Quick answer
The policy picture as of 2026: 94 countries and territories hold 30-day visa-free entry, the 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit covers 57 countries, and 25 tracked nationalities still apply for full visas at CNY 1200-equivalent — India and the United Kingdom among them. Ireland and the United States are the exception among visa-required passports: both sit on the 57-country transit list, their only paper-free lane. The two structural changes that produced this map ran through 2024–2025: the transit scheme's upgrade from 144 to 240 hours, and the wave-by-wave expansion of visa-free entry. Canada joined the visa-free list in February 2026, per the verified reference data.
Why this matters in 2026
Every one of these changes rewrites someone's travel math. The 94-list absorbed most of Europe, the Americas, Oceania, and much of Asia; the transit upgrade gave the 57 eligible countries ten paper-free days — Vietnam's main visa-free route, and Ireland's and the US's only one; and the remaining 25 tracked nationalities became small, well-defined exceptions that still need an advance visa. Guides written before these waves — including anything that still mentions the 144-hour scheme as current, or "visa required" for France or Japan — are now actively wrong, and this page is the correction layer.
The changes, in order
- Transit upgraded to 240 hours (late 2024): the famous 144-hour scheme became 240 hours — six days became ten — and the permitted area expanded to designated ports across 24 provinces.
- Visa-free entry expanded wave by wave (2024–2025): 30-day visa-free entry rolled out until it covered 94 nationalities — 38 European countries, 19 Asian, 19 American, 7 Middle Eastern, 7 Oceanian, and 4 African.
- Canada added (February 2026): Canadian ordinary passports joined the 30-day visa-free list, per the reference data verified in July 2026.
- The current split (2026): 94 visa-free, 1 transit-240 (Vietnam), 25 visa-required — 120 jurisdictions in total in the policy data. The 240-hour transit itself covers 57 countries, Ireland and the United States included among the tracked ones.
Key facts at a glance
- Visa-free: 30 days per entry, tourism/business/family/transit, for 94 nationalities
- Transit: 240 hours, 57 eligible countries, third-country ticket, 24 provinces
- Visa-required: 25 tracked nationalities, India included, at CNY 1200-equivalent, 4–7 working days
- Newest change: Canada, effective February 2026
- Extension: visa-free stays extend at the local PSB, 7 days before expiry
- Old guides to distrust: any that mention 144 hours as current, or list major European countries as visa-required
Who each change affects
- The 94: no application, no fee, no CVASC — a passport, a printed onward ticket, and 30 counted days. Extensions via the PSB.
- The 57 transit countries: ten days in transit with a confirmed onward booking to a third country or region — Vietnam relies on it as its main visa-free route, and Ireland and the United States hold it as their only paper-free lane.
- The 25 tracked visa-required: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Bolivia, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Ireland, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Mongolia, Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, the United Kingdom, the United States, Venezuela — full consular files, biometrics, and the CNY 1200-equivalent fee. Ireland and the US also hold the 240-hour transit lane.
What did not change
- The 30-day ceiling: visa-free stays cap at 30 days per entry; longer trips still route through extensions or category visas.
- Work and study rules: neither visa-free entry nor transit covers employment or enrollment — Z and X visas are unchanged.
- Consular mechanics: for the 25, the CVASC process is the same — form, 33×48 mm photo, biometrics, 4–7 working days.
- Overstay penalties: CNY 500 per day, with entry bans of 1–5 years for serious cases.
Common scenarios and use cases
1. The traveler with a 2023 guidebook
Your book says France needs a visa and transit runs on 144 hours. Both statements expired: France is visa-free for 30 days, and the transit scheme now grants 240 hours across 57 countries.
2. The Canadian reading old forums
Before February 2026, Canada required a full visa. If your trip predates the change or a forum says "Canadians need CVASC", the current data disagrees — 30 visa-free days apply.
3. The US or UK planner
Two different answers now. The US sits on the 57-country transit list: a ten-day stop with a confirmed third-country ticket is its one paper-free lane, and anything else still needs the full file. The UK is on neither list — no visa-free entry, no transit workaround, CNY 1200-equivalent and 4–7 working days.
4. The policy watcher
Lists move in waves and each wave is verified before it lands. Anchor on the National Immigration Administration's published list rather than news summaries — the data source behind this site is verified against official pages.
Pitfalls to avoid
- Reading pre-2025 guides: half of them describe rules that no longer exist.
