Travelling to mainland China for the first time
A practical guide for visitors from abroad. Each guide is checked against official sources and dated, so you can see how current it is.
Before you go: the essentials
Checked against official sources on 25 September 2026. Rules change often, so confirm with the source before you book.
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Visa-free visits of up to 30 days
Ordinary passport holders from 50 countries, including the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, can enter mainland China without a visa for up to 30 days for tourism, business, family visits or transit. For 48 of these countries the scheme currently runs until 31 December 2026.
Source: Embassy of China in the US, visa-free FAQ (updated February 2026)
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US passport: a visa or the 240-hour transit
The United States is not on the nationwide 30-day visa-free list, so a normal visit needs a visa. The main exception is visa-free transit: citizens of 57 countries, the US included, can stay up to 10 days if they enter through one of 65 designated ports, hold an ordinary passport and an onward ticket with a confirmed seat and date to a third country or region, and stay within the permitted areas.
Source: National Immigration Administration of China (20 August 2026)
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Hainan: 30 days without a visa
Hainan Province has its own rule: ordinary passport holders from 61 countries, including the US, the UK, Canada and Australia, can stay there for up to 30 days without a visa, entering through any open port in Hainan and staying within the province. The rule does not cover work or study.
Source: National Immigration Administration of China (20 August 2026)
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Arrival card online
Since 20 November 2025 foreign visitors can fill in their entry information online before they arrive, on the National Immigration Administration website, the NIA 12367 app or the WeChat and Alipay mini programmes. It can also be done at the border on arrival.
Source: Embassy of China in the US, notice on the online arrival card (3 December 2025)
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Paying with a foreign card
You can add a foreign bank card to WeChat Pay with your passport and an international phone number that receives SMS codes; a Chinese number is not needed. Single payments under ¥200 carry no fee, a 3% fee applies above that, and a single payment is capped at ¥6,500.
Source: Weixin Pay help centre, guide to international cards
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Google, YouTube and Facebook are blocked
On Chinese networks Google, Facebook, YouTube and X are permanently blocked, and Chinese law requires online services such as VPNs to be licensed by the government. Sort out maps, messaging and email before you fly.
Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office travel advice for China (updated 27 August 2026)
What this guide will cover
Guides on these topics will be added here, each checked against the official source:
- Entry rules for foreign visitors and visa-free transit
- Paying with Alipay and WeChat Pay on a foreign card
- Internet access, eSIMs and the apps to set up before you land
- Trains, airports and getting between cities
- Tickets and reservations for the major sights
- Festivals and public holidays, and how they change a trip
About the project
China Guidebook is an independent travel guide to mainland China for people planning a first trip from abroad. Every rule, price and timetable in a guide is checked against the page of the authority or operator that sets it, and each guide shows the date of that check.
More about the project