Your first steps in China

Maybe not. As of 17 February 2026, holders of ordinary passports from 50 countries (35 in Europe, 7 in Asia, 6 in the Americas, 2 in Oceania) can enter China visa-free for business, tourism, family and friend visits, exchange visits or transit, for stays of up to 30 days, counted from 00:00 on the day after you enter. [1]

There are two other doors worth knowing: a 24-hour transit exemption open to all nationalities (you may not leave the port's restricted area), and a 240-hour (10-day) transit policy for 57 countries — but only for genuine transit to a third country or region. [2] Summary — eligibility depends on your nationality and passport type; check before applying

This is the single most common visa confusion.

Validity is the time window in which you may enter China. Duration of stay is how many days you may remain per entry — and it is counted from the day after you arrive. Example: a single-entry visa with a 30-day stay, entering on 12 June, lets you stay lawfully until 12 July. [3]

Once validity expires, any unused entries are lost, and embassies do not extend the validity of a visa already issued — you would need a fresh application. [3]

Both depend on your nationality, the number of entries you request and the center handling your case, so we do not publish figures we cannot verify. Check the official fee schedule and current processing times with the China Visa Application Service Center for your region before you book travel. [3] Summary — confirm fees and timing with the official center

Chinese visas are issued by purpose, each with its own letter: L tourism, M business and trade, Z work, X1/X2 study, Q1/Q2 family of Chinese citizens or permanent residents, S1/S2 family of work or study permit holders, R high-level talent, and the newer K visa for young science and technology talent. [5]

Applying for the wrong type wastes weeks. The visa hub maps each letter to who it is for and links a dedicated guide.

Travel insurance is strongly advised and is often required by schools and employers. Separately, a health certificate is required when you apply for a residence permit valid for more than one year, and it is only valid for six months from the date it is issued. [5] Summary — requirements vary by visa type and institution

Your passport, carrying a valid visa unless you qualify for visa-free entry, plus whatever supports your purpose (an onward or return ticket, an invitation, an admission letter, or your accommodation details). Border inspection makes the final decision on entry — even a valid visa does not guarantee admission, so answer questions about your plans truthfully and carry the papers that back them up. [3] Summary — bring documents that match your stated purpose

Only for genuine transit. The 240-hour policy applies to 57 countries, and requires that you travel from China onward to a third country or region, entering through one of 65 open ports across 24 provinces, staying inside the designated area for no more than 10 days. During that stay you may tour, do business, visit relatives and friends — but work, study and news reporting still require a visa obtained in advance. [2]

The 24-hour transit exemption is open to all nationalities, but you must not leave the port's restricted area. [2]

Under the unilateral visa-free scheme, ordinary-passport holders may stay up to 30 days, counted from 00:00 on the day after entry. [1]

If you need to stay beyond the visa-free period, you must apply for a stay permit before it ends. Staying past the visa-free period without a permit is defined in the regulations as illegal residence. [5] Options for extending a visa-free stay are limited — ask the local exit-entry administration before your permitted period runs out. Summary — confirm your options locally, in advance Do not overstay

Overstaying is a violation of Chinese law and can lead to a fine or other penalty. [3] The regulations treat overstaying a visa or permit — and staying past a visa-free period without a permit — as illegal residence. [5]

The law provides for warnings and fines, and in serious cases a person may be repatriated, which carries a ban on re-entering China for one to five years. [4] We do not quote amounts, because the outcome depends on your situation. If you think you will overstay, contact the local exit-entry administration immediately — do not simply wait. Official word is final

If you stay in a hotel, the hotel registers you and reports it to the public security organs. If you stay anywhere other than a hotel — a friend's home, a rented apartment, a homestay — then you or your host must register at the local public security station within 24 hours of your arrival. [4]

This applies whether you entered on a visa or visa-free. Failing to register can itself lead to a warning or a fine under the law. [4] See housing & registration.

Yes. Foreigners aged 16 and over who stay or reside in China must carry their passport or other international travel document — or their stay/residence permit — and show it if asked by a public security organ. [4]

Keep a photo or a copy as a backup, but the actual document is what you are required to carry. [6]

Do it in this order: a local phone number first, then a bank account, then mobile payment. Both the phone and the bank usually ask for your passport and your accommodation registration details. Many mobile payment apps can be linked to an international card even before you open a local account, which keeps you moving in the meantime. Summary — procedures vary by city and provider

Step-by-step detail: Banking & phone.

The National Immigration Administration's own steps: (1) report it to the police station where you lost it and collect a loss report certificate; (2) apply for a new passport at your country's embassy or consulate in China; (3) once you have the new passport, update your accommodation registration at the local police station; (4) within 10 days, go to the exit-entry administration at your place of residence to replace your visa or residence permit. [6]

If you also renew a passport that is about to expire, the same source advises re-registering your accommodation within 24 hours using both the old and new passports, and handling the visa or permit transfer within 10 days. [6]

Large cities have hospitals with international departments and English-speaking staff. Take your passport and your insurance details, and keep every receipt for a claim later. For anything beyond a minor issue, use a hospital rather than a pharmacy. Summary — general guidance, not medical advice

More on clinics, insurance and pharmacies: Housing & medical.

No. You must not work on a tourist (L) or business (M) visa. Working in China requires a work permit and a work-type residence permit, and the law defines working without them as unlawful employment. [4]

The legal route is a proper work process: an employer obtains the work permission, you apply for a Z visa abroad, and you obtain the residence permit after entry. [7] Starting work "on trial" while on a visitor visa puts both you and the employer at risk. Do not work without a permit

Two documents. First, a work permit: the employer applies for it, and no entity or individual may employ a foreigner who has no work permit or work-type residence permit. [4] Second, the work-type residence permit, applied for after you arrive.

The usual sequence: the employer obtains the work permission; you apply for a Z visa at a Chinese embassy or consulate; after entry the employer completes the employment permit (within 15 days, under the employment rules); and you apply for the residence permit (within 30 days, under the same rules). [7] Note that holders of F, L, C or G visas, students, and the dependents of Z-visa holders may not work. [7] See Work & Residence and the Z visa guide.

Yes, within strict limits. Off-campus work-study or an internship requires your school's approval and a notation in your study residence permit stating the location and duration — without that notation you may not work or intern off campus. [5]

Conditions include being at least 18, holding a valid study residence permit with more than six months remaining, and having studied at the same school for at least one year. [8] Hours are capped — in principle no more than 8 hours a week / 40 hours a month, and 16 hours a week / 80 hours a month during vacations. [8] Working beyond the permitted scope or time is unlawful employment. [4] See Study in China.

Apply to the exit-entry administration of the public security organ at your place of residence within the 30 days before your residence permit expires, with the documents that match your reason for staying. An extension is granted only where the reason is reasonable and sufficient, so do not leave it to the last day. [4]

If you hold a visa rather than a residence permit and need more time, apply for an extension before your permitted stay ends — but note that applying does not guarantee approval, so plan to leave if it is refused. [3] Letting a permit lapse becomes illegal residence. [5]

Generally no. Visa-free entry is for short visits; work and study are activities that require the appropriate visa obtained in advance. [2] Where a visa is issued with a note telling you to apply for a residence permit after entry, that path exists — but it belongs to the correct visa type, not to a visa-free arrival. [5]

If you are already in China on a short visa-free stay and you want to work or study, the safe route is to leave and apply for the correct visa, or to seek advice from the local exit-entry administration. Do not rely on "changing status" inside China — it is not a general option, and working or studying without the right permit is unlawful. [4] Summary — ask the local exit-entry bureau for your case Do not work or study without the right visa