People from 79 countries can enter mainland China without a visa if they hold an ordinary passport. 50 countries are on China's own 30-day list, and 29 have a mutual visa-free agreement with China. For 48 countries, the visa-free rule ends on 31 December 2026. Visa-free entry does not name medical treatment as a purpose.
The list of countries
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| Country | Name used in China | Days allowed | Rule runs until | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | 阿尔巴尼亚 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| Andorra | 安道尔 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 安提瓜和巴布达 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| Argentina | 阿根廷 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Armenia | 亚美尼亚 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| Australia | 澳大利亚 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Austria | 奥地利 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Azerbaijan | 阿塞拜疆 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| Bahamas | 巴哈马 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| Bahrain | 巴林 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Barbados | 巴巴多斯 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| Belarus | 白俄罗斯 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| Belgium | 比利时 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 波黑 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| Brazil | 巴西 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Brunei | 文莱 | Up to 30 days | No end date set | NIA list; MFA FAQ |
| Bulgaria | 保加利亚 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Canada | 加拿大 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA statement |
| Chile | 智利 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Croatia | 克罗地亚 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Cyprus | 塞浦路斯 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Denmark | 丹麦 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Dominica | 多米尼克 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| Ecuador | 厄瓜多尔 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| Estonia | 爱沙尼亚 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Fiji | 斐济 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| Finland | 芬兰 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| France | 法国 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Georgia | 格鲁吉亚 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| Germany | 德国 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Greece | 希腊 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Grenada | 格林纳达 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| Hungary | 匈牙利 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Iceland | 冰岛 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Ireland | 爱尔兰 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Italy | 意大利 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Japan | 日本 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Kazakhstan | 哈萨克斯坦 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| Kuwait | 科威特 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Latvia | 拉脱维亚 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Liechtenstein | 列支敦士登 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Luxembourg | 卢森堡 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Malaysia | 马来西亚 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| Maldives | 马尔代夫 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| Malta | 马耳他 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Mauritius | 毛里求斯 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| Monaco | 摩纳哥 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Montenegro | 黑山 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Netherlands | 荷兰 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| New Zealand | 新西兰 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| North Macedonia | 北马其顿 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Norway | 挪威 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Oman | 阿曼 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Peru | 秘鲁 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Poland | 波兰 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Portugal | 葡萄牙 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Qatar | 卡塔尔 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| Romania | 罗马尼亚 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Russia | 俄罗斯 | Up to 30 days | 2027-12-31 | NIA list; MFA statement |
| Samoa | 萨摩亚 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| San Marino | 圣马力诺 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| Saudi Arabia | 沙特 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Serbia | 塞尔维亚 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| Seychelles | 塞舌尔 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| Singapore | 新加坡 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| Slovakia | 斯洛伐克 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Slovenia | 斯洛文尼亚 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Solomon Islands | 所罗门群岛 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| South Korea | 韩国 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Spain | 西班牙 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Suriname | 苏里南 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| Sweden | 瑞典 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Switzerland | 瑞士 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Thailand | 泰国 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| Tonga | 汤加 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| United Arab Emirates | 阿联酋 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
| United Kingdom | 英国 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA statement |
| Uruguay | 乌拉圭 | Up to 30 days | 2026-12-31 | NIA list; MFA notice |
| Uzbekistan | 乌兹别克斯坦 | Up to 30 days a visit | No end date (mutual agreement) | MFA table |
When the rule ends
China's own 30-day rule ends at midnight on 31 December 2026 for 48 of the 50 countries on that list. For most of them, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs set this date in a notice of 3 November 2025. For Russia, the ministry said on 20 May 2026 that the rule now runs until 31 December 2027. China has set no end date for Brunei.
The 29 mutual agreements have no end date. They stay in force until one of the two countries changes them. For Ecuador, the consular table adds that Chinese citizens currently need a visa to visit Ecuador. Check with a Chinese embassy before you travel. We found no official statement yet about what happens after 31 December 2026. We check this list every three months, and again before that date.
What visa-free entry allows
Under China's own 30-day rule, you may come for business, tourism and sightseeing, visiting family and friends, exchange visits or transit. The National Immigration Administration lists exactly these purposes. Medical treatment is not one of them. People who come to work, study or report as journalists are not covered either.
Your 30 days are counted from 00:00 on the day after you arrive. Under a mutual agreement, you may usually stay up to 30 days on each visit. Some agreements also limit the total to 90 days in any 180 days.
If you plan to come for treatment, read our guide to visas for medical treatment first. It explains which route fits a patient, and why most patients apply for a visa.
What you still need on arrival
You need a valid ordinary passport that lasts for your whole trip. Travel certificates and emergency or temporary travel documents do not qualify for the 30-day rule. You do not need to tell a Chinese embassy before you travel.
Border officers check the purpose of your trip. The ministry suggests you carry papers that match it, such as an invitation letter, flight tickets or a hotel booking.
A hotel registers your stay for you. If you stay somewhere else, you must register with the local police within 24 hours of arrival.
Do you need to stay longer for a good reason? Then you must apply to the exit and entry office of the local public security bureau. Under a mutual agreement, you must apply before your visa-free stay ends.
If your country is not on the list
If your country is not in the table, you need a visa before you travel to China. Our guide to visas for medical treatment explains the S2 visa and the invitation letter from the hospital.
For the rest of your planning, see our guides to paying at Chinese hospitals and to medical interpreters.
Common questions
Can I come to China visa-free for medical treatment?
No, the 30-day visa-free rule does not list medical treatment as a purpose. Most patients apply for a visa, which our visa guide explains.
Does the list cover diplomatic and official passports?
No, this table shows only rules for ordinary passports. Some agreements cover diplomatic or official passports only, so we left them out.
What happens after 31 December 2026?
We do not know yet, because no official notice has been published. We will update this page when one is.
Can I enter more than once?
Yes, the 30-day rule currently sets no limit on the number of visits. Each visit must still match one of the allowed purposes.
