How long can you stay in China?

Visa required. US citizens need a visa before travelling to China; the stay allowed per entry is printed on the visa as the duration of each stay. They can use 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit with a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region, entering through one of 65 designated ports and staying inside the permitted areas.

30 days visa-free. Since 17 February 2026, UK ordinary passport holders can stay up to 30 days per entry without a visa, for business, tourism, visiting family or friends, or transit. The days are counted from the day after arrival. Canada, Australia and New Zealand get the same 30 days, and the policy runs until 31 December 2026.

30 days visa-free. Ordinary passport holders from 25 EU states can stay up to 30 days per entry without a visa, for business, tourism, visiting family or friends, exchanges or transit. The days are counted from the day after arrival. Czechia and Lithuania are not covered and need a visa, but they can use 240-hour visa-free transit. The current policy runs until 31 December 2026.

Visa required. Indian citizens need a visa before travelling to China; the stay allowed per entry is printed on the visa as the duration of each stay. India is not on the 30-day visa-free list or the 240-hour transit list.

You become tax resident after 183 days in a calendar year. You are a Chinese tax resident if you are domiciled in China, or if you spend 183 days or more there in a calendar year. For people without a domicile, only full 24-hour days in China count, so arrival and departure days are excluded. Non-domiciled residents are taxed on foreign income paid from abroad only after six consecutive 183-day years counted from 2019; one trip abroad of more than 30 days in any of those years restarts the count.

Holders of Chinese permanent residence must spend at least 3 months in China each year, or at least 1 year in any 5 years with approval, or their status can be cancelled.

Yes. The Noverstay app logs the country you’re in each day, also when it’s closed, and reminds you before your visa or tax limit. Only the country, city and date are stored.