Plan at a glance
- Check the rules for your own passport and travel dates.
- Separate a visit from a qualifying onward transit.
- Prepare arrival details and accommodation information.
Start with the passport you will use
China entry requirements for tourists depend on nationality, passport type, purpose, dates and route. Start with the Chinese embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence and the National Immigration Administration. Check the policy that applies to your actual travel document, not a friend’s experience or a headline about more visa-free countries.
If a visa is required, confirm the application process and documents before buying a route that cannot be changed. If you qualify for visa-free entry, still check the permitted length of stay, eligible purpose and policy validity on your dates. A visa-free arrangement is not an unlimited stay.
For a route including Hong Kong or Macao, check the entry rules for each part and any later return to the mainland. Do not assume one permission covers every border crossing. Keep the complete route visible when asking an airline or consulate a question.
Official information: National Immigration Administration official information
Transit without a visa is a specific route
The 240-hour transit policy is for eligible travellers continuing to a third country or region through designated ports and permitted stay areas. It is not simply a ten-day holiday permission for every return flight. Check the current nationality list, port and travel-area rules together.
As a route example, arriving from one country and departing directly back to the same country is different from continuing to a third country or region. That distinction alone does not establish eligibility: your passport, confirmed onward booking and all other conditions still need to match the policy.
Show the full flight or other transport sequence when checking your plan. A connection hidden in the booking can matter. Confirm the permitted exit deadline with the immigration authority rather than calculating it from a casual phrase such as “ten days”. If uncertain, resolve the route before purchasing non-refundable services.
Official information: NIA visa-free transit policies, 20 August 2026
Prepare the arrival information
Keep your passport, onward travel details, first accommodation address and contact information accessible. Use the same accurate details across bookings and forms. Store a copy offline so that a weak connection does not leave you searching through email at the desk.
Foreign visitors can complete the arrival card through the official NIA online channels before arrival. The official notice also provides ways to complete it at the port for those who could not do so online. Follow the current instructions and exemptions that apply to you.
An arrival card is not a visa or an approval of entry. Completing it does not replace the need to meet the entry policy. Use the official NIA channel rather than a paid intermediary that implies it can guarantee admission.
Official information: Official notice on online arrival cards
Accommodation and changes after arrival
Hotels handle the required accommodation registration for foreign guests. For accommodation outside a hotel, the traveller or host must arrange registration with the local public security authority within 24 hours of arrival. Check the local process before staying with friends or in a private residence.
Online registration is available in pilot areas under NIA arrangements, but do not assume every location uses the same procedure. Ask the host or local authority how it works at the address where you will stay. Keep the registration record when one is issued.
If your route changes, check whether the new places and dates remain within your permission to stay. Contact the relevant immigration authority promptly when a delay could affect your departure deadline. A travel company can help organise the trip, but cannot promise an immigration decision.
Official information: NIA accommodation registration interpretation