Before you go to China: visa-free entry and getting online
Two things to sort out before you fly: whether you need a visa, and how you will get online once you land. The rules change often, so check the official pages linked below before you book.
1. Check whether you need a visa
- 30 days visa-free: holders of ordinary passports from 50 countries — including the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and most of the EU — can enter without a visa for tourism, business, family visits or transit and stay up to 30 days, counted from midnight after the day you arrive. The policy runs until 31 December 2026. See the list of countries.
- 240-hour transit: citizens of 57 countries, including the United States, can stay up to 10 days without a visa when travelling on to a third country or region, with a confirmed onward ticket. You must enter through one of 65 designated ports and stay within the permitted areas. Countries, ports and areas.
- Some countries also have a mutual visa-exemption agreement with China; see the agreements.
- Otherwise, apply for a visa through the Chinese embassy or consulate where you live, or the Chinese Visa Application Service Center.
Checked 2026-10-11
2. Fill in the arrival card online
- You can fill in the arrival card before you travel on the National Immigration Administration website, in the “NIA 12367” app, or in its WeChat or Alipay mini program.
- It is free. Fake websites charge a fee — use only the official channels.
- If you didn't fill it in beforehand, you can do it at the airport on your phone or a self-service machine, or on a paper card.
Checked 2026-10-11
3. Registering where you stay
- Hotels register your stay with the police for you.
- If you stay anywhere else, such as with friends, you or your host must register within 24 hours of arrival. Since 21 September 2026 this can be done online on the National Immigration Administration website, in the “NIA 12367” app or in its WeChat or Alipay mini program.
Checked 2026-10-11
4. Getting online
- Google, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp are not directly accessible in China. China's official tourism website says you need a VPN to reach them and suggests installing one before you arrive, because some are not available in local app stores.
- eSIM: if your phone supports eSIM, you can buy a regional plan that includes China before you leave and activate it when you land. Only a few phone models can activate a local Chinese eSIM.
- Local SIM card: sold at kiosks in major airports such as Beijing Capital and Shanghai Pudong, and in China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom stores. Bring your passport.
- Public Wi-Fi usually sends a login code by text message to a Chinese phone number, so a foreign SIM often can't use it.
- More on China's official tourism website.
Checked 2026-10-11
Next: set up Alipay or WeChat Pay and book your trains.