Quick answer
- Check whether you need a visa with our visa-free checker. It's built from official NIA and MFA lists.
- Since 20 November 2025 you can fill in the foreigner arrival card online before you travel. It's free, so beware of fake sites that charge. [1]
- Cash: you can bring up to ¥20,000 in yuan [2]. Foreign-currency cash above US$5,000 equivalent must be declared [3].
- Hotels register you with police automatically. If you stay anywhere else, register within 24 hours. [4]
2–4 weeks before
- Visa or visa-free? Run the checker. If you're using the 240-hour transit scheme, your passport needs at least 3 months' validity and you need a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region [5].
- Passport validity: visa-free entry requires a passport valid for at least the length of your stay; 240-hour transit requires at least 3 months [5][6].
- Payments: set up Alipay/WeChat Pay and test them (guide).
- Connectivity: choose roaming, an eSIM or a local SIM (guide).
- Trains: register on 12306 early. Verification can take time (guide).
- Proof of purpose: for visa-free entry, officials advise carrying documents like hotel bookings, return/onward tickets or an invitation letter [6].
The arrival card (online, free)
From 20 November 2025 the National Immigration Administration lets foreigners fill in the arrival card online before they travel. Channels include the NIA website, its government service platform, the "NIA 12367" app, and WeChat/Alipay mini-programs. Show the generated code at the border [1].
- Official web address:
s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/[1] - It costs nothing. The NIA has warned about fake websites that charge travellers [1].
- No smartphone? Use the kiosks at the port or fill in a paper card on arrival [1].
At the border
- Immigration: passport, arrival card (or code), and for 240-hour transit your onward ticket. You may be asked to give fingerprints at a kiosk or the desk. Answer questions about your trip simply and consistently.
- Baggage claim, then customs: use the green "nothing to declare" channel unless you carry items that must be declared; then fill in the declaration form and use the red channel. You can pre-fill the declaration in the customs mini-program on WeChat or Alipay [7].
Customs: what to declare
| Item | Declare if… |
|---|---|
| Chinese yuan cash | More than ¥20,000 [2] |
| Foreign currency cash | More than US$5,000 equivalent. Leaving China with more than US$5,000 needs a bank-issued carry permit [3] |
| Other goods | Prohibited or restricted items, plants/animals and their products, goods samples or commercial goods, or anything above the duty-free allowance [7] |
Accommodation registration
Hotels register foreign guests with the police as part of check-in. If you stay in a private home, an apartment or with friends, you or your host must register with the local police station within 24 hours of arrival [4][5]. Many cities offer online registration. Ask your host.
First day in China
- Turn on your eSIM/roaming line, or buy a local SIM at an operator counter.
- Make a small Alipay/WeChat payment to confirm everything works. Withdraw a little cash at an airport ATM as backup.
- Save the NIA hotline: +86 12367 (Mandarin, Cantonese, English, Russian, Japanese, Korean) [5].
- Using the 240-hour scheme? Note your leave-by date. The stay is counted from 00:00 the day after entry, and you must stay within the permitted areas [5].
Sources
- 警惕不法分子设置虚假外国人入境卡网上填报网站 (online arrival card since 20 Nov 2025; official URL; free)
- PBOC Announcement No. 18 [2004]: RMB entry/exit quota of ¥20,000 per person
- 携带外币现钞出入境管理暂行办法 (rules on carrying foreign-currency cash; US$5,000 threshold)
- FAQs About Visa-free Entry Under Mutual Visa Exemption Agreements (accommodation registration)
- 外国人240小时过境免签常遇问题解答
- Visa-free entry policy FAQ (passport validity, proof of purpose)
- 海关总署公告2025年第43号 (red/green channels; e-declaration via the customs mini-program)
Last checked 12 November 2026. Rules and app menus change; if something's outdated, let us know.
Do you need a visa for China?
Pick your passport, entry city and dates. We check the 30-day visa-free list, 240-hour transit, mutual agreements and Hainan rules, using official data verified on 12 November 2026.