By land, sea or air: 5 ways to enter China without a visa

Obtaining a visa to enter mainland China often requires filling out pages of paperwork, paying more than US$100, and waiting days for the documents to be processed.

But for a growing number of visitors, some hurdles have been lowered or removed entirely as Beijing continues to relax visa-free entry rules to attract more foreign visitors and boost the nation’s tourism sector.

Immigration officials now allow travellers from certain countries who are transiting through China to stay without a visa for up to 10 days, and a growing list of other foreign nationals are permitted to remain for 30 days without a visa.

On September 2, during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to China, Beijing announced its latest update: Russian citizens may stay without a visa for up to 30 days, effective September 15.

Here are five options available for travellers to enter mainland China without a visa.

1. Transit through Chinese cities (10 days)

Passport holders from 55 nations – including Australia, Russia, Indonesia, the United States and several European countries – can stay for up to 10 days in much of mainland China by transiting through one of its international airports.