Things to Know Before Visiting China: How to Visit China Visa Free 2024
As someone who grew up in China and later moved to the west, I have a unique perspective on the stark contrasts between Eastern and Western cultures.
China is often a misunderstood country, influenced by surprisingly similar narratives presented in main-stream Western media. However, those who have had the opportunity to visit China tend to walk away with a new and different view about the country. The vibrant culture, warm hospitality, and rich history cannot be fully appreciated through media portrayals alone; you truly need to experience China firsthand to grasp its complexity and beauty.
Logistically speaking, China is definitely not an easy destination to navigate. The basic tools used in daily life are completely different from most parts of the world. Here’s a hands-on guide to help you prepare for your China trip, focusing on essential logistics for foreign tourists.
Step 1. Check the visa requirement to see if you can visit China visa-free
Historically, China remains an unchecked flag even for many experienced travelers partly due to the visa requirement, but since late 2023, the country has launched a series of favorable visa exemption policies that you may be able to take advantage of:
Note: Policy could be changing, please double-check the validity with the official source upon reading.
1). 15 days with a cruise ship tour for all nationals
Foreign tourist groups (comprising two or more individuals, regardless of nationalities), arriving by cruise ship and organized and received by China's domestic travel agencies can enter China visa-free through any coastal cruise port and stay for up to 15 days.
Requirements:
The tourist groups must travel together on the same cruise ship to the next port when the cruise leaves China. The activity area is limited to the coastal provinces, municipalities, and Beijing.
The visa-free entry ports include national cruise ports located in Tianjin, Dalian in Liaoning province, Shanghai, Lianyungang in Jiangsu province, Wenzhou and Zhoushan in Zhejiang province, Xiamen in Fujian province, Qingdao in Shandong province, Guangzhou and Shenzhen in Guangdong province, Beihai in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and Haikou and Sanya in Hainan province.
2). 24-hour visa-free transit policy for all nationals
China has implemented a 24-hour visa-free transit policy for foreign nationals from all other countries at all its accessible exit-entry ports.
Foreign nationals holding valid international travel documents and connecting tickets with confirmed seats, who intend to transit via China by international flights, ships, or trains to third countries or regions, are exempt from visa applications, provided that their stay periods in China will not exceed 24 hours and that they will remain within the corresponding ports.
Those who plan to leave the ports must apply for temporary entry permits at the exit-entry border inspection authorities of the corresponding ports.
3). 15-day or 30-day visa exemption for selected European, Oceania, and Southeast Asian countries
Citizens from a selected number of European countries, Oceania, and Southeast Asia may travel in China for 15 days or 30 days visa free!
Some of these policies are currently valid until the end of 2025, but could possibly extend by then.
Below is a table from the Shanghai government’s website about the details.
The list may be expanding, and you can Google to see if your country has been recently added to the list. It will likely to be mentioned in the format of news.
4) 144/72-Hour Visa-Free Transit for selected countries
Passport holders from the following 54 countries could be granted a visa-free stay for up to 144 hours while transiting via selected Chinese cities including:
Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Xi'an, Chongqing, Shenyang, Dalian, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Shijiazhuang, Qinhuangdao, Chengdu, Wuhan, Xiamen, Qingdao, Kunming and the whole Guangdong Province.
a). 6 American Countries: the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile
b). 25 Schengen Countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
c). 15 Other European Countries: Russia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Belarus, Monaco
d). 6 Asian Countries: Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Qatar
e). 2 Oceania Countries: Australia, New Zealand
Passengers from these countries holding valid international travel documents and interline tickets with confirmed dates and seats, who are going to transit to third countries (or regions) via China within specific time frames, can apply for visa-free transit at the entry/exit border inspection authorities in the designated visa-free transit city ports. The authorities will handle all temporary entry procedures, with the duration of stay of each passenger to be calculated from 00:00 on the day following entry
Things to know about the 144 hour transit visa:
1. You can only travel within the landing province or region, see the full list here:
2. China should be the transit country B when you travel from country A to country C. Your onward ticket to a third country (can not be your departing country before China) will be checked while applying for the visa-free transit stamp. Note though, Hong Kong and Macau are specialized areas in China and can be used as destination C in this case.
