Chinese visa

Visitors to the mainland of the People's Republic of China must obtain a visa from one of the Chinese diplomatic missions, unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries. The two Special Administrative Regions – Hong Kong and Macau – maintain their own independent border control policies and thus have their own separate visa requirements.

Chinese visas are issued both outside China, by the Chinese diplomatic missions, and in China, by the Exit and Entry Administrations (EEAs) of the county-level Public Security Bureaus (PSBs). In order to enter China, however, a non-Chinese national should apply to the visa-issuing authorities outside China for a Chinese visa. Because Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan maintain their independent border control policies, ordinary Chinese visas are valid for Mainland China only and are not valid for Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan, so travelers must apply for separate visas for Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan should they require one for traveling to these regions.

The government of the People's Republic of China allows holders of ordinary passports issued by some countries to travel to Mainland China for tourism or business purposes for up to 15, 30, 60 or 90 days without having to obtain a visa. Visitors of other nationalities, as well as residents of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, are required to obtain either a visa or a permit prior to arrival, depending on their nationality. In order to increase the numbers of tourists visiting the country, some ports of entry of China allow nationals of certain countries to visit specified regions within 72 or 144 hours if they are in transit to a third country. In 2014 the PRC government announced its intention to sign mutual visa facilitation and visa-free agreements with more countries in the future. Since then, a number of such agreements were concluded with some countries.

All non-Chinese travelers as well as Hong Kong and Macau permanent residents who stay in Mainland China for more than 24 hours must register with the local PSBs. When staying in a hotel, the registration is usually done as a part of the check-in process. When staying in a private home, however, the visitor must physically report to the local PSB within 24 hours of arrival for cities or 72 hours for rural areas. All visa-free passengers, including those in transit who stay for more than 24 hours, must adhere to the rule, as failure to comply can result in a fine or being detained by PSB for up to 15 days. Since January 2018, persons who failed to register with the local PSBs will be banned from using visa-free transit for a period of 2 years from the day the offence was recorded.

Starting from 9 February 2017, holders of non-Chinese travel documents aged between 14 and 70 have been fingerprinted upon entry, with the exception of holders of diplomatic passports.

Eligible nationalities for visa-free entry

Visa-free for ordinary passports

Holders of ordinary passports issued by the following countries do not need a visa to enter China as long as their trip does not last longer than the visa-free period listed below.


All of these countries have concluded mutual visa-free agreements with China, except for Brunei, Japan and Singapore, to which China offers unilateral waivers.
In practice, China also offers unilateral visa waiver to Mongolia. Although the visa waiver agreement only applies to Mongolian citizens traveling on passports for public affairs (E-series passports), all Mongolian citizens, regardless of the purpose of their trip, are eligible to apply for such passports.

<sub>1 – Up to 90 days within any 180-day period.

2 - For holders of normal passports containing an "AB" stamp only.

3 – Up to 90 days within any year period.

4 – For holders of "E-series" normal passports only.</sub>Since all Mongolian citizens are eligible to apply for the normal "E" series ordinary passport, therefore, in practice, all Mongolian citizens enjoy visa-free entry to China for 30 days.

Future Changes

Visa-free for passports for Public Affairs

The list includes countries which had signed visa-free agreements with China for holders of passports endorsed "for public affairs". Exceptions are listed below.

<sub>1 - Visa exempt in general.

2 - Visa exemption applies to both "Passport For Public Affairs" and "Passport For Official Trip". Visa exemption also applies to collective passports for public affairs.</sub>

Visa-free for other types of non-ordinary passports

Under reciprocal agreements, holders of diplomatic, official, service, special passports or laissez-passers issued by the following jurisdictions are allowed to enter and remain in China for up to 30 days (unless otherwise noted).

<sub>D — diplomatic passports

O — official passports

S — service passports

Sp — special passports

LP — laissez-passers


1 – 90 days in 180 days, for EU countries not otherwise indicated

2 – 90 days

3 – 60 days

4 – only when accompanying a Minister of the Irish government on an official visit for official passport holders

5 – only when containing a "Visa Exempted" label for official passport holders</sub>




Visa exemption agreement for diplomatic and service category passports were signed with the following countries and they are to be ratified:
* in November 2018
* in December 2019

Non-ordinary passports of Japan require visas while ordinary passport holders do not.

