There are two different visa-free rules. The 30-day waiver covers 50 countries and does not need an onward ticket to a third place — the United States is not on it. The 240-hour transit covers 57 countries including the US, and does need that onward ticket and a designated port. Open the section that matches your passport, then confirm the current official list before you book.
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关键事实
| 30-day visa-free | 50 countries · no third-country ticket required · US not included |
|---|---|
| 240-hour transit | 57 countries · onward ticket to a third country or region · US included |
| Hong Kong land crossings | Fine on the 30-day waiver or a visa; not for 240-hour entry at Luohu, Futian or Shenzhen Bay |
| Work, study, journalism | Neither visa-free rule covers these — apply for the correct visa |
| This page is | A decision tree and general information, not legal advice and not a visa |
How to use this checker
This is a plain decision tree, not a visa application and not legal advice. Open the situation that matches you. Then confirm the current rule for your nationality on the National Immigration Administration site or with a Chinese embassy, because lists and end dates change.
Two different visa-free rules get mixed up constantly:
- 30-day visa-free entry — 50 countries, no onward-to-a-third-country requirement, currently announced through 31 December 2026 for most of them.
- 240-hour visa-free transit — 57 countries (this one includes the United States), requires a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region, 65 designated ports only.
Start here
I hold a United States passport
You are not on the 30-day visa-free list. You may be able to use the 240-hour visa-free transit if all of the following are true: you hold an ordinary US passport; you have a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region (Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan can count); you enter through a designated port; and you will stay no more than 240 hours in the permitted area.
If you are walking from Hong Kong into Shenzhen at Luohu, Futian or Shenzhen Bay, the 240-hour transit will not cover that entry. Use the airport, Shekou ferry, or the high-speed train from West Kowloon — or apply for a visa. Border details →
I hold a passport from the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, or most of the EU
These countries are on the 30-day visa-free list in the official FAQs we cite. If you are coming for tourism, business, a family visit, an exchange or transit, and you will stay no more than 30 days, the 30-day waiver is usually the simpler rule. You do not need an onward ticket to a third country.
Confirm the end date: for most of the 50 countries it is currently published as 31 December 2026. If your trip runs past that date, check again before you travel. You can also, separately, qualify for the 240-hour transit if your routing fits — but you rarely need both.
I hold a passport from India, or another country I don’t see on either list
Do not assume you can enter visa-free. Check both official lists. If your nationality is on neither, you will usually need a Chinese visa before you travel, unless a different special programme applies (for example some regional arrangements). Apply at a Chinese embassy or visa centre in good time.
I am coming from Hong Kong and I only want a day or two in Shenzhen
First, which rule are you on? If you qualify for 30-day visa-free entry, the land crossings are fine. If you are on the 240-hour transit, do not enter at Luohu, Futian or Shenzhen Bay; use Shekou, West Kowloon rail, or the airport. A Hong Kong/Macau travel-agency tour group (two or more people, entering and leaving together) can in some cases use a 144-hour Greater Bay Area arrangement — confirm that with the agency and the current rules. Day-trip practicalities: Hong Kong to Shenzhen day trip.
I need to stay more than 10 days, and I am American
The 240-hour transit will not be long enough. The 30-day waiver does not apply to US passports. Apply for a Chinese visa (typically an L visa for tourism) at a Chinese embassy or visa centre before you travel. Do not plan to “extend” a transit into a longer holiday after you arrive.
I want to work, study, or report news
Neither visa-free rule covers this. You need the correct visa in advance. Entering visa-free and then working or studying is not a workaround; it is a different legal purpose, and officers can refuse entry if your purpose does not match.
What to do after you know the rule
Confirm it officially
Read the NIA page and, if you like, your nearest Chinese embassy’s notice. Lists move.
Set up payments and a map before you fly
Use our night-before checklist, and install Amap.
If Shenzhen is first, read the border page
Especially if you are coming from Hong Kong. Which border, which rule →
常见问题
I have a US passport and a week in China. Can I go visa-free?
The 30-day waiver does not apply. The 240-hour transit is only 10 days and requires a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region, plus a designated port. If your trip is longer than 10 days, or your routing goes back to the US, apply for a visa.
I have a British or Australian passport and I want to walk across at Luohu. Can I?
Those passports are on the 30-day visa-free list in the official FAQs we cite, and that waiver can be used at ordinary open ports, including the land crossings — if you meet the purpose and duration rules, and if the policy is still in force on your date. Confirm before you travel.
Can I decide at the airport which rule to use?
You should decide before you fly, because the 240-hour transit needs a qualifying onward ticket and a qualifying port. If you hold both a visa and a visa-free option, tell the officer which you want to use.