5). 144 hours in Pearl River Delta region
Travelers from countries with established diplomatic relations with China can visit 9 cities in the Pearl River Delta region: Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Zhaoqing, and Huizhou, without a visa for up to 144 hours, provided they are part of a tourist group organized by a travel agency registered in Hong Kong or Macao.
This same visa-free policy applies to tour groups visiting Shantou in Guangdong Province, as long as their activities remain within the administrative boundaries of Shantou. To qualify for this policy, the tour group must depart from either Hong Kong or Macao.
6). 30 days in Hainan Island
Ordinary passport holders from 59 countries are eligible to enter China through any open port in Hainan in tourist groups organized by travel agencies, at the invitation of inviting entities in China, or independently, and must stay within the administrative area of Hainan Province to a maximum of 30 days.
Countries eligible for visa-free entry in this case include Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine.
Apply for the tourist L visa
There are a few other special visa exemption situations, but they are too niche so I wouldn’t include them here.
If you could not find a visa-free option that would work for you, you can apply for a tourist visa (L visa) from the official visa service center here:
Please allow at least a couple of weeks for processing the tourist L visa. If you travel without a tour, this process would be easier.
While you should definitely double-check the validity of the visa-free policy for your country or situation, it’s not easy to navigate on the official site to find the latest policy for your situation. I would recommend just Googling the key words: “visit China entry requirement” and your nationality.
Step 2. Decide which places to visit in China
China is a pretty big country with incredibly diverse landscapes to explore.
If you are only eligible for the 144-hour visa-free visit, then you’ll have to travel within the landing or nearby provinces.
Here’s my one-sentence blurb for the major tourist cities in China:
Shanghai: Perhaps the most modern city in mainland China, featuring stunning
skyscrapers and beautiful nearby water towns.
Beijing: The capital city with a wealth of ancient attractions and modern establishments.
Chengdu: Famous for its delicious cuisine and the renowned giant pandas at the Chengdu Research Base.
Guilin: A picturesque city celebrated for its breathtaking karst landscapes and scenic river cruises.
Xi'an: An ancient city known for the Terracotta Army and its role on the historic Silk Road.
Suzhou: Known for its classical Chinese gardens and charming waterways.
Hangzhou: A city of tranquility, highlighted by the serene West Lake and rich tea culture.
Lijiang: A UNESCO World Heritage site with a charming old town and views of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
Kunming: The “Spring City,” renowned for its mild climate and diverse ethnic cultures.
Nanjing: A historical city featuring significant landmarks and beautiful Ming-era architecture.
Step 3: Consider joining a group tour in China
Managing the visa situation is only the first step. Traveling in China without being able to understand the language and navigate the essential Chinese apps could make the trip a bit complex. If this is your first time visiting China, going with a group tour can significantly simplify the logistics and save you from the hassle of trying to figure everything out on your own.
There are a few tour operators for China trips. As a 2-time G Adventurer myself, can recommend G Adventures, a group tour company that focuses on small groups tours and local cultural experiences.
7 Days Beijing to Chengdu: Cultural Sites & Epic Cities Tour
Covered cities: Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu
15 Days China Iconic Cities & Culture Tour
Covered cities: Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu, Yangshuo, Guangzhou, Yongding Hakka Houses, Shanghai
Covered cities: Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai, Suzhou
China layover/transit tours:
If you are just transiting via China, can consider the China layover tours.
Step 4: Set up the internet connection
Many commonly used websites (including Gmail, other Google services, whatsapp, Instagram, Facebook, etc.) in the west can not be accessed in the country via regular wifi or cellular connection, but there are two ways for the non-resident foreigners to access these sites:
1). VPN:
Remember, most mainstream VPNs will not work in China.
