, Qatar, Mauritius, Serbia, the Seychelles, San Marino, Suriname, Tonga, and Armenia

Hainan Visa-Free Countries

Hainan visa-free policy has been extended to citizens of 59 countries since May 1, 2018. If you are from one of the following 59 countries, you can stay only in Hainan for 30 days.

These 59 countries are:

United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Russia, Germany, Norway, Ukraine, Poland, Italy, Austria, Finland, Netherland, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Swiss, Spain, Belgium, Czech, Estonia, Portuguese, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, Serbia, Belarus, Ireland, Albania, Cyprus, Monaco, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Korean, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Philippines, Indonesia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Australia, and New Zealand

To learn more about this policy, please refer to the Hainan Visa-Free Policy.

72/144-Hour Visa-Free Transit Countries

China permits eligible travelers from 54 countries to enter and remain in designated areas for 72 or 144 hours without needing to apply for a visa in advance, provided they are transiting to a third country.

These 54 countries are:

United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, Russia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Belarus, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar

To learn more about this policy, please refer to the 72/144-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy.

The Forbidden City in Beijing

Recommended China Visa-Free Travel Ideas

Cheers! You can now start to plan your visa-free China tour! To save your precious time, we've compiled some itinerary ideas for a visa-free trip to China. Follow up and see what highlights you will see.

For Transit via China

With 72/144 hour visa-free transit policy, you can stay in a certain region or city in China. The most popular cities for transit are Beijing and Shanghai. To make the most of your time in China, check out the best itinerary for a layover tour.

• 5-Day Shanghai and Hangzhou
• 5-Day Beijing in Depth

For a Perfect Visa-Free Vacation in China

If you want to vacation in China, a 2-week vacation is most recommended. With 2 weeks, you'll have ample time to explore China's most popular cities, and you'll still be within the 15-day visa-free limit. Here we have some recommended itineraries that cover the best highlights of China.

Special Recommend for Singaporean Travelers

If you're from Singapore, you can plan a more hassle-free China tour. With 30 days, you will have enough time to relax and soak up the atmosphere of different cities in China. Also, you can cover more destinations in your itinerary, including iconic cities like Beijing and Shanghai as well as hidden gems in Yunnan or Chengdu. So there are more choices for you: a shorter trip or a longer trip.

• Discover Chengdu and Jiuzhaigou in 5 Days
• 5-Day Zhangjiajie Highlights Tour
• 9-Day Classic Yunnan Tour
• 21-Day Best Scenery in China

Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an

Tips for Visa-Free Entry

1. Though you're visa-free to enter China, you still need special authorization to visit Tibet, such as a Tibet Travel Permit. We can help you apply for one if you travel with us.
2. Your 15 or 30 visa-free days start counting from the moment you step into China. That means the day you arrive and the day you leave both count towards your visa-free stay.
3. Ensure your passport validity covers your stay in China.
4. There are no special requirements for minors who are eligible for visa-free entry.
5. If you're eligible for visa-free entry to China, you can depart from any country or region outside China.

Discover China with Us

Except for the itinerary ideas above, China has more waiting for you to discover. If you think these itineraries are not perfectly suitable for you, feel free to contact us or write to trip@odynovotours.com for a customized itinerary. Our experts will help plan a visa-free China tour that will meet your needs!