Is the United States on the 30-day visa-free list?

No. US citizens can use the 240-hour transit exemption with an onward ticket, or apply for a visa. US passport holders often hold 10-year multi-entry L visas, which allow stays of up to 60 days per entry.

Does the 30-day clock start on arrival day?

Under the unilateral visa-free policy the day of entry counts as day one. Under the 240-hour transit exemption the clock starts at midnight after you clear immigration, which effectively gives you a bonus partial day.

Can I leave to Hong Kong and come back for another 30 days?

Hong Kong and Macau count as leaving mainland China, so re-entry starts a new stay. The policy sets no annual cap, but repeated back-to-back entries invite questions at the border. Two or three in a year has been unremarkable; a pattern that looks like residence is another matter.

Do I need to register with the police on a visa-free stay?

Yes. Every foreigner must be registered within 24 hours of arriving at each new address. Hotels do it for you; private accommodation and many nomad bases do not. See our page on staying at nomad villages.

How long can I stay in China without a visa?

Short answer · verified 6 September 2026

Up to 30 days per entry if you hold a passport from one of about 50 countries on China's unilateral visa-free list, which currently runs until 31 December 2026 (the UK and Canada joined on 17 February 2026). Otherwise, up to 240 hours (10 days) under the transit exemption, which needs an onward ticket to a third country and keeps you inside 24 listed provinces. Longer stays need a visa.

The two exemptions side by side

	Unilateral visa-free entry	240-hour visa-free transit
Who	Citizens of about 50 listed countries	Citizens of 55 listed countries, including the US
Maximum stay	30 days per entry	240 hours (10 days)
Purpose	Tourism, family visit, business, exchange	Transit to a third country
Ticket requirement	None beyond normal entry	Confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region (Hong Kong and Macau count)
Where you can go	Anywhere in mainland China	Within the 24 provinces and municipalities on the list, entering at one of 65 designated ports
Valid until	31 December 2026	No stated end date

Both are free and require no application in advance. You present your passport at immigration and, for transit, your onward ticket.

The 30-day list

The list has grown in steps since late 2023: first France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia, then most of the rest of Europe, then Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea, then a group of Latin American and Gulf countries in 2025. On 10 November 2025 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs extended the whole scheme to 31 December 2026 and added Sweden, bringing it to 46 countries; the UK and Canada were added from 17 February 2026, and trade-press counts now put it at around 50.

Because the list changes, check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or your nearest Chinese embassy for your passport specifically before you fly. If your country is on it, you get 30 days per entry, counted with arrival day as day one.

The 240-hour transit rules

Introduced on 17 December 2024 to replace the older 72- and 144-hour schemes, the transit exemption is what most Americans use. The details that catch people out:

Onward ticket. You need a confirmed ticket to a third country or region. Returning to the country you came from does not count. Hong Kong and Macau do count as third regions, which makes a mainland stop on a Hong Kong trip easy.
The clock. Your 240 hours begin at 00:00 the day after you clear immigration.
Geography. You must enter at one of 65 designated ports and stay within the 24 listed provinces and municipalities. Most places nomads go are covered: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong (Shenzhen), Zhejiang (Anji, Hangzhou), Anhui (Huangshan), Yunnan (Dali) and Hainan are all on the list.
Temporary entry permit. Immigration stamps a permit on arrival that shows your allowed dates; keep it with your passport.

Staying longer

If you need more than 30 days, the options are a visa or a border run. A tourist (L) visa typically allows 30 to 90 days per entry; US, UK and some other nationals can get 10-year multi-entry versions. A business (M) visa needs an invitation. Leaving to Hong Kong or Macau and re-entering starts a new visa-free stay for eligible nationalities, and people do this, but it is the pattern of use, not the rule, that decides whether it keeps working for you.

For what any of this means for working online while you are here, see Is it legal to work remotely in China on visa-free entry?

What we could not verify

What happens on 1 January 2027. The unilateral visa-free policy has been extended twice, each time close to its expiry. No announcement about 2027 exists yet.

Sources

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Office of the Commissioner in Hong Kong), Notice on Extension of Visa-free Policy — 10 November 2025
Newland Chase, Visa-free entry to China extended through 2026 (45 countries plus Sweden) — 12 November 2025
China Briefing, China Visa-Free Travel: A Complete Guide (UK and Canada from 17 February 2026) — 1 March 2026
China Briefing, China 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit: What to Know — 1 December 2025
China Discovery, China 240-Hour Visa Free Transit Policy 2026 (ports and regions) — 15 January 2026

Does China have a digital nomad visa? · verified September 2026
Is it legal to work remotely in China on visa-free entry? · verified September 2026

Common follow-up questions

Is the United States on the 30-day visa-free list?: No. US citizens can use the 240-hour transit exemption with an onward ticket, or apply for a visa. US passport holders often hold 10-year multi-entry L visas, which allow stays of up to 60 days per entry.
Does the 30-day clock start on arrival day?: Under the unilateral visa-free policy the day of entry counts as day one. Under the 240-hour transit exemption the clock starts at midnight after you clear immigration, which effectively gives you a bonus partial day.
Can I leave to Hong Kong and come back for another 30 days?: Hong Kong and Macau count as leaving mainland China, so re-entry starts a new stay. The policy sets no annual cap, but repeated back-to-back entries invite questions at the border. Two or three in a year has been unremarkable; a pattern that looks like residence is another matter.
Do I need to register with the police on a visa-free stay?: Yes. Every foreigner must be registered within 24 hours of arriving at each new address. Hotels do it for you; private accommodation and many nomad bases do not. See our page on staying at nomad villages.