You can check this site to check whether your target VPN can be used in China in the past few months.
One of the few usable and stable VPNs that can be used in the country are LetsVPN(about 7USD/month) and Astrill VPN(about 30 USD/month).
Remember to buy and install them before you enter the country to make things easier.
2). eSim or roaming:
The speed of VPN-powered connections could be significantly cut down, though still usable.
If you want almost guaranteed stable data for backup use, I would highly recommend getting an eSim on your phone, as foreign-country issued mobile data is not subject to the block at all. You can find an one from the earliest eSim provider Airalo:
Similarly, if you use the roaming function from a foreign-country issued sim card, the internet will not be blocked, however data roaming could be very expensive.
Step 5: Consider set up an email backup
This step is tied to the internet section.
If you are worried about not being able to access your Gmail during your trip, consider setting up or forwarding emails to an outlook.com or hotmail.com, because most Microsoft products are not blocked in the country.
Similarly, Microsoft Teams is not blocked in the country, unlike Google Meet, and therefore is probably the best conference call tools for China.
Step 6. Best platform to book accommodations in China
Trip is perhaps the best platform for foreigners to book accommodations because it’s the one of oldest and largest travel sites in China and therefore has a great source of providers to offer the best price.
Step 7: Book inter-China train tickets, flights
Inter-China train tickets:
China’ high speed train infrastructure is probably the best in the world. When you visit, it’s considered one essential China experience to check off.
You can book the train tickets on Trip Train. The advantage of booking train tickets on Trip is that the site has a very straightforward integration bypassing the complicated processes to purchase train tickets for foreigners.
You can also book on the 12306 site, but the app is complicated to get started, as it requires multiple steps and validations to set up.
Inter-China flights:
Global flight website may not have all routes offered in China, check Trip Flights for the most comprehensive list.
Step 7: Set up payment methods
As you might have already heard, China has entered a cashless society about 10 years ago, day to day life relies pretty much solely on mobile payments, and that’s why you need to set up Alipay or WeChat Pay in advance.
While most vendors accept both payment methods, a small amount of vendors might only accept WeChat Pay, but in order to set up WeChat in the first place, you’ll need to get verified by a friend who already has WeChat pay.
Tip:
Transactions higher than 200 yuan are subject to 3% additional foreign transaction fees, so you can ask the vendor if it’s possible to break down the payment.
Step 7: Download the essential Chinese apps
For foreign travelers, several key apps can enhance their experience.
WeChat: Essential for messaging, social networking, and making payments
Baidu Map: Provides accurate local navigation and public transit information. Google Map is kind of useless in China.
Didi Greater China: Convenient ride-hailing service, similar to Uber, for easy transportation. Remember to download the Didi Greater China version, the Didi global version will not work in China.
Meituan: Groupon+Doordash+so much more. Popular food delivery apps for exploring local cuisine, but foreigners may not be able to open an account.
Step 8: Book attraction tickets and day trips
You might want to carry a passport around, or at least a copy with you in China when visiting attractions which often require you to show your ID.
You can book attraction tickets and day trips on Trip to avoid the lineup and simplify the process.
Step 9. Consider a travel insurance
It’s always a good practice to prepare travel insurance before the trip.
From an emergency perspective, Chinese hospitals are highly efficient and affordable. Unlike the referral system, residents can go to any hospital directly to see specialized doctors and order tests, and test result can be issued within a couple of hours instead of days or weeks.
The only challenge is that not all hospitals are open to receive foreigners, and most doctors probably do not speak English.
As you wrap up your plans to visit China, remember that it’s all about being open to new experiences. Take the time to explore, interact with locals, and enjoy the unique flavors and sights along the way. With a little preparation and an adventurous spirit, you’re sure to have a rewarding journey in this fascinating country. Hope some of these are helpful, enjoy your trip in the dragon land!
