China Visa for US Citizens, Visa-Free Entry and 240-Hour Transit

As of November 2026, US citizens need a visa to visit China, usually the L tourist visa, which can be issued for up to 10 years with multiple entries. The one exception is 240-hour visa-free transit, which needs a confirmed onward ticket to a third country. The USA is not in China’s 30-day visa-free scheme, which covers 50 other countries.

Three ways into China, side by side

Your passport and your next stop after China decide which of the three applies. The rules below are as of November 2026.

China visa for US citizens: the L tourist visa

For a round trip from the United States, such as Chicago to Beijing and back, the L visa is the route to plan on. Under a 2014 reciprocal arrangement, US citizens can be issued L visas valid for up to 10 years with multiple entries. The consular officer decides the validity and number of entries in each case, so treat 10 years as the upper limit, not a promise. A Chicago consulate notice of May 2026 confirmed the 10-year multiple-entry visa is still issued at the normal fee.

• Fee: the Chinese Embassy lists a reduced fee of US$140 (about CNY 940) for US citizens, valid until 31 December 2026. Express service costs extra, and the visa application service center charges its own service fee on top.
• Passport: the New York consulate’s FAQ asks for at least one year of validity remaining.
• Already hold a 10-year visa? Under the same May 2026 notice, a new application in the same category is not accepted while your current 10-year visa still has more than six months left.

If your trip continues to a different country after China, for example Los Angeles to Beijing and then on to Tokyo, you may not need a visa at all. That is the 240-hour transit option below.

240-hour visa-free transit via Beijing

This scheme lets citizens of 57 countries spend up to 240 hours in China without a visa, as long as they are passing through on the way to somewhere else. The USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico are all on the list, which grew to 57 when Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam were added on 20 August 2026.

The onward ticket must go to a third country

Your route has to run from one country, through China, to a different country or region. Los Angeles to Beijing to Seoul qualifies. Los Angeles to Beijing to Los Angeles does not. The onward flight must have a confirmed date and seat and leave within the 240 hours. Without a pre-booked onward ticket, entry is refused, so book the onward leg before you fly.

Arrive at Capital or Daxing airport

In Beijing, the only two ports for 240-hour transit are Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) and Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX). No Beijing railway station is on the list, so arriving in Beijing by train does not start a transit stay. Nationwide there are 65 designated ports in 24 provinces and municipalities; nearby ones include Tianjin Binhai Airport and the Tianjin passenger seaport.

How the 240 hours are counted

The clock starts at 00:00 on the day after you arrive. Land at 3 p.m. on 10 March, and your 240 hours begin at midnight going into 11 March and end at midnight at the end of 20 March. Everything before that first midnight is extra time, so an early-morning arrival gives you the most days on the ground.

Where you can travel

You can move between provinces within the permitted areas of all 24 provinces on the list. Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei are permitted in full, so the Great Wall at Mutianyu, Jinshanling or Simatai is within reach. Shanghai and Shaanxi are on the list too, but several provinces cover only named cities (Shanxi, for example, covers only Taiyuan and Datong), so check the NIA port table for the exact area before you add a second city. Leaving the permitted area is not allowed, and you depart via an open port within the permitted area.

Other conditions

• An ordinary passport with at least three months of validity remaining.
• Tourism, business and family visits are fine. Work, study and journalism need a visa.
• The exclusions include anyone who has been refused a Chinese visa before, or who has a record of illegal entry, stay or work in the past five years.
• If you fall ill or need longer, apply in advance to the local public security exit-entry office for a stay permit. Overstaying is penalized.

What happens at immigration

You apply on arrival at border inspection. Show your passport and onward ticket, hand over your arrival card and answer a few questions about your plans. The officer then issues a temporary entry permit. Travelers report that airlines check the onward ticket at check-in, so tell the check-in staff you are using 240-hour transit, and that arrivals halls have counters signposted for visa-free transit. Keep your onward and hotel bookings handy in case the officer asks. If you are only changing planes and stay inside the airport’s restricted area for no more than 24 hours, you need no visa.

30-day visa-free entry: who qualifies

Ordinary passport holders from 50 countries can visit China for up to 30 days without a visa, for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, exchange visits or transit. The UK and Canada joined on 17 February 2026. You can enter at any sea, land or air port open to foreigners, and the days are counted from 00:00 on the day after entry. The policy can be used more than once; carry your hotel and flight bookings in case you are asked.

