Visa for China

A China visa is an official document issued by a Chinese authorized body to foreign nationals to stay in China.

As of March 2023, the Chinese government is again issuing visas to tourists.

As of January 9, 2024, foreign nationals are no longer required to undergo quarantine upon arrival. As of August 30, 2023, the need to take a PCR test at least 48 hours before arrival has been eliminated. It is only necessary to fill out a health questionnaire before traveling and save the suggested QR code.

• Citizens who are in China for transit purposes for not more than 24 hours. However, if you want to leave the airport temporarily, a transit visa is required.
• China offers some visa-free entry options for short-term travel. Among them are the 144-hour, 72-hour and 24-hour visa-free transit visa, which allows foreign travelers to enter China through certain ports and move around the restricted area for up to six days, provided they continue their journey to a third country after leaving China.In case of transit through Beijing and Shanghai airports with a stay in the cities not exceeding 72 hours, citizens of the following countries may be exempted from visa processing: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, United Kingdom, United States, United Kingdom, United Kingdom, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
• Citizens entering the country as part of a tourist group to Hainan province, by water to Shanghai city, from Hong Kong and Macau to Guangdong province, tourist groups of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations entering the territory of the PRC through a city district.
• Foreign nationals with ordinary passports who arrive in Hong Kong or Macau and are members of tourist groups registered in Hong Kong or Macau may stay in the Zhujiang River Delta area of Guangdong Province (including the administrative districts of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Zhaoqing, Huizhou) without a visa for no more than 6 days. This also applies to tourist groups traveling to Shantou if they depart directly from Shantou Port and do not leave Shantou Administrative Region.

• When traveling to China with ordinary passports for business, visiting relatives and friends, if the stay will last more than 15 days.
• When applying for a visa for study, work, official visit, residence or interview in China for ordinary passport holders.
• Holders of Japanese diplomatic and service passports.

European Union: 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.

Europe: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Croatia, Cyprus, Macedonia, Macedonia, Monaco, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine, United Kingdom.

Americas: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico, USA.

Oceania: Australia, New Zealand.

Asia: Brunei, Japan, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, United Arab Emirates.

The places you can visit under the 144-hour visa-free transit program depend on your port of entry to China.

Citizens of some countries are allowed to enter China visa-free with ordinary passports. Citizens of these countries are allowed to enter China without a visa for the purpose of tourism, travel, business, and visiting family or friends.

In all other cases, a visa is required.

A normal PRC tourist visa is required to visit Tibet, but entry is only possible with an official permit from the authorities, which is issued by the Tourism Bureau of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Without this permit, you will not be able to purchase airplane, bus or train tickets, and you may also run the risk of being detained at checkpoints. In addition, you can only officially visit Tibet by purchasing a group tour (at least 5 tourists) from this bureau. Such a tour can be purchased from Tibet Tourism Bureau branches in China (Beijing, Chengdu, Xi'an, Shanghai, Xining, Xiangyang), Japan and the United States.

There is a special group tourist visa that is designed for travel in China in organized groups. This visa is issued to a group of at least 5 people who cross the border of China together and travel together. The following documents are required to obtain a group visa:

• Invitation from a Chinese travel agency that officially operates in the PRC.
• Group list including full passport details of each participant (3 copies).

Visa application forms and photographs are not required for the group visa. However, the group list with passport details must be filled in without errors or corrections. It is important to note that the Chinese tour operator is responsible for your tour.