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Mutual Visa Exemption Agreement Entry

ChinaShort stays and visits

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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For the relevant traveller scope, is a visa, electronic authorisation, visa on arrival or no advance visa normally required?

The Foreign Ministry table lists ordinary-passport coverage for Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dominica, Ecuador, Fiji, Georgia, Grenada, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Qatar, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Thailand, Tonga, United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan. Coverage still depends on the relevant agreement. Additional nationalities have diplomatic, service or specially endorsed document coverage; ordinary-passport group arrangements are not the same as independent travel. The Ecuador note concerns Chinese travellers going to Ecuador, not an automatic suspension for Ecuadorian travellers entering China. For Dominica, the Chinese table lists ordinary passports, while the English wording is inconsistent and should be checked before travel.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • CN-D-2026-09-13-19: Dominica passport-category translation discrepancy; verify the accepting border/consular interpretation. Treaty purpose and duration cannot be inferred solely from the document list.
  • Mutual exemption country entry: Albania
    Albania Diplomatic, service passports 1956.08.25 Passports for public affairs, ordinary passports 2023.03.18 3
  • Mutual exemption country entry: Antigua and Barbuda
    Antigua and Barbuda Diplomatic, service passports, passports for public affairs and ordinary passports of China; Diplomatic, official, ordinary passports of Antigua and Barbuda 2024.05.11 6
  • Mutual exemption country entry: Armenia
    Armenia Diplomatic, service passports, passports for public affairs of China; 1994.08.03 Diplomatic, service passports, passports for public affairs and ordinary passports marked with “For Public Affairs” of Armenia Ordinary passports 2020.01.19 8
  • Mutual exemption country entry: Azerbaijan
    Azerbaijan Diplomatic, service passports, passports for public affairs 1994.02.10 International travel documents (when traveling in tour groups organized by authorized travel agencies of both countries) 1994.05.01 Ordinary passports 2025.07.16 10
  • Mutual exemption country entry: The Bahamas
    The Bahamas Diplomatic, service passports, passports for public affairs and ordinary passports of China; 2014.02.12 Diplomatic, official and ordinary passports of the Bahamas 11
  • Mutual exemption country entry: Barbados
    Barbados Diplomatic, service passports, passports for public affairs of China; 2014.08.02 Diplomatic, official passports of Barbados Ordinary passports 2017.06.01 14
  • Mutual exemption country entry: Belarus
    Belarus Diplomatic, service passports; Ordinary passports or international travel documents (when traveling in tour groups organized by authorized travel agencies of both countries) 1993.03.01 Ordinary passports 2018.08.10 15
  • Mutual exemption country entry: Bosnia and Herzegovina
    Bosnia and Herzegovina Diplomatic, service passports, passports for public affairs of China; 1980.01.09 *1 Diplomatic, service passports of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2017.10.04 Ordinary passports 2018.05.29 19
  • Mutual exemption country entry: Dominica
    多米尼克 中方外交、公务、公务普通护照； 2014.03.29 多方外交、官员护照 普通护照 2022.09.19 44
  • Mutual exemption country entry: Ecuador
    Ecuador Diplomatic, service passports of China; 1987.07.11 Diplomatic, official passports of Ecuador Passports for public affairs of China; 1988.12.25 Special passports of Ecuador Ordinary passports (At present, Chinese ordinary passport holders need to apply for visas in advance to travel to Ecuador) 2016.08.18 44
  • Mutual exemption country entry: Fiji