Merchant seamen

All merchant seamen who benefit from the visa waiver must travel on duty and hold the following documents:
* a Port Visa Notification;
* a Letter of Employment or Letter of Guarantee issued by a Chinese shipping company;
* a seaman book; and,
* onward tickets and all documents required for their next destination if they are arriving by air in order to board a ship, or arriving by ship and proceeding to the airport.

Merchant seamen from the 11 visa-free countries can enter China without a visa if they satisfy the conditions listed above.

Merchant Seamen from the following countries can also enter China without a visa if they satisfy the conditions listed above:

_{1 - For those arriving China by ship only.}

APEC Business Travel Card

Holders of passports issued by the following countries who possess an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) containing the code "CHN" on the back of the card can enter China visa-free for business trips for up to 60 days.

ABTCs are issued to nationals of:

ABTCs are also issued to permanent residents of Hong Kong, however permanent residents with Chinese nationality are required to use their Home Return Permits instead. Only holders of non-Chinese passports can use the card to enter Mainland China.

Although Taiwan is a member of this program, its nationals are also not allowed to use ABTC to enter Mainland China, instead they are required to use Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents.

Entry procedures for residents of Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and nationals of the Republic of China (Taiwan)

Due to the complicated Cross-Strait relations between mainland China and Taiwan, as well as the One Country, Two Systems policy, travelers who are nationals of PRC or ROC may not use their Taiwan, Hong Kong, or Macau passports. Instead, they are required to hold different types of permits/travel documents listed below when traveling to Mainland China.

Overview

Residents of Hong Kong or Macau Special Administrative Regions (SARs)

Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR are constituents of China. Under the One Country, Two Systems arrangement, both SARs maintain their own immigration policies, which are vastly different from those of Mainland China, and individual border controls, which separate the territories from the Mainland. The Chinese government, however, does not consider Chinese nationals with resident status of Hong Kong and Macau traveling to China as international travelers, and hence the SAR passports (or ethnic Chinese holding British National (Overseas) passports) cannot be used when entering or transiting through China, regardless of whether they are arriving from Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan or from overseas.

Therefore, in order to enter Mainland China, all permanent residents and some non-permanent residents of Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR with Chinese nationality are required to apply for a Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents (commonly called a "Home Return Permit"), a travel document which also serves as the ''de facto'' ID card in Mainland China. The permit is valid for five years for individuals under 18, or 10 years for those over 18. All first-time applicants must submit their applications to the China Travel Service (CTS) branch in Hong Kong or Macau while subsequent renewals of the permit can be done in either Mainland China or the two SARs. It is not possible to apply or renew the permit outside the PRC. Holders of the permit can enter Mainland China regardless of purpose of entry and can remain in Mainland China indefinitely, although their social benefits are restricted unlike Chinese nationals with residency in Mainland China. Home Return Permit holders also need to obtain an employment authorization from the municipal governments in order to work legally in Mainland China.

Those who need to travel to Mainland China urgently but do not have a valid Home Return Permit can apply for a Chinese Exit and Entry Permit, also only through the CTS, in Hong Kong or Macau or at the ports of Luohu and Huanggang. The Exit and Entry Permit is valid for three months and only good for a single trip to Mainland China. Unlike ROC nationals, there is no permit-on-arrival service at other ports of entry for SAR passport holders, and those seeking to enter Mainland China who arrived at a port of entry without acceptable documentations for entering will be denied entry and removed from Mainland China.

Taiwan

The PRC does not accept ROC passports for entry and transit through Mainland China, and ROC nationals with right of abode in Taiwan ("right of abode" is defined as the eligibility of holding a sign Taiwanese National ID Card) are required to apply for a Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents, commonly known as "Taiwan Compatriot Permit", before visiting Mainland China.

The 5-year permit, which also serves as the ''de facto'' ID card in Mainland China, can be applied from travel agencies in Taiwan and CTS in Hong Kong or Macau. Holders of the permit are allowed to enter Mainland China for any purpose and remain in Mainland China until the expiration date of the permit (up to five years). Those who have settled in Mainland China, however, may elect to renew their permits in Mainland China, and they can continue to reside in Mainland China provided that their permits do not expire. A 30-day stay for each visit to Hong Kong is also permitted with the strength of the permit. Like Home Return Permit holders, holders of Taiwan Compatriot Permit also require to obtain a separate employment authorization before working in Mainland China. They can, however, enjoy social benefits in certain municipalities like Shanghai once they have legally settled in Mainland China, some of which are only offered to local residents.

