Check all Travel Visa Requirements for Chinese Citizens

Visa Requirements for Chinese Citizens

Visa requirements for Chinese nationals are the rules and regulations surrounding the mandatory entry authorization (if any) that each country around the globe has in place for citizens of China who wish to travel there.

In terms of travel freedom, the Chinese passport is currently ranked 72nd by the Henley Passport Index, enabling holders to enter over 70 countries without a visa or by obtaining a visa on arrival.

Visa requirements for Chinese citizens vary from country to country. Many sovereign states have different visas or travel authorizations depending on the length and purpose of the stay.

Nationals of China enjoy visa exemption for certain countries and may enter with their passport alone. There is usually a limit on the length of time they can stay without a visa (typically between 30 and 90 days).

Various countries have an electronic visa (eVisa) with a streamlined application process that can be done via the internet. This makes visiting these destinations easier for Chinese travelers. Like visas on arrival, eVisas are usually for the purposes of short-term stays for tourism or business.

Several other sovereign states allow Chinese visitors to obtain a visa on arrival. Similarly, these tend to be valid for short stays, while different types of consular visa may be required for longer stays.

In order to visit a number of states, citizens of China must go to an embassy belonging to their destination country and apply in person for a consular visa.

If a Chinese national plans to live and/or work in another country, in most cases they will require a long-term visa and one or more additional permits, which can be obtained from an embassy.

List of Visa Countries for Chinese Passport Holders

Chinese travelers require one type of visa or another for entry to over 200 countries around the world.

A number of these states have made eVisas available to Chinese nationals to facilitate quick applications and make visiting easier due to the size of the tourist market that mainland China represents.

There are various types of visas for Chinese travelers, depending on the purpose of travel. Some countries have a separate tourist visa, business visa, student visa, work visa, and transit visa.

Most eVisas and electronic travel authorizations (ETAs) cover both tourism and business trips, with many also covering transit. However, for some countries, an eVisa is only for Chinese tourists, with a separate business visa for Chinese businessmen.

Certain types of visas, particularly work and residence visas, can only be obtained at an embassy.

Although Chinese passports entitle the holder to enter over 20 countries without a visa, many other sovereign states and territories ask that visitors from China meet their visa requirements.

Below is a map of all the countries for which a citizen of China must apply for a visa in order to visit.

Electronic Travel Visa Authorization

Electronic Travel Visa Authorization systems allow travelers to apply for either an electronic visa (eVisa) or register for a visa waiver online. These systems mean that Chinese nationals can avoid having to go to an embassy to apply for a visa in person.

Around 40 countries have an eVisa system available for which travelers from China are eligible. The applicant must complete an online visa application form, which usually involves submitting their basic personal details, passport information, and a contact email address.

Many online visa requirements for Chinese citizens also include answering a few questions on topics such as health and previous travel for security purposes.

The approved digital visa or confirmation of approval is sent to the applicant by email. An eVisa is usually linked to the Chinese visitor’s passport, although some countries may require them to bring a printed copy as well.

As a rule, eVisas allow the holder to visit the destination for short stays. This may vary from 2 weeks to 3 months, depending on the country.

Some countries have eVisas that allow Chinese citizens to make multiple visits, while others permit a single entry only.

A number of sovereign states have similar online systems for visa waivers. These are often referred to as electronic travel authorizations (ETAs). More streamlined than eVisas, these systems require visa-exempt foreign nationals to register their details in order to pre-screen visitors for security purposes.

Consult the list below for all the destinations that have an eVisa, ETA, or EVUS available for Chinese travelers.

Visa On Arrival

Visas on arrival for Chinese citizens are travel documents that can be acquired at the border of the destination country, either at an airport after disembarking an aircraft, at a seaport if arriving by ship, or at a land border crossing checkpoint.

A visa on arrival for some countries may only be available at certain ports of entry to the state.

There are often long lines for the visa on arrival application form, which must then be completed by the Chinese national and processed by border officials, meaning that the traveler must spend some time waiting before they are allowed into the country.

In some cases, the applicant may have to pay the fee in the local currency. Paying by credit or debit card is not always possible in certain countries.

Several countries that issue visas on arrival for Chinese citizens also have eVisas available, which allow the traveler to apply in advance and therefore avoid long lines at the border.

Visas on arrival for Chinese visitors tend to allow a stay in the sovereign state of between 14 and 90 days, depending on the country.

Check the list below for all the countries where travelers from China can obtain a visa on arrival.

Bangladesh
Bolivia
Brunei Darussalam
Comoros
Gabon
Guinea-Bissau
Lebanon
Macau
Mauritania
Mozambique
Palau
Samoa
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Somalia
Timor-Leste
Tonga
Tuvalu
United Arab Emirates

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Embassy Visa Required

An embassy visa for Chinese travelers is a passport stamp or a physical document that allows the individual to enter a certain country, which must be obtained from an embassy or consulate belonging to that sovereign state.

Embassy (or consular) visas must be acquired by the Chinese citizen before they depart for their destination and must be presented to a border control official upon arrival along with their passport.

Chinese nationals can apply for embassy visas by making an appointment at the nearest diplomatic mission of the destination country and completing an application form. Many sovereign states require foreign travelers, including Chinese citizens, to attend an interview at the embassy before the visa can be approved.

Various supporting documents may be required, including, but not limited to, the traveler’s Chinese passport.

Depending on the country, embassy visas can take a number of weeks to process, so Chinese citizens are advised to apply well in advance of their intended date of departure.

In some cases, an embassy may be the only way for a Chinese national to obtain a tourist visa or business visa for the destination. However, only embassies can issue a work visa, student visa, or residence visa for most countries.

See the list below for sovereign states that require Chinese travelers to apply for an embassy visa for any visit.

Afghanistan
Aland Islands
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Antarctica
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Belize
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bonaire
Botswana
Brazil
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Canada
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
Christmas Island
Cocos Islands
Congo
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
Curacao
Czech Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Denmark
El Salvador
Eritrea
Estonia
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Finland
France
French Guiana
French Polynesia
Gambia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Guadeloupe
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guyana
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Iraq
Ireland
Isle of Man
Israel
Italy
Japan
Jersey
Kiribati
Latvia
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mayotte
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Namibia
Nauru
Netherlands
New Caledonia
Nicaragua
Niger
Niue
Norfolk Island
North Korea
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn Islands
Poland
Portugal
Republic of Cyprus
Reunion
Romania
Saint Barthelemy
Saint Helena
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
San Marino
Seychelles
Sint Maarten
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Korea
Spain
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Syrian Arab Republic
Taiwan
Thailand
Tokelau
Trinidad and Tobago
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands
United Kingdom
Uruguay
Vatican City
Venezuela
Wallis and Futuna
Yemen

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Visa Not Required

Chinese nationals may visit a number of countries without a visa. In most cases, visa exemption is limited by length of stay.

For some sovereign states, the maximum length of time a Chinese citizen may remain in the country visa-free is 7 days; for others, it is 3 months.

If the Chinese visitor intends to stay longer than the allotted time limit, they must apply for the relevant type of visa instead. This usually means that they must visit the diplomatic offices (embassy) of the country they plan to travel to.

Over 20 different sovereign states permit Chinese nationals to enter without a visa for short stays.

Some Countries only allow visitors from China to enter without a visa if they meet certain conditions.

For countries where a visa is not required, Chinese travelers simply have to present their passport at border control to enter the destination country.

Find the countries for which nationals of China are visa-exempt in the list below.