TRAVEL & VISA

Who does the visa waiver apply to?

From Nov-30-2024 Nationals of 38 countries including Brunei, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Holland, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Australia, Poland, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Slovenia, Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Korea, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, Japan, Russia holding valid ordinary passports can be exempted from visa requirement if entering into China for the purpose of business, tourism, family or friend visits, exchange and transit. They can stay in China for no more than 30 days without visa.

Q&A about visa free policy

Who does the 240hr (10 days) visa-free transit apply to?

From Dec-17-2024 Individuals from 54 eligible countries, including Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States, traveling from China to a third country (region), can enter visa-free through any of the 60 open ports in 24 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities), and stay within the allowed areas for visa-free transit travelers for no more than 240 hours(10 days).

China's 240-hour Visa-Free Transit Policy-FAQ

A few elementary actions cannot be performed once you are in China, so they are worth being checked-off prior to your departure:

• Mobile roaming charges: to avoid excessive roaming costs with your mobile, we suggest procuring and installing an eSIM (digital SIM allowing to connect to mobile networks without a physical SIM card) on your phone prior to your departure. In most cases you can activate the eSIM at your earliest convenience. One can also procure a Chinese SIM directly at arrival. More information can be found on How to Get Access to Mobile Network
• Set up a mobile payment app (Alipay or WeChat Pay). This needs to be done before your departure as you need your home SIM card to receive the verification code. More information can be found on How to Access Mobile Payment Services in China   and  Guide to Payment Services in China
  
• Decide how you will get online: using local WiFi, eSIM or local SIM card: How to Get Access to Mobile Network
• Keep your passport on you. You are expected to always carry it on you. You will need the physical passport (not a picture) for hotel check-in, train travel, buying a SIM-card and some museums. Anyhow, saving a picture of your passport and of your invitation letter on your mobile might always come in handy as  backup.
• Pack only your personal essentials. Bring those elements essential for you to rely on, such as any medication you need. Allergy medication is worth packing, as the change in climate might trigger individual reactions. Everyday basics like umbrellas, sunscreen and ordinary toiletries are cheap and sold everywhere in Beijing. There is no strict need to carry those items along. Bringing a universal power adapter along would be practical, though one can buy them as well locally.

Below,  the most common apps are listed that make daily life in China easy. Each of these apps has a familiar foreign equivalent, shown below. Most can be set up before you fly.

AIso install a translation app (Google Translate with the offline Chinese pack, or Microsoft Translator). The camera mode is excellent for menus and signs.