Can I enter China visa-free with an organised tour group?

At a glance

• Hong Kong / Macao groups: six days in ten Guangdong cities or six days in Hainan, through a travel agency registered in Hong Kong or Macao. [1]
• ASEAN groups: six days in Xishuangbanna or Guilin, through a mainland-China-registered travel agency. Cruise groups: up to 15 days with the same ship. [1]
• Each group has at least two people. Travelling with a friend alone does not establish an organised-tour permission. [1]
• The six regional schemes count their stay from 00:00 on the day after entry. If you enter on 1 November under a six-day scheme, the six days run from 2 to 7 November. [1]

Arrange the route before booking

1. Check your ordinary passport in the Visa-Free Checker first. A nationwide unilateral waiver or a mutual visa-exemption agreement can give you more freedom than an agency group. Follow the conditions of the route you actually use.
2. Tell the travel agency your nationality, passport type, arrival point, dates, places and departure plan. For the Hong Kong / Macao schemes, use an agency registered in one of those SARs; for the ASEAN or cruise schemes, use an agency registered in mainland China.
3. Ask the agency to confirm the exact scheme and its registration or submission arrangements for your group. Get the entry port, permitted destinations, group entry/exit plan and last permitted day in writing before buying non-refundable transport.
4. Keep the organiser’s contact, group itinerary, passport and onward or return booking accessible. The policy is an entry route; it does not supply a guide, transfer, accommodation or shore excursion unless your booking includes them.
5. Build the whole visit inside the scheme’s area. If you want a flight out after a cruise, to leave the tour early, or to continue to another province, arrange a different valid entry basis rather than assuming the group permission follows you.

Choose the scheme that fits

Hong Kong / Macao to Guangdong — Ordinary-passport holders from countries with diplomatic relations with China may first enter Hong Kong or Macao, then join a group of at least two organised by a travel agency registered in either SAR. Enter and leave mainland China as a group through open ports in Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhaoqing, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Huizhou, Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Jiangmen or Shantou. The six-day permission covers these ten cities, not all of Guangdong. [1]

Hong Kong / Macao to Hainan — Ordinary-passport holders from countries with diplomatic relations with China may first enter Hong Kong or Macao, then join a group of at least two organised by a travel agency registered in either SAR. Enter and leave Hainan as a group through its open international ports. Stay within Hainan Province for up to six days. This is a separate route from the 61-country Hainan 30-day policy. [1]

Cruise arrival — A group of at least two foreign visitors, organised and received by a travel agency registered in mainland China, may enter through cruise ports in Tianjin, Dalian, Shanghai, Lianyungang, Wenzhou, Zhoushan, Xiamen, Qingdao, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Beihai, Haikou or Sanya. Continue with the same cruise ship to subsequent scheduled ports and out of China. Stay up to 15 days within Beijing and the 11 coastal provincial-level regions: Tianjin, Hebei, Liaoning, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Shandong, Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan. [1]

ASEAN group to Xishuangbanna — Ordinary-passport holders from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand or Vietnam may join a group of at least two organised and received by a mainland-China-registered travel agency. Enter and leave as a group through Xishuangbanna Gasa International Airport, Mohan Railway Port or Mohan Highway Port. Stay up to six days within Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, not elsewhere in Yunnan. [1]

ASEAN group to Guilin — Ordinary-passport holders from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand or Vietnam may join a group of at least two organised and received by a mainland-China-registered travel agency. Enter and leave as a group through Guilin airport. Stay up to six days within Guilin city’s administrative area, not elsewhere in Guangxi. [1]

Hainan for 30 days — the separate 61-country ordinary-passport route covers Hainan only and does not require joining one of the six-day groups described here. Use the checker for the current nationality list and compare the available routes before choosing a group solely for entry permission.

Common mistakes

• Treating a Hong Kong → Shenzhen → Hong Kong outing as 240-hour transit. An organised Guangdong group is a separate scheme; an independent out-and-back visit still needs its own valid entry basis.
• Reading “Guangdong” or “Guilin” as the whole province. The Guangdong scheme lists ten cities; the Guilin scheme is limited to Guilin’s administrative area. The Xishuangbanna permission does not extend to Kunming or Lijiang.
• Treating any cruise ticket or any two-person booking as enough. Confirm the receiving agency and the complete group movement; the cruise route requires continuing and departing on the same ship.

Quick questions