Foreigners who come to China under any of the following circumstances are exempted from applying for a visa:
(1) Bilateral agreement. According to bilateral agreements or agreements signed or reached between China and relevant countries, people from some countries who meet specific conditions can come to China without a visa. For specific information, please refer to the list of mutual visa exemption agreements between China and foreign countries http://cs.mfa.gov.cn/zlbg/bgzl/lhqz/.
(2) Direct transit.
For specific information, please refer to the website of the National Immigration Administration of China:
24-hour visa exemption for transit: https://www.nia.gov.cn/n741440/n741577/c759334/content.html
72-hour/144-hour visa exemption for transit: https://www.nia.gov.cn/n897453/c1613010/content.html
(3) Holders of a valid foreigner residence permit issued by the Chinese public security authority. Foreigners and resident foreign journalists who come to China for study, employment, employment, family reunion, or long-term visit to relatives must apply for foreigner residence procedures at the public security organs after entering the country. During the validity period of the residence permit, foreigners can stay in China and enter and exit multiple times without applying for a separate visa.
(4) Holders of a valid permanent residence permit for foreigners of the People’s Republic of China.
(5) Holders of valid APEC business travel cards (APEC virtual card holders can enter the country without a visa starting from May 1, 2023).
(6) Travel to the Pearl River Delta, Hainan Island, and Guilin
- Foreigners holding ordinary passports from countries that have diplomatic relations with China and already in Hong Kong and Macau will enter the Pearl River Delta region of Guangdong (referring to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, etc.) through travel agencies legally registered in Hong Kong and Macau. Zhaoqing and Huizhou City (administrative districts under the jurisdiction of Zhaoqing and Huizhou City) are exempted from visa application if the stay does not exceed 6 days.
- Visa exemption for inbound tourism in Hainan Province:
https://www.hainan.gov.cn/hainan/5309/202311/58bf0483fde6462a8069ad1df780a966.shtml
- Tour groups (2 people or more) from the following countries are organized and received by travel agencies with qualifications approved by the tourism authorities of Guilin City, Guangxi. They enter and exit the country as a whole through the Guilin Airport Port. They can stay in the administrative area of Guilin City for no more than 6 days without applying for a visa. : Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines.
(7) Citizens holding ordinary passports from some countries who come to China for business, sightseeing, visiting relatives and friends and transiting for no more than 15 days can enter China without a visa. For specific information, please consult the Chinese embassy or consulate in the relevant country.
(8) The situation of visa-free entry or transit may be dynamically adjusted. It is recommended to further consult the Chinese embassy or consulate in the relevant country or the National Immigration Administration of China before traveling.
