China's entry rules move — visa-free lists, transit windows, ports. This is the dated, source-linked record of what actually changed, so a guide you read six months ago doesn't send you to the airport on stale facts. Every entry carries an evidence label and a source.
4 tracked changes · Last reviewed 2026-07-07 · Newest first
Evidence labelsOfficial ruleOfficial clarificationTraveler reportReported caseCH101 take
Official clarification
Russia's visa-free entry extended to the end of 2027
Affects: Russian ordinary-passport holders
Some official FAQ pages still show an earlier expiry window of 14 Sep 2026 — this extension supersedes that. If you relied on a stale source, the current rule is more generous.
China extended 30-day visa-free entry for Russian ordinary-passport holders (business, tourism, family visit, exchange, transit) through 31 Dec 2027, confirmed by MFA spokesperson Guo Jiakun at the 2026-05-20 press briefing.
CH101 takeThe stale 14 Sep 2026 date still appears on some embassy FAQ pages as of July 2026. Verify against the MFA source below, not secondary summaries.
Affects: Travelers from 55 eligible countries transiting through China
Five new entry/exit points — including two Pearl River Delta crossings and Hong Kong rail links — make southern China more accessible for transit without a visa.
The 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit program grew from 60 to 65 eligible ports effective 5 Nov 2025, adding Guangzhou Baiyun, Zhuhai Hengqin, Zhongshan, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, and West Kowloon Station (Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail).
Unilateral visa-free for 45 countries extended to 31 Dec 2026; Sweden added
Affects: Ordinary-passport holders from 45 countries including France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Australia
Policies that were set to expire end of 2025 now run through 2026, removing a key trip-planning risk for nationals of covered countries. Online pre-arrival entry cards also went live simultaneously.
China extended 30-day unilateral visa-free entry for 45 countries to 31 Dec 2026 and added Sweden to the scheme from 10 Nov 2025. Separately, online pre-arrival entry card completion went live 20 Nov 2025.
CH101 takeIf your country is not on the 45-country list, check the full unilateral list at NIA — it has grown significantly across multiple batches since late 2023.
Visa-free transit extended to 240 hours (10 days) across 24 provinces
Affects: Travelers from 54 eligible countries (later expanded to 55) who need to transit through China to a third country
This was the single largest expansion of China's transit window — tripling the previous 72-hour limit. It created a practical 10-day layover option usable for sightseeing, not just airport transfers.
The National Immigration Administration raised visa-free transit stay from 72/144 hours to 240 hours and expanded eligible ports from 39 to 60 across 24 provincial-level regions, effective 19 Dec 2024. This is the baseline that all current 240-hour transit rules build on.
CH101 takeThe 240-hour window is counted from entry, not departure booking. The allowed travel area is restricted to the designated provinces — cross-province travel within the 24 is permitted, but leaving to non-listed provinces is not.
How this list is kept
Changes are detected by an automated weekly diff of official sources, then reviewed by a human before they land here. Detection is automatic; publication is not. If a fact is policy-sensitive, check the linked source and its verified date before you rely on it. This is preparation help, not legal or immigration advice.
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