Getting into China: visas, visa-free entry and the 240-hour transit rule

Entry rules for China have changed more in the last three years than in the previous fifteen, and they continue to change. Treat this page as a framework for what to check, not as a substitute for checking it.

Verify before you book. Rules on visa-free entry, permitted durations and eligible ports are revised frequently. Confirm your specific passport and itinerary with the Chinese embassy or consulate in your country, or with your airline, before you buy a non-refundable ticket.

The three routes in

1. Unilateral visa-free entry. China has extended visa-free entry to ordinary passport holders from a growing list of countries, for short stays. Several of our core markets — including Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia — have been on that list. Durations and conditions vary by nationality and are subject to change.

2. Visa-free transit. Travellers from a wider set of countries transiting through China to a third country can enter for a limited period (the 240-hour transit policy applies at many ports and regions). This requires an onward ticket to a different country and entry through a participating port. It is genuinely useful for a trek bolted onto a longer Asia trip — but the eligible area and the paperwork are specific, so read the current rules carefully.

3. A standard tourist visa (L). Still the reliable route if you are not eligible for either of the above, or if you need a longer stay. Apply at a Chinese visa application centre in your country, allow two to four weeks, and expect to provide flights, accommodation and an itinerary.

What we need from you

For most trips: a clear photograph of your passport photo page and confirmation of your China entry status. For Tibet: considerably more, on a fixed deadline — see the Tibet permit page.

We do not provide visa invitation letters as a matter of course, but if your application requires one for a group trip, ask at enquiry and we will tell you whether it is possible for that departure.

Arriving and getting to the trailhead

Most of our trips start in a city, and the meeting point is stated on every trek page. Practical notes:

• Chengdu (CTU/TFU) is the gateway for almost all Sichuan trips. International flights direct from Southeast Asia are plentiful.
• Lijiang (LJG) and Kunming (KMG) for Yunnan, both with regional connections.
• Lhasa (LXA) for Tibet — you cannot board without the Tibet permit. Do not book this leg until the permit is confirmed.
• Urumqi (URC) for Xinjiang, a long domestic flight from anywhere.
• Zhengzhou (CGO) or high-speed rail from Beijing for the Taihang range.

We normally ask you to arrive one day before the trip start so that a delayed flight does not cost you the departure. On altitude trips this doubles as an acclimatisation buffer.

Insurance

Travel insurance with trekking cover is mandatory on every trip we sell, and it must cover your maximum altitude. A standard city-break policy will not pay for a helicopter evacuation from 4,500 m, and several will exclude the activity entirely.

Check three things in the policy wording: trekking covered, altitude limit above your trip maximum, and repatriation included. Send us the certificate before departure.

Customs, briefly

• Medication: bring prescription drugs in original packaging with the prescription. Some common medications are controlled in China — check before you fly.
• Satellite messengers: devices like inReach and some PLBs have restrictions in China. Declare or leave at home; do not assume.
• Drones: require registration and are restricted near many sites, monasteries and all of Tibet in practice. Simplest answer is not to bring one.

If your plans change

Entry rules, trek dates and permit calendars are three different clocks. If you are planning more than six months out, get the trip and the permit timeline fixed first, then book flights once the operator confirms the batch. That order saves people a lot of money every year.