    Fiji Diplomatic, service passports, passports for public affairs, 2015.03.14 Ordinary passports 51
  • Mutual exemption country entry: Georgia
    Georgia Diplomatic, service passports and passports for public affairs; 1994.02.03 Ordinary passports 2024.05.28 56
  • Mutual exemption country entry: Grenada
    Grenada Diplomatic, service passports of China; 2010.01.17 Diplomatic, official passports of Grenada Passports for public affairs, ordinary passports 2015.06.10 60
  • Mutual exemption country entry: Kazakhstan
    Kazakhstan Diplomatic, service passports 1994.02.01 Passports for Public Affairs, Ordinary Passports or Travel Documents of China; 2023.11.10 Ordinary Passports or Certificates of Return of Kazakhstan 74
  • Mutual exemption country entry: Malaysia
    Malaysia Diplomatic, service passports of China; 2011.05.18 Diplomatic, official passports of Malaysia Passports for public affairs, ordinary passports of China; 2025.07.17 Ordinary passports of Malaysia 86
  • Mutual exemption country entry: Maldives
    Maldives Diplomatic, service passports 1984.11.27 Diplomatic, service passports, passports for public affairs, ordinary passports or Travel Document of China; 2022.05.20 Diplomatic, official passports, ordinary passports, Temporary Travel Document or Emergency Travel Documents (Certificate of Identity) of Maldives 87
  • Mutual exemption country entry: Mauritius
    Mauritius Diplomatic, service passports, passports for public affairs and ordinary passports 2013.10.31 91
  • Mutual exemption country entry: Qatar
    Qatar Diplomatic, service, passports for public affairs and ordinary passports of China; 2018.12.21 Diplomatic, service, special and ordinary passports of Qatar 116
  • Mutual exemption country entry: Samoa
    Samoa Diplomatic, service passports, passports for public affairs and ordinary passports of China; 2025.04.02 Diplomatic, official and ordinary passports of Samoa 121
  • Mutual exemption country entry: San Marino
    San Marino Diplomatic, service passports and ordinary passports 1985.07.22 122
  • Mutual exemption country entry: Serbia
    Serbia Diplomatic, service passports, passports for public affairs of China; 1980.01.09 *1 Diplomatic, service passports and ordinary passports marked with “For Public Affairs” of Serbia Ordinary passport 2017.01.15 126
  • Mutual exemption country entry: Seychelles
    Seychelles Diplomatic, service passports, passports for public affairs and ordinary passports 2013.06.26 127
  • Mutual exemption country entry: Singapore
    Singapore Diplomatic, service passports and passports for public affairs 2011.04.17 Ordinary passports 2024.02.09 130
  • Mutual exemption country entry: Solomon Islands
    Solomon Islands Diplomatic, service passports, passports for public affairs of China; 2022.11.24 Diplomatic, official passports of Solomon Islands Ordinary Passports 2024.12.28 134
  • Mutual exemption country entry: Suriname
    Suriname Diplomatic, service passports, passports for public affairs, ordinary passports 2014.05.06 138
  • Mutual exemption country entry: Thailand
    Thailand Diplomatic, service passports of China; 1997.06.01 Diplomatic, official passports of Thailand Passports for public affairs, ordinary passports of China; 2024.03.01 Ordinary passports of Thailand 144
  • Mutual exemption country entry: Tonga
    Tonga Diplomatic, service passports and passports for public affairs of China; 2012.11.10 Diplomatic, official passports of Tonga Ordinary passports 2016.08.19 148
  • Mutual exemption country entry: United Arab Emirates
    United Arab Emirates Diplomatic passports 2012.03.21 Service passports, passports for public affairs 2016.01.11 Ordinary passports 2018.01.16 154
  • Mutual exemption country entry: Uzbekistan
    Uzbekistan Diplomatic passports 2010.07.09 Service passports, passports for public affairs, ordinary passports of China; 2025.06.01 Ordinary passports of Uzbekistan 156

