What information is needed to check my China entry route?

At a glance

• The ordinary unilateral visa-free route covers 50 nationalities in the current list, generally for up to 30 days for the permitted visit purposes. Passport type and the applicable policy period matter. [1]
• The 240-hour transit route covers 57 nationalities at 65 designated ports across 24 provincial-level regions, with restrictions on where the traveller may stay. [2] [3]
• Transit requires an onward journey to a third country or region and the relevant confirmed departure arrangements; the document must meet the applicable validity requirement, including at least 3 months for the transit route. [4]
• The arrival card records entry information. It does not replace a visa or create visa-free eligibility. The current official process includes online submission and a paper fallback. [5]

What to do next

1. Before buying a restrictive ticket, write down the passport nationality, passport type, expiry date and travel dates. Use the same passport details you intend to present at check-in and the border, including any second passport that affects the actual route.
2. List every flight, train, ship or land crossing in order, including the immediate departure point before mainland China and the first destination after it. Add dates, airports or ports, and whether tickets are confirmed or merely planned.
3. State the visit purpose in plain words: tourism, business meetings, visiting family, transit or another activity. Compare it with the permitted purposes for the route you intend to use rather than assuming every short visit is treated the same way.
4. Use Entry essentials with those facts to identify the route, then read the matching nationality, port and area detail. For a transit stay, check every planned destination against the allowed area and the actual departure deadline.
5. Prepare evidence you can show: passport, onward or return booking as applicable, first accommodation address and a short itinerary. Save the documents offline and keep the original passport accessible throughout the journey.
6. Recheck the plan after any flight, date or route change. If a changed connection returns you to the same immediately preceding country or region, or moves you outside the permitted area, resolve the entry route before travelling.

If your situation is different

You qualify for ordinary 30-day visa-free entry: use that route's nationality, purpose, passport and policy-period conditions. Do not add a third-country transit requirement that belongs to a different policy.

You rely on 240-hour transit: supply the two sides of the mainland journey and all intended cities. A city list alone cannot show whether the third-country route and port conditions are met.

You hold a visa or residence document: include its type, validity, entries and permitted stay, together with the passport it belongs to. A valid-until date and the number of days allowed after entry answer different questions.

You travel after a published policy end date: choose the rule applicable to those actual dates. The current unilateral list has country-specific periods, including a different Russia deadline, so do not substitute one universal expiry date for every passport.

Common mistakes

• Giving only nationality and trip length: include passport type, purpose and the full route.
• Using the home country instead of the immediate route on each side of China: list the actual travel legs.
• Treating an arrival-card confirmation as entry permission: establish the visa or visa-free route separately.
• Changing flights without reviewing the entry basis: check the revised ports, countries, dates and allowed area before accepting the new itinerary.

Quick questions