The things worth reading before you fly

Can I enter China without a visa? For 50 passports — the UK, Canada, most of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and a handful of others — yes, up to 30 days. Not the United States: US passports need a visa, or one of the transit and Hainan workarounds. If you are only passing through, the 240-hour transit rule covers 57 countries and lets you leave the airport. Here is what you actually need at the border, and where the 31 December 2026 expiry leaves trips planned for 2027.

Most visitors to China do not need a visa on arrival — they enter visa-free, or on the 240-hour transit rule. This page covers the narrow set of cases where a visa genuinely has to be issued at the border, and what to do if your passport is on none of the lists.

China’s high-speed rail is the best way to move between the major cities, and it is entirely usable as a visitor. This covers the booking mechanics that are specific to a foreign passport, and the station names that cause confusion.

Cash still works, but mobile payment is faster and better. This covers what actually works with a foreign card, the fee threshold that catches most visitors out, the setup steps that take ten minutes, the places where cash is still the answer, and the departure tax refund down to the actual numbers.

Connectivity is the one thing that can genuinely derail a China trip if it is not arranged in advance. This covers the options ranked by reliability, and the app and payment situation that depends on it.