Know before you go: China

China’s unilateral visa-free policy has expanded steadily. As of 2026, roughly 50 nationalities can enter mainland China without a visa for stays of up to 30 days for tourism, business, family visits, exchanges, or transit, with the current arrangement running through 31 December 2026. As of February 17, 2026, ordinary passport holders from the United Kingdom and Canada can enter mainland China and stay up to 30 days with no visa at all, bringing the list to 50 countries, with the whole scheme running through December 31, 2026. Notably, the United States is not currently on this list, so American passport holders still need to apply for a standard visa.

There is also a separate transit option: citizens of 57 eligible countries (Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam were added on 20 August 2026), including the US, UK, and most of Europe, can stay in China up to 10 days without a visa while transiting to a third country or region.

Practical entry notes for visa-free travellers:

• Your passport must be valid for at least six months and have two blank pages, and you must register with the local Public Security Bureau within 24 hours of arrival if you are not staying in a hotel (hotels register you automatically).
• The 30-day period is calculated from the day after entry, and those intending to stay longer generally need the appropriate visa or, in qualifying circumstances, must apply for an extension in China.
• Overstaying is taken seriously: overstays incur fines of RMB 500 per day and can trigger bans of up to five years, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan have their own distinct entry requirements and are not covered by this mainland policy.

Because eligibility lists and dates shift frequently, always confirm your specific nationality’s status, exact permitted stay, and required documents directly with the National Immigration Administration or your nearest Chinese embassy/consulate before booking flights.

Domestic transport in China is fast, cheap by comparison to the West, and increasingly foreigner-friendly.

• High-speed rail is the backbone of long-distance travel. Book through the official 12306 platform or its app; note that tickets go on sale 15 days before departure, but the release time differs by station (for example 8:00, 10:00 or 13:30), so check your departure station’s time in the 12306 app, and popular routes can vanish within minutes.
• City metros in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and other major cities are extensive, English-signed, and accept mobile QR payment; many visitors report that in major cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, and Chengdu, Alipay works for convenience stores, coffee shops, restaurants, and metro and transport mini-apps in some cities.
• Ride-hailing: Didi is the dominant app; some listings mention it explicitly as the go-to for taxis, especially during busy periods.
• Set up a payment app before you need transport, since many small restaurants and metro ticket machines only accept Chinese payment apps.
• For flights and trains during holiday periods, book well ahead: international flights should be booked 3 to 6 months ahead for Spring Festival or Golden Week, and hotels the same, especially in tourist towns.

The currency is the Renminbi (RMB/yuan). China is largely a mobile-payment society, but the barriers for foreign visitors have dropped substantially in 2026.

• Since late 2023, Alipay allows foreigners to link a Visa or Mastercard directly without needing a Chinese bank account or a Chinese phone number, and it has opened to travellers from the US, EU, UK, Australia, and most other nationalities. WeChat Pay has followed a similar path.
• Fees are manageable for typical tourist spending: single transactions of 200 RMB or less carry a 0% cross-border handling fee, covering most meals, coffee, metro rides and taxi fares, while transactions over 200 RMB incur a fixed 3% fee.
• Limits for verified foreign users are generous: Alipay’s direct-binding option caps single payments at roughly ¥35,000 and totals near ¥350,000 per year for passport-verified users.
• Despite the cashless culture, keep a small cash buffer; guides commonly suggest carrying 100 to 300 RMB in cash for small stalls, taxi edge cases, or network failures.
• International Visa/Mastercard plastic still works in places, but international cards are usually accepted in high-end hotels and tourist restaurants and shops, but far less in small local places, so a set-up mobile wallet is genuinely worth the ten minutes it takes.

Budget-wise, costs vary hugely by city and season; Golden Week and Spring Festival push hotel and flight prices up sharply, while shoulder-season travel is markedly cheaper.

China’s size means “best time” depends on region, but two windows are consistently recommended nationwide: spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October), for clear skies and comfortable walking weather.

Autumn in particular stands out: from October, after Golden Week ends on October 7, Beijing runs 10–20°C with clear skies, Shanghai sits at 18–25°C, and mid-October is widely considered the sweet spot.

Avoid, or plan carefully around, China’s two mass travel holidays:

• National Day “Golden Week,” 1–7 October 2026, is a settled seven-day block, and it is widely called the single worst time to visit China as a tourist, with real crowds, higher prices, and stress. If you must travel then, arriving 8 October or later gets you autumn weather with post-holiday emptiness.
• Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), which moves with the lunar calendar, sees similarly enormous domestic travel volumes and sold-out trains.

Summer (July–August) brings serious heat on the eastern plains: on the eastern plains, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, July and August mean 30–38°C with high humidity. Winter suits northern snow destinations (Harbin) and southern beach escapes (Sanya) rather than general sightseeing in the big eastern cities.

China does not use a single unified emergency number like 911 or 112; instead, dial the specific service you need:

• Police: 110
• Ambulance (medical): 120
• Fire: 119
• Traffic accidents: 122

You call the specific service directly, police 110, medical ambulance 120, fire 119, traffic accidents 122; there is no equivalent of 911, 999, or 112. These core numbers are free to call: Police is 110, Fire Alarm is 119, First-aid Ambulance is 120, and 110, 120 and 119 are free calls. 110 may be used for all emergencies and is the first number to call if you are unsure which service you need.

English-language support on these lines is inconsistent outside major cities; Beijing and Shanghai have English-language tourist assistance lines, but for the main emergency numbers, English support is inconsistent. Practical tips: have your hotel staff call on your behalf, use a translation app or a written note of your situation in Chinese, and keep your embassy’s emergency contact number saved offline. For a lost or stolen passport, report to local police (110) first to get a loss report, then contact your embassy.

General safety in China is good by international standards for violent crime, though petty scams around tourist sites and taxi/ride-hailing overcharging do occur; standard travel precautions apply.