For those who have never held a 5-year permit or whose permit has expired, single-entry Taiwan Compatriot Permits may be applied on arrival at some airports. Those who have entered China with single-entry Taiwan Compatriot Permits can apply for a long-term permit at the local EEA office.公安部：9月21日起全面启用电子台胞证
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Applications outside the Greater China Region

As these two permits can only be applied and renewed from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan, residents of Hong Kong and Macau as well as all ROC nationals (including those without right of abode in Taiwan) can apply for a passport-like Chinese Travel Document through the Chinese foreign missions if their permits are expired or if they are residing outside the Greater China region and have never applied for the permits. The travel document is valid for up to two years. Those who also have multiple citizenship with other countries, however, are not eligible to apply for the travel document, and they must use their non-SAR or non-ROC passports (along with appropriate visas) to travel to Mainland China, or they can apply for Home Return Permits or Taiwan Compatriot Permits if they are physically in Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan and they are eligible to do so.

Other visa-free arrangements

Tour group

Citizens of the following countries may visit China without a visa for up to 30 days if traveling as part of a tour group that is accompanied by a representative of a tour operator registered in both countries:

Crew members

Citizens of the following countries may visit China without a visa if they are traveling as airline crew:

_{1 - only when traveling on duty with Emirates Airlines.}

Nationals of who hold an identity certificate for suite stewards on international trains can enter visa-free.

In addition, a visa is not required for crew members of airlines that have an agreement with the Chinese government exempting crew members from visa requirements.

Visa-free transit

There are two types of transit-without-visa (TWOV) programs in Mainland China: the 24-hour TWOV, available to passengers of most nationalities at most ports of entry; and the 72/144-hour TWOV, available to certain nationalities and only through specific ports of entry.

24-hour transit

Under the 24-hour TWOV policy, visa is not required for travelers who:

*hold a passport valid for at least 3 months from the date of entry;
*arrive by air, cruise ship or train (except for arriving at certain airports listed below);
*hold confirmed air, cruise ship or train tickets to a third-country final destination outside Mainland China departing in 24 hours (standby tickets are not allowed); and,
*depart Mainland China on a flight, cruise ship or train within 24 hours after arrival.

The 24-hour transit rule allows multiple stops within Mainland China for most airports, as long as the traveler has a flight, cruise or train segment leaving Mainland China in 24 hours, so it is possible to enter through a port of entry in China, take multiple segments of domestic flights within China, and depart from a different port of entry in less than 24 hours. Multi-stop transit is not allowed in some airports listed below.

Since January 2018, passengers in transit, as well as those who must leave the sterile transit area of the port of entry for any reason, must hold a passport valid for at least 3 months beyond the date of entry. In addition, under directives issued by the Ministry of Public Security, entry to China, as well as multi-stop transit, will be refused to the following categories of persons:

* Those whose travel documents are valid for less than 3 months at the time of entry;
* Those who have Chinese visa refusal stamps in their passports;
* Those who have violated Chinese immigration laws in the past 5 years (including illegal employment, illegal entry or exit, illegal residence, as well as violations of the conditions of visa-free transit);
* Those who have failed to register with the local Public Security Bureaus within the first 24 hours of entry anytime during the last 2 years;
* Those who are otherwise inadmissible to China under corresponding Chinese laws and regulations.

Like the TWOV rules of other countries, travelers must be in transit to a different country other than the country of departure, hence passengers who travel between the U.S. territories and contiguous United States, Alaska or Hawaii are ineligible for TWOV, unless one of their flights has a stop in another country or territory. The only exceptions to the rule are Hong Kong and Macau, which are considered as separate countries in this context.

Distinct from the transit rules of other countries, all travelers in transit may be required to go through immigration and customs even if they do not intend to leave the sterile transit area, except for passengers arriving and departing from Beijing Capital International Airport where they can proceed directly to the sterile transit area without immigration checks.

Unlike the 72/144-hour TWOV, most nationalities are eligible for the 24-hour TWOV except those listed below. Some individual airports, however, impose their own restrictions on certain nationalities.

Airport-specific restrictions

While a majority of Chinese international airports have no extra requirements for the 24-hour TWOV, certain airports place their own restrictions mandated by the local authorities.

The following airports are currently opting out of the TWOV program as a whole, meaning all passengers in transit through any of these airports require a visa unless they are of a visa-exempt nationality:

*Fuzhou Changle International Airport
*Huangshan Tunxi International Airport
* Mudanjiang Hailang International Airport
*Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport
*Yanji Chaoyangchuan International Airport