Do US passport holders need a visa for China?
Covers 11 passports and 80 destinations. Rules older than 30 days are flagged for re-check.
How this tool works
We read the official notice for each pair and record the date. Nothing here is generated; a pair with no written check is not shown.
How we checkVisa required, or 240-hour transit. US passport holders are not on China's 30-day visa-free list.
The 30-day list of 50 countries does not include the United States. For a stay in China, apply for a visa. On the way to a third country, US citizens can use the 240-hour visa-free transit: a confirmed onward ticket with a set date, entry through one of 65 ports in 24 provinces and a stay inside the permitted areas. Hong Kong and Macao have separate entry rules. The US State Department's China page (Last Updated March 12, 2026) asks for a passport valid at least 6 months beyond arrival with at least 2 blank pages, and says China does not accept the 12-page US emergency passport for visa-free entry.
Source: National Immigration Administration of China. Checked Oct 4, 2026See the source
- Visa-free transit
- Up to 240 hours
- Onward ticket to a third country required.
- Eligible ports
- 65 ports, 24 provinces
- Stay only in the permitted areas.
- Longer stays
- Visa
- Apply before you travel.
- Passport validity
- 6 months from arrival
- State Department: "Your passport must be valid at least 6 months beyond your date of arrival."
- Blank pages
- At least 2
- State Department: "Your passport must have a minimum of 2 blank pages to enter."
- Emergency passport
- 12-page not accepted
- State Department: "China does not accept the 12-page U.S. emergency passport for visa-free entry."
- Tibet
- Special permit
- State Department: "You must have a special permit to visit the Tibet Autonomous Region, in addition to a valid Chinese visa."