Find the rule for your passport
Start with your passport nationality, document type, purpose and intended length of stay. Tourist visas, visa-free visits and transit arrangements have different conditions. A friend’s successful trip does not establish eligibility for your own passport.
Use our entry centre to compare the main arrangements, then read the relevant Chinese embassy or immigration notice for your dates. If your situation involves a special travel document, a previous immigration issue or a longer stay, ask the responsible authority directly.
Write down the whole journey
Include the country or region before mainland China, every mainland stop, and the next country or region afterward. For an onward-transit arrangement, compare that exact routing with the official eligibility rules; a return trip and an onward trip are different cases.
Leaving mainland China for Hong Kong or Macao and later returning creates another mainland entry. Check that the return is covered by your visa or the visa-free arrangement you plan to use.
Keep a small document folder
Carry the passport and other original documents required for your trip. Keep readable copies in a separate place. Download confirmations before departure so an airport Wi-Fi problem does not leave you searching your inbox.
- Check your passport’s validity, available pages and condition against the rule for your journey.
- Keep the visa or entry permission where applicable, return or onward booking, and first accommodation details.
- Save the hotel’s Chinese name, full address and telephone number.
Check boarding and arrival requirements
Read the airline’s document instructions for the entire booking, including connections outside China. Allow time to resolve a document question before departure. Airline boarding checks and the immigration decision on arrival are separate steps.
After entry, read the stay conditions recorded or granted to you. Keep departure within the permitted stay and travel within any geographical limits attached to your entry arrangement.
Common questions
Does booking a hotel guarantee entry?
No. A hotel reservation supports your travel plans, but entry depends on the rules for your passport and journey and the immigration decision.
Where do I find the rules for Hong Kong and Macao?
Use the immigration authority for each destination. Their entry arrangements are separate from those for mainland China.