- Assuming visa-free means unlimited visits: each entry gets 30 days, counted from the stamp.
- Confusing the transit scheme with entry: the 240 hours require the third-country ticket; tourism entry does not.
- Skipping the verification step: lists are the first thing to change when policy moves again.
- Overstaying the new freedom: CNY 500 per day applies on day 31 exactly as it did before the waves.
Costs and pricing breakdown
- For the 94: CNY 0 at entry — versus the CNY 1200-equivalent consular fee of the old route
- For the 57 transit countries: also CNY 0, ten days, ticket rules apply
- For the 25 tracked visa-required: CNY 1200-equivalent plus CNY 20–110 service fee, 4–7 working days
- Express for the 25: +CNY 400, 2–3 working days
- PSB extension for the 94: a modest local fee on top of 30 free days
- The old 144-hour scheme: superseded — six days where ten now exist
Alternatives and trade-offs
- If your nationality just joined the 94: re-price your trip — the visa budget line drops to zero and the timeline loses 4–7 working days.
- If you are on the transit list: ten days without paperwork, but the itinerary must genuinely transit — and for Ireland and the US it is the only visa-free lane there is.
- If you are on the 25 tracked visa-required list: nothing changed for you beyond the transit exception; plan the full file 45 days out.
- If you hold two passports: the passport you book under decides the rules — check both before choosing.
Verifying current information
This page ages faster than any other in the series. Anchor on:
- National Immigration Administration: https://www.nia.gov.cn — the authoritative lists
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (PRC): https://www.fmprc.gov.cn
- China Visa Application Service Center: https://www.visaforchina.org — for the visa-required
- This site's visa checker: the bundled policy data behind the tool, verified July 2026
Putting it all together
The 2024–2026 arc of Chinese visa policy runs one direction: fewer applications. Ninety-four nationalities now enter for 30 days free, the 240-hour transit covers 57 countries, and the consular queue is left to 25 well-defined nationalities that still need an advance visa. Check the current list before every trip — membership, not paperwork, is what the policy waves keep rewriting — and treat any guide (including older pages here) as provisional until it matches the official list.
Looking ahead to 2027
Will this map still hold in 2027? The honest answer: the current picture — 94 nationalities entering visa-free for 30 days and 240-hour transit covering 57 countries — is itself the continuation of the expansion waves that ran from late 2024 through 2025 and 2026, and no official announcement points to a reversal. The observation cuts both ways. Every documented change so far has been an expansion, but list membership is decided by official announcement, not by trend lines. For 2027, no country additions or removals have been confirmed; any page that names countries or dates for next year is guessing. Treat 2027 the way this page treats 2026: the National Immigration Administration's published list is the only authority, and rechecking it 45 days before departure is enough to absorb whatever the next wave changes.
FAQ
What is the latest China visa policy?
As of 2026: 30-day visa-free entry for 94 nationalities, 240-hour visa-free transit covering 57 countries, and full advance visas for 25 tracked nationalities including India, the US and the UK.
Is the 144-hour transit rule still valid?
No — it was upgraded to 240 hours in late 2024. Six days became ten, across 24 provinces.
Which countries were added to China's visa-free list most recently?
Canada joined in February 2026, per the verified reference data. The full 94-country list is on the visa-free countries page.
Do US or UK citizens benefit from the changes?
Partly. Both remain on the visa-required list for a normal stay, but the US holds the 240-hour transit as its only paper-free lane — a confirmed third-country ticket buys ten days. The UK has no transit lane: the 57-country list does not include it.
Did visa fees change?
For the 94 visa-free nationalities and the 57 transit-eligible countries the fee is now CNY 0 — there is no application. For the 25 tracked visa-required countries, the CNY 1200-equivalent consular fee applies as before.
How do I know if the policy changed again?
Check the National Immigration Administration's list before booking. It is the single authoritative source the whole system follows.
Can I still get a regular visa if my country is visa-free?
Yes — category visas (work, study, long family stays) still run through the CVASC; the visa-free entry covers only short tourism, business, family, and transit visits.
Will I still need a visa for China in 2027?
It depends on your nationality. If your passport is on the 94-country visa-free list, 30-day visa-free entry most likely continues into 2027 — every documented change through 2026 has expanded the scheme, and no rollback has been announced. If your country is not on the list, plan for a full advance visa. Either way, recheck the National Immigration Administration's official list about 45 days before departure: membership is the one thing each policy wave rewrites, and the check costs nothing.