Visa policy of mainland China
The visa policy of mainland China deals with the requirements which a foreign citizen must meet to travel to, enter, and remain in the mainland of the People's Republic of China. Several categories of visas are available, depending on the purpose and length of stay. Chinese visas are issued outside China by the Chinese diplomatic missions and in China by the exit and entry administrations of the county-level public security bureaus under the guidance of the National Immigration Administration. Visa exemptions exist for citizens of certain countries based on bilateral agreements and unilateral decisions.
Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan maintain independent visa policies, so foreign nationals traveling to these regions must apply for separate visas if not exempt. Permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau and citizens of Taiwan may travel to mainland China with a mainland travel permit rather than a passport or visa.
Visa exemption
Ordinary passports
Holders of ordinary passports of the following countries may travel to China without a visa as long as their visit does not last longer than the visa-free period listed below, unless they are allowed to extend their stay:1 - No more than 90 days within any 180-day period.
2 - No more than 90 days within any 1 calendar year.
3 - Until 14 September 2026.
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Except as otherwise noted, the visa exemptions listed below are mutual, for stays of up to 30 days.
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Future changes
China has signed visa exemption agreements with the following countries, but they are not yet in force:| Country | Duration of stay | Visa exemption agreement signed on |
 OmanNon-ordinary passportsPassports for public affairsHolders of passports of the following countries endorsed "for public affairs" may travel to China without a visa: * – Visa exemption also for holders of ordinary passports. 1 – Visa exemption applies to both "Passport For Public Affairs" and "Passport For Official Trip". Visa exemption also applies to collective passports for public affairs. 2 – For seafarers and crew members. 3 – Visa exemption applies to both "Passport For Public Affairs" and any normal passport that contains an 'AB stamp', for a maximum stay of 90 days. Diplomatic, official/service and special passports Under reciprocal agreements, holders of diplomatic, official, service, consular, special passports or laissez-passers of the following countries may travel to China without a visa for stays of up to 30 days : D – Diplomatic passports O – Official passports S – Service passports C – Consular passports Sp – Special passports LP – Laissez-passers 1 – 90 days within any 180-day period. 2 – 90 days 3 – 60 days 4 – Visa exemption for holders of official passports only when accompanying a government minister on an official visit. Other visa exemptionTour groupsHolders of ordinary passports of the following countries do not need a visa for China when traveling in tour groups organized by authorized travel agencies:Seafarers and crew membersHolders of seafarer passports and crew member certificates of the following countries may travel to China without a visa:S – Seafarer passports required C – Air Crew member certificates required * – Visa exemption also for holders of ordinary passports 1 – Only when serving on board for public affairs APEC Business Travel CardHolders of passports issued by the following countries who possess an APEC Business Travel Card containing the code "CHN" on the back of the card may enter China without a visa for business trips for up to 60 days.ABTCs are issued to citizens of: * - Visa-exempt in general. ABTCs are also issued to permanent residents of Hong Kong, however permanent residents with Chinese nationality are required to use their Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Resident instead. Only holders of non-Chinese passports can use the card to enter mainland China. Although Taiwan is a member of this program, its citizens are also not allowed to use ABTC to enter mainland China, instead they are required to use Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents. Visa-free transitThere are two types of transit-without-visa programs in mainland China: the 24-hour TWOV, available to passengers of most nationalities at most ports of entry, especially for air side transit; and the 240-hour TWOV, available for certain nationalities and only through specific ports of entry and exit.240-hour land side transitChina offers visa-free land side transit for citizens of 55 countries, allowing 240-hour stays at specific ports of entry with eligible passengers allowed to leave the airport for up to 240 hours.Eligibility requires entry through designated ports, passports valid for at least three months beyond arrival, and visas for destination countries if needed. Travelers must have confirmed tickets departing within 240 hours, starting at 00:00 after arrival, with the first destination outside China being a third country or territory. Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are considered separate jurisdictions. Inbound and outbound flights must arrive at and depart directly from approved ports of entry. Travel between 24 provinces is allowed. The outbound flight's first stop must differ from the inbound flight's origin. U.S. territory-contiguous U.S. travel doesn't qualify unless a flight includes a third country or SAR stopover. Eligible travelers receive a temporary entry permit indicating approved stay area and dates. The stay duration typically begins at 00:00 the day after arrival, with exceptions for some ports. The 240-hour transit allows entry and departure from different ports within the 24 authorized regions. Valid Chinese visa holders and visa exempt passengers can also use this scheme if their itineraries comply with land side transit rules. Ineligible individuals include those with short-validity passports, Chinese visa refusal stamps, past immigration or local law violations, failure to register with local authorities, or inadmissibility under Chinese law. Ship crews are also excluded. Abuse of this facility, such as working illegally, is an offense resulting in a five-year ban from the visa-free transit facility. Eligible countries* – Visa-exempt in general.1 – For British citizens only. Eligible ports240-hour visa-free transit allows arrival and departure through the following border crossing ports:Airports Seaports Railways
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