r VisaEntry requirements
Visa required
For holders of a passport from
Do I need a visa to visit China with a United States passport?
Visa required
Key entry notes
- This entry is about formal laws. @media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .sister-inline-image img[src*="Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg"]{filter:invert(1)brightness(55%)contrast(250%)hue-rotate(180deg)}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sister-inline-image img[src*="Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg"]{filter:invert(1)brightness(55%)contrast(250%)hue-rotate(180deg)}} A China visa travel guide from Wikivoyage is available for more practical guidance.
- 30-day visa‑free entry to Hainan Province if arriving at the island from outside Mainland China.
- 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit to a third country or region (including Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan) using any mode of transport.
Show 12 more source notes
- Must have a confirmed onward ticket/itinerary, and enter through 1 of 64 approved ports.
- During which, may freely travel within the 24 provinces permitted for visa-free transit and engage in tourism, business, and visits.
- 24-hour visa-free transit to a third country or region (including Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan), is available at most international airports, without leaving the airport.
- Travellers who need to leave the airport may obtain a temporary entry permit from immigration.
- 5-day port visa (Visa on Arrival) for Shenzhen if arriving at designated ports of entry from Hong Kong by land or sea, for stays within Shenzhen.
- 3-day port visa (Visa on Arrival) if arriving in Zhuhai or Xiamen at designated ports of entry, for stays within the respective city.
- 15-day visa-free entry for cruise ship passengers in tour groups, if arriving at any cruise port along China's coastline, including but not limited to Tianjin; Dalian; Shanghai; Lianyungang; Wenzhou; Zhoushan; Xiamen; Qingdao; Guangzhou; Shenzhen; Beihai; Haikou; Sanya.
- May further travel inland to all regions of coastal provinces (and equivalents) and Beijing.
- May apply for a port visa (Visa on Arrival) if travelling for an urgent, qualified reason.
- Prior clearance for port visa is highly recommended or may be denied boarding by airlines.
- Visas for U.S. citizens are valid for up to 10 years.
- U.S. citizens arriving via cruise ports as part of tour groups are visa exempt for stays of up to 15 days.
Data refreshed 06 Sep 2026
At a glance
Travel basics
- Region
- Eastern Asia
- Capital
- Beijing
- Languages
- Chinese
- Currency
- CNY
- Time zones
- UTC+08:00
- Borders
- AfghanistanVisa free / eVisaBhutanVisa free / eVisaMyanmarVisa free / eVisaHong KongVisa free / eVisaIndiaVisa free / eVisaKazakhstanVisa free / eVisaNorth KoreaVisa requiredKyrgyzstanVisa free / eVisaLaosVisa free / eVisaMacauEntry data unavailableMongoliaVisa free / eVisaPakistanVisa free / eVisaRussiaVisa requiredTajikistanVisa free / eVisaVietnamVisa free / eVisa
- Area
- 9,640,011 km2
- Population
- 1,371,590,000
- Gini index
- 47