Quick answer
- Status right now: For 48 countries, China's 30-day unilateral visa-free entry is officially in effect until 31 December 2026. In Chinese, the November 2025 notice says "至2026年12月31日24时", which means midnight at the end of that day. Russia is covered until 31 December 2027. Brunei has no end date. When we checked on 12 November 2026, no extension for the 48 countries had been published on the MFA consular notices page or the NIA notices pages. We don't predict what will happen. We record what has been officially announced.
End-date tracker
| Policy | Who | Official end date | Status on 2026-11-12 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30-day unilateral visa-free | 48 countries (list below) | 31 Dec 2026 (24:00) | In force. No extension announced | Embassy FAQ, 19 Aug 2026; MFA notice, 3 Nov 2025 |
| 30-day unilateral visa-free | Russia | 31 Dec 2027 (24:00) | In force | Consulate-General in Khabarovsk, 20 May 2026 |
| 30-day unilateral visa-free | Brunei | No end date | In force | Embassy FAQ |
| 240-hour visa-free transit | 57 countries | None published | In force | NIA, 20 Aug 2026 |
| Hainan 30-day entry | 61 countries | None published | In force | NIA regional policies, 20 Aug 2026 |
| Mutual visa exemption agreements | Per agreement | None shown on the list | In force (list updated 29 May 2026) | MFA list |
| Reduced visa fees in the US | Applicants in the US | 31 Dec 2026 | In force | Consulate-General in New York; Consulate-General in Chicago |
"None published" means the official page we read gives no end date. It does not mean the policy is guaranteed forever.
The 48 countries due to end on 31 December 2026
We built this list from three official notices:
- 45 countries are in the annex to the MFA's 3 November 2025 extension notice (annex): France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Australia, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Slovenia, Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Andorra, South Korea, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, Japan, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain.
- Sweden was added by the same notice, from 10 November 2025 to 31 December 2026.
- Canada and the United Kingdom were added from 17 February 2026, "effective until December 31, 2026" (MFA spokesperson, 15 Feb 2026).
45 + 1 + 2 = 48. This matches the Chinese Embassy in Switzerland FAQ: "Other 48 Countries remain in effect until December 31, 2026". It also matches the NIA's 50-country list once you take out Russia and Brunei (NIA).
Timeline of official announcements
| Date announced | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sep 2025 | Russia added to 30-day visa-free entry, 15 Sep 2025 to 14 Sep 2026 | MFA |
| 3 Nov 2025 | 45 countries extended to 31 Dec 2026, and Sweden added from 10 Nov 2025 | MFA |
| Nov 2025 | 5 more Guangdong ports for 240-hour transit (60 → 65), from 5 Nov 2025; online arrival card from 20 Nov 2025 | Beijing gov |
| 15 Feb 2026 | Canada and the UK added from 17 Feb 2026 until 31 Dec 2026 | MFA |
| 20 May 2026 | Russia extended to 31 Dec 2027 | Khabarovsk consulate; gov.cn |
| 20 Aug 2026 | Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam added to 240-hour transit (now 57) and Hainan 30-day entry (now 61) | NIA Notice 2026 No. 4 |
| 30 Oct 2026 | APEC Business Travel Card holders' maximum stay raised from 60 to 90 days, from 1 Nov 2026 | MFA |
| — | Nothing yet on the 48 countries after 31 Dec 2026 | Checked 12 Nov 2026 |
What this means for your trip
- Trip ends on or before 31 December 2026: the current rules apply, provided your country is one of the 48 and you meet the conditions.
- Trip starts in 2027: don't assume 30-day entry will be available until an official notice says so. Until then, your options are:
- 240-hour transit, if you'll fly on to a third country;
- a mutual exemption agreement, if your country has one;
- a visa. Compare them in China visa-free policies compared.
- Trip spans New Year 2026/27: no official statement covers entering on 30-day visa-free entry in December and leaving in January (check with embassy). If your dates are flexible, the safest choice is to leave by 31 December or travel on a visa.
- Book refundable where you can, until the 2027 position is published.
How to check the current status yourself
- MFA consular notices page: https://www.mfa.gov.cn/wjbzwfwpt/kzx/tzgg/. The November 2025 extension was published here. Look for a title like 关于延长单方面免签政策的通知 ("Notice on extending the unilateral visa-free policy").
- NIA English policy page: https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147418/n147463/index.html. The "List of Countries Covered by Unilateral Visa Exemption Policies" entry shows its "as of" date.
- NIA Chinese notices (通知公告): https://www.nia.gov.cn/n741440/n741542/index.html.
- Your local Chinese embassy or consulate website. Notices are often reposted there the same day.
- The NIA 12367 hotline (+86 12367 from abroad) or our visa-free checker, which we update when notices change.
Ignore claims that aren't linked to one of these sources.
FAQ
When does China's 30-day visa-free entry end?
For 48 countries, the official end date is 31 December 2026. For Russia it is 31 December 2027. Brunei has no end date.
Has China extended visa-free entry into 2027?
When we checked on 12 November 2026, only Russia's had been extended, to 31 December 2027. We found no extension notice for the other 48 countries.
Which countries are affected by the 31 December 2026 date?
The 45 countries in the MFA's November 2025 annex, plus Sweden, Canada and the United Kingdom. The full list is above.
Does the 240-hour transit policy also end on 31 December 2026?
The NIA's 240-hour page gives no end date. It is a separate policy from 30-day entry.
Where will an extension be announced first?
The last extension appeared on the MFA consular notices page, and then on embassy sites. Check the MFA page, the NIA site, or this tracker.
Sources
- ch.china-embassy.gov.cn — 202608/t20260819 12006793.htm
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs — 202511/t20251103 11746081.html
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs — 202511/P020251103658926204218.wps
- fmprc.gov.cn — 202602/t20260215 11860467.html
- National Immigration Administration — c183390/content.html
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs — 202509/t20250902 11700533.html
- khabarovsk.china-consulate.gov.cn — 202605/t20260520 11914505.htm
- english.www.gov.cn — 20/content WS6a0d70aac6d00ca5f9a0b1fe.html
- National Immigration Administration — c183412/content.html
- National Immigration Administration — c1796294/content.html
- National Immigration Administration — c180637/content.html
- cs.mfa.gov.cn — 202607/t20260716 11984014.html
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs — 202610/t20261030 12049768.html
- newyork.china-consulate.gov.cn — 202505/t20250522 11630647.htm
- chicago.china-consulate.gov.cn — 202512/t20251230 11790067.htm
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs — kzx/tzgg
- National Immigration Administration — n147463/index.html
- National Immigration Administration — n741542/index.html
- Beijing Municipal Government — 202511/t20251105 4259688.html
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.