Visa / Two lists decide your trip
Two lists.
One of them is probably you.
China now runs two overlapping visa-free schemes, and they are easy to confuse because most European passports appear on both — but the lists are not the same, and the rules differ in ways that decide your trip.
If your passport is on the 30-day unilateral visa-free list (50 countries, including most of Western Europe, the UK, Canada, Japan, Korea, Australia and now Brazil), you can simply enter — no ticket to a third country needed. If you are on the 240-hour transit list only (57 countries, which adds the US, Mexico and several others), you may stay up to 10 days but must hold a confirmed onward ticket to a third country. If you are on neither list, you need a visa before you fly. Wuhan Tianhe Airport is an eligible port for the transit scheme, and the 30-day scheme applies at every open port of entry.
Both schemes come from official announcements by China's National Immigration Administration and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The one thing to watch is expiry dates: the unilateral scheme is published in tranches, and the largest tranche currently runs to 31 December 2026.
The two routes, side by side
| 30-day visa-free entry | 240-hour visa-free transit | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | 50 countries (F26) | 57 countries (F28) — a different list |
| Max stay | 30 days per entry, counted from the day after arrival | 240 hours (10 days) |
| Onward ticket | Not required | Required: confirmed ticket to a third country (or region), dated and seat-confirmed |
| Where | Every open port of entry | 65 designated ports — Wuhan Tianhe Airport is Hubei's only one |
| Purpose | Tourism, business, family visits, exchange, transit | Tourism, business, visits, transit; work and journalism need a visa in advance |
| Staying mobile | Whole country | Must stay within designated areas — Hubei province in its entirety for Wuhan arrivals (F28) |
Which route applies to you
| Your situation | Use this route |
|---|---|
| Passport on both lists — UK, Canada, most of the EU, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina, Chile (full lists below) | The 30-day scheme, if your stay fits in 30 days. Use the transit scheme only if you are genuinely continuing to a third country and prefer it. |
| Passport on the transit list only — notably the United States, Mexico, and several others | 240-hour transit, if you are continuing to a third country. Otherwise you need a visa in advance. |
| Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia nationals | Your countries have mutual visa-exemption agreements with China (30 days) — you do not need either scheme. Verify the current agreement terms before flying. |
| Passport on neither list — e.g. India, Philippines, and many others | Apply for an L (tourist) visa at a Chinese embassy/consul or visa application centre before departure. |
The unilateral 30-day scheme is published in tranches, and the tranche covering 48 of the 50 countries runs to 31 December 2026. In previous years an extension was announced in early November; as of our last check (11 November 2026) the extension for the current tranche had not yet been announced. If you are booking travel for 2027, re-verify before you commit. The 240-hour transit scheme has no published expiry date at all.
The 30-day list (50 countries)
Ordinary passport holders from these countries may enter China without a visa for up to 30 days for tourism, business, family visits, exchange or transit (F26). Grouped by region:
| 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-Pacific (9) | Australia, Brunei, Japan, Kuwait, New Zealand, Oman, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Bahrain |
Compiled from the National Immigration Administration's published list (as of 17 February 2026) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs announcements. Always confirm against the current official list before booking — the composition of this table is exactly the kind of fact that changes.
The 240-hour transit list (57 countries)
This scheme adds countries that are not on the 30-day list — most importantly the United States and Mexico — while omitting some that are. The mechanics (onward ticket to a third country, designated ports, registered stay areas) are on the dedicated 240-hour transit page. Wuhan Tianhe Airport is an eligible entry port, and travellers entering there may roam all of Hubei province, including Wudang Mountain and Yichang, before flying out from any of the 65 ports.
Wuhan is not a visa question once you are in — it is a city like any other in China. The real Wuhan-specific point: if you are entering on the transit scheme, Tianhe Airport is your port, your stay area is all of Hubei, and your exit must be from one of the 65 designated ports. Everything else — where to stay, what to eat — is the same as for visa-holders.
If neither list has you
You need a visa before travel — for tourism that is normally an L visa from a Chinese embassy, consulate or visa application centre. The two schemes above never apply to work, study or journalism, regardless of nationality.
Questions we keep seeing
Do US citizens need a visa for China?
Is the 240-hour visa-free transit still active?
How long can UK citizens stay in China visa-free?
Does visa-free entry cover Wuhan?
Can I enter visa-free twice in one trip?
Sources, prices and currency
Policy content is compiled from the National Immigration Administration's unilateral visa-free list (as of 2026-02-17), the NIA 2026 No. 4 announcement (transit scheme, 2026-08-20), and Ministry of Foreign Affairs answers (2026-02-15) — fact ledger F26–F28. The 48-country expiry on 2026-12-31 and the not-yet-announced extension are recorded as open time bombs; re-verify in November–December. Class A — re-checked monthly.
Every CNY amount on this page is shown twice: the yuan figure you will actually see on the price board, and a US dollar conversion for budgeting. Dollar values are mid-market conversions at 1 CNY = $0.14953 (ExchangeRate-API (open.er-api.com), 11 Nov 2026), refreshed automatically when the page loads and cached for 24 hours. Your bank or card issuer will use its own rate and may add a foreign-transaction fee. Full explanation.
Checked monthly — fares, rules and policies change. This page was last checked 2026-11.