• Europe (35): Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
• Americas (6): Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Peru, Uruguay
• Asia (7): Bahrain, Brunei, Japan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, South Korea
• Oceania (2): Australia, New Zealand

End date: for 48 of these countries the policy is currently valid until 31 December 2026. Russia’s runs to 31 December 2027, and Brunei’s has no end date. The scheme has been extended before, with announcements in November 2024 and November 2025, but no further extension had been announced as of 5 November 2026. Check before you book, and we will check again before your trip.

Czechia and Lithuania are on the 240-hour transit list but not on the 30-day list. Some other countries have separate mutual visa-exemption agreements with China, with their own terms; the Chinese embassy in your country can confirm. For a stay longer than 30 days, apply for a visa before you travel.

Arriving in Beijing: arrival card, health and hotel registration

• Arrival card: since 20 November 2025 you can fill in the Foreigner Arrival Card online before you travel, on the NIA arrival card website, the NIA 12367 app or the WeChat and Alipay mini-programs. It is optional and free; you can also fill it in at the airport on a kiosk or a paper card. The NIA warns that fake websites charge fees for it, so use only these channels.
• Health: the health declaration card was abolished on 1 November 2023. Only travelers with symptoms such as fever, cough or vomiting, or a diagnosed infectious disease, need to report to customs.
• Where you stay: hotels register foreign guests for you. If you stay with friends, you register within 24 hours, which can now be done online.
• Help at the airport: “Beijing Service” counters at the international arrival exits of Capital and Daxing airports sell local SIM cards and help set up payment apps.

For the ride into town, see our guide to getting from Beijing airport to the city, and read Beijing travel essentials for payments and phones.

Planning a trip around your entry route

On a 240-hour transit, the dates are fixed by your flights, so we build the days backward from your onward departure. A three- or four-day stop fits the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and a day on the Great Wall, with time left for a hutong lunch. With a long layover, our Beijing layover tour picks you up at Capital or Daxing airport and takes you to the Great Wall at Mutianyu or the city highlights in a private car with your own English-speaking guide. You complete the transit entry procedures at immigration yourself. On a visa or the 30-day scheme, you choose how many days to stay within its limit. Our guide to how many days to spend in Beijing helps with that, and our private Beijing tours and list of things to do in Beijing help you plan them.

The official sources are the National Immigration Administration transit page and the Chinese consulate’s visa-free FAQ. Check them again in the week before you fly.

Frequently asked questions

Can US citizens visit China visa-free for 30 days?

No. As of November 2026 the USA is not one of the 50 countries in China's 30-day visa-free scheme. US citizens need an L tourist visa, or they can use 240-hour visa-free transit if they fly on to a third country or region.

Can I use 240-hour transit on a round trip from the US?

A round trip doesn't qualify. The route must go from one country, through China, to a different country or region, such as Los Angeles to Beijing to Seoul; Los Angeles to Beijing and back to Los Angeles needs a visa.

Which Beijing airports and stations accept 240-hour transit?

Only Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) and Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX). No Beijing railway station is a 240-hour transit port, so arriving in Beijing by train does not start a visa-free transit stay.

When does the 240-hour clock start?

It starts at 00:00 on the day after you arrive. If you land on 10 March, your 240 hours run from midnight going into 11 March until midnight at the end of 20 March. You need a confirmed onward ticket departing within that time.

How long is the 30-day visa-free policy valid?

For 48 of the 50 countries it is currently valid until 31 December 2026; Russia's runs to 31 December 2027 and Brunei's has no end date. It has been extended before, but no new extension had been announced as of 5 November 2026. Check before you book.

How much does a China visa cost for US citizens?

The Chinese Embassy lists a reduced fee of US$140 (about CNY 940) for US citizens, valid until 31 December 2026. Express service costs extra, and the visa application service center charges its own service fee.

Do I need to fill in an arrival card or health form?

You fill in a Foreigner Arrival Card, either free online before you travel through the NIA website, app or mini-programs, or at the airport on a kiosk or paper card. The health declaration card was abolished in November 2023; only travelers with symptoms report to customs.

Facts checked: 5 November 2026. Ticket prices, opening hours and entry rules can change; we re-check before every booking.