Ordinary-passport holders from 50 countries can stay in China up to 30 days without a visa. This is a unilateral visa waiver, not the 240-hour transit. Then enquire for a self-guided roadbook or a tailor-made trip with a private car.
The short version
TL;DR: If your ordinary passport is on the 50-country list, you can enter China for business, tourism, family visits, exchange, or transit and stay 30 calendar days. The clock starts at 00:00 the day after you enter. You do not need an onward third-country ticket. You do not need to stay inside the 24 transit areas. Work, study, and news coverage are out.
This is not the 10-day TWOV. US passports are not on this list. They still use the 240-hour transit if they qualify, or a visa.
I am Frank Zhang. I founded LocalKey Travel and I live in Suzhou. Friends keep mixing the two policies in the same WeChat thread. One is a 30-day stay. The other is a 10-day transit with a port list. Use the right page.
Sources for the numbers below: the MFA visa-free FAQ and the NIA country list dated 17 February 2026.
How is this different from the 240-hour visa-free transit?
| 30-day unilateral visa-free | 240-hour transit | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Ordinary passports from 50 named countries | 57 eligible countries |
| Stay | 30 calendar days | 240 hours |
| Clock | From 00:00 the day after entry | From 00:00 the day after arrival |
| Onward ticket | Not required for this waiver | Required: a third country or region |
| Where you can go | Mainland China, any open port | 65 ports, stay inside 24 provincial-level areas |
| Typical reader | UK, Canada, Japan, Australia, most of the EU list | US and others who only have TWOV |
If you qualify for both, use this page. The 30-day waiver is the simpler entry. Keep the 240-hour guide for friends who do not.
Who can enter China visa-free for 30 days in 2026?
Holders of a valid ordinary passport from these 50 countries, coming for business, tourism, visiting family or friends, exchange, or transit, for no more than 30 days (MFA FAQ; NIA list, 17 February 2026):
Europe (35): Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom.
Oceania (2): Australia, New Zealand.
Asia (7): Bahrain, Brunei, Japan, Kuwait, Oman, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia.
Americas (6): Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Peru, Uruguay.
How long the waiver itself lasts:
- Brunei: no end date on the current MFA note.
- Russia: through 31 December 2027.
- The other 48: through 31 December 2026.
Minors use the same rule as adults. Tour groups and solo travelers both qualify. You can start from any country, not only your passport country. Sea, road, and air ports that are open to foreigners all work, unless a separate law or bilateral rule says otherwise.
Not this waiver: travel documents, temporary or emergency papers. You need an ordinary passport that stays valid for the trip. Czechia and Lithuania are not on this 50. The United States is not on this 50.
How do I count the 30 days?
From the next calendar day. Enter on 1 September, day 1 is 2 September, and you can stay 30 calendar days from there (MFA FAQ Q10).
Plan to leave inside that window. If you already know you need more than 30 days, get the matching visa before you fly. If something real happens after you enter, apply for a stay permit with the exit-entry police. Do not treat "I like it here" as the reason.
Multiple entries are allowed. MFA currently states no cap on the number of visa-free entries or total days, and no required gap between trips. Do not use that as a loophole to work. The purpose still has to match.
No pre-registration at an embassy.
What can I do on a 30-day visa-free stay?
Yes: tourism, business meetings, seeing family or friends, exchange visits, transit, plus short sports events, exhibitions, and study tours of 30 days or less.
No: work, study as a student, news coverage, or anything else that needs its own visa. Border officers can refuse entry if the story does not match.
Bring proof that matches the trip: hotel or host, return or onward ticket, an invitation if you have one. The passport is not the only thing they look at.
Set up Alipay and an eSIM before you fly. The waiver gets you through the stamp. It does not get you through the first QR.
What if I do not qualify?
Use the 240-hour transit guide if you have a third-country ticket and your passport is on the 57-country TWOV list. Otherwise get a visa before you travel.
Do not arrive hoping the officer will "just do 30 days." The two policies are different stamps.
Ready to travel, not just enter
Thirty days is enough for a real route, not a weekend. Self-guided with bookings and a roadbook, or tailor-made with a private car and an optional guide. WhatsApp or WeChat support either way.
Send a travel enquiry. Tell us the passport, the dates, and whether you are on this 50-country list or the 240-hour list. We will not mix them up.