What short-visit purposes does this route cover?

Entry is under the applicable mutual visa exemption agreement, whose scope governs the permitted purposes; the official source does not list them. Visa exemption does not mean permission to stay and reside for an indefinite period, and foreigners in China must not engage in activities inconsistent with the reason for their stay.

See recorded sources
  • List note
    Exemption of visa requirements does not mean permission to stay and reside in the other contracting country for an indefinite period of time. According to the agreements, holders of valid specified passports are permitted to stay for less than 30 days upon entry into the other contracting country. If a passport holder intends to stay for over 30 days, he or she should go through residence formalities with the local authorities according to relevant regulations as soon as possible.
  • Article 37
    第三十七条 外国人在中国境内停留居留，不得从事与停留居留事由不相符的活动，并应当在规定的停留居留期限届满前离境。

What maximum stay, rolling-period rule, validity and entry rules apply?

Stay limits are agreement-specific. Where an agreement uses 90 days in any 180-day period, total qualifying visa-free days in the preceding 180 days must not exceed 90; visa/residence-document and APEC-card stays are excluded from that calculation, and the remaining allowance can shorten a new visit.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • A single universal stay length cannot be assigned across all bilateral agreements.
  • I count
    A: The provision "No more than 90 days within any 180-day period" means that the total number of days a foreign national stays in China must not exceed 90 within 180 days prior to any date. The 90-day period does not include the days spent in China under visa, residence permit and other visa documents or APEC Business Travel Card. The visa-free entry will not be granted to any foreigner whose cumulative duration of visa-free stay has reached 90 days within a 180-day period. In the case where a foreigner's cumulative duration of stay has not reached 90 days while the remaining period is less than 30 days, the visa-free stay period for the foreigner concerned for this entry shall not exceed the remaining visa-free stay period.
  • List note
    Exemption of visa requirements does not mean permission to stay and reside in the other contracting country for an indefinite period of time. According to the agreements, holders of valid specified passports are permitted to stay for less than 30 days upon entry into the other contracting country. If a passport holder intends to stay for over 30 days, he or she should go through residence formalities with the local authorities according to relevant regulations as soon as possible.

What important funds, accommodation, invitation, insurance, onward-travel or passport evidence may be required?

Travellers must carry a document specifically covered by the agreement and register their accommodation. If the entry passport is lost, the replacement must be a covered document and the stay must remain lawful; otherwise a stay permit must be obtained before departing. The official source does not state funds, insurance or onward-travel requirements.

See recorded sources
  • II passports
    A: The types of documents accepted are specified in the mutual visa exemption agreements between China and other relevant countries, which in most cases, are passports. Some of these agreements also permit the use of temporary travel documents and other international travel documents. If a foreign national has lost his/her international travel document required by the corresponding mutual visa exemption agreement after entering China without a visa, he/she can leave the country with a re-issued document, provided that the document is one of those specified in the agreement and that he/she has not overstayed the visa-free stay period. However, if the visa-free stay period has expired or the new travel document is not covered by the agreement, the foreign national concerned will have to obtain a stay permit from the exit/entry administration of a public security organ, and then leave China within the period specified in the permit.
  • IV accommodation
    A: Article 39 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China stipulates that, for any foreigner staying in a hotel in China, the hotel concerned shall register his/her accommodation in accordance with the regulations on the public security administration of the hotel industry, and submit the foreigner's accommodation registration information to the public security organ in the place where the hotel is located. For any foreigner who resides or stays in a domicile that is not a hotel, he/she or the person who accommodates him/her shall, within 24 hours after the foreigner's arrival, complete the registration at the public security organ in the place of residence. According to the aforementioned regulations, foreign nationals who have entered China under mutual visa exemption agreements still need to register their accommodation.

Where/how is permission obtained when required, and under what important circumstances can a stay be extended or changed?

Qualifying travellers seek border admission without an advance visa. They must leave before the treaty allowance ends; emergencies or force majeure requiring more time must be presented to public security exit-entry before expiry.

See recorded sources
  • III extension
    A: Any foreign national having entered China under a mutual visa exemption agreement must leave the country before his/her visa-free stay period expires. Those seeking to extend their stay in China due to emergencies or force majeure of other kinds must apply at the exit/entry administrations of public security organs before their visa-free stay periods expire.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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