Do you need a China visa?
China currently grants 30-day visa-free entry to ordinary-passport holders from 50 countries under its unilateral policy, while additional countries qualify through bilateral agreements. Eight other nationalities can use the 240-hour transit exemption but do not qualify for either 30-day category. Here's what applies to the trek, based on the passport you hold.
Families with any member needing a visa pay no deposit. Submit your application before the Early Bird deadline to lock the rate, apply for your visas, and pay one full family payment only after approval. If a visa is denied, you've paid us nothing.
Australia 🇦🇺, New Zealand 🇳🇿, the UK 🇬🇧, Ireland 🇮🇪, Canada 🇨🇦, Japan 🇯🇵, South Korea 🇰🇷, Brazil 🇧🇷, Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦, and most EU passports qualify under China's current unilateral policy. Singapore 🇸🇬, Malaysia 🇲🇾, Thailand 🇹🇭, the UAE 🇦🇪, Qatar 🇶🇦, Serbia 🇷🇸, and others qualify through bilateral ordinary-passport agreements. The trek is 4 nights; check the official list for your passport below.
India is not on the visa-free or transit lists, so each traveler needs an L visa. Applications open ~3 months before departure: from Aug 11 for the November cohort, from Sept 2 / 9 / 27 for December cohorts. And here's our promise: you pay us nothing until your visa is approved — no deposit, one full payment after approval. Apply first to lock the Early Bird rate, then start your visa.
United States, Mexico, Indonesia, Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan, Czech Republic, Lithuania, and Ukraine. These passports do not qualify for China's unilateral 30-day policy or an ordinary-passport bilateral waiver, but they can use the 240-hour (10-day) transit exemption when arriving from one country or region and departing to a different one. A regular tourist visa also works.
Check the lists below or your local Chinese embassy. If you need an L visa, the timeline and pay-after-approval terms above apply to you.
30-day visa-free entry
There are two separate routes to 30-day visa-free entry. Do not use the transit list to determine whether a direct round trip is visa-free.
Unilateral policy — 50 countries
Europe (35): France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovenia, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, Russia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
Asia (7): Brunei, South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
Oceania (2): Australia and New Zealand.
Americas (6): Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, and Canada.
Except for Brunei and Russia, the official FAQ says the current unilateral waivers run through December 31, 2026. Russia runs through December 31, 2027; Brunei has no stated expiry.
Bilateral ordinary-passport agreements
Additional passports qualify through reciprocal agreements rather than the 50-country unilateral policy. Examples include Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the UAE, Qatar, Belarus, Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.
Serbia belongs in this category, not the transit-only category. China's official agreement table shows the ordinary-passport waiver took effect on January 15, 2017.
Agreement terms and permitted stay lengths vary. Confirm your passport and trip purpose in the official bilateral-agreement table linked below.
The 240-hour (10-day) transit option
China's National Immigration Administration currently lists 57 nationalities as eligible for visa-free transit of up to 240 hours when traveling onward to a third country or region. Most also qualify for 30-day entry under another policy. The eight nationalities that rely on this transit exemption alone are United States, Mexico, Indonesia, Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan, Czech Republic, Lithuania, and Ukraine. The rules:
- Your flight into China departs from one country, and your onward flight leaves China for a different country or region. US → Beijing → Seoul works (then home from Seoul); so does US → Beijing → Hong Kong, since Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan count as separate regions for this policy. A short family stopover on the way home does the trick.
- You'll show your onward ticket at immigration and receive a temporary entry stamp.
- 240 hours = 10 days, so the 5-day trek fits with room to spare.
See the 240-hour transit countries
Americas: United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile.
Oceania: Australia, New Zealand.
Asia & Middle East: Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Brunei, UAE, Qatar, Indonesia, Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan.
Europe: 40 countries including the UK, Ireland, all major EU states, Norway, Switzerland, Serbia, and others.
Applying for a tourist (L) visa
Our group hotel booking will be finalized later. For your visa paperwork, book your own refundable accommodation with free cancellation and use that booking confirmation. Keep it until you have replacement hotel documentation for the trek.
- When: applications open about 3 months before travel — from Aug 11, 2026 (November cohort) or Sept 2 / 9 / 27 (December cohorts). Start as soon as your window opens, and no later than one month before travel.
- How long it takes: once submitted, consulates typically process in ~4 business days (express service: 2–3 days for a small extra fee). The full journey — the online COVA application form, an appointment, and passport handling — realistically takes a few weeks, which is why we say start early.
- What it costs: fees vary by nationality. US citizens currently pay a reduced US$68 (normally US$140) for a 10-year multiple-entry visa when applying directly at a consulate — reduced pricing runs through Dec 31, 2026; visa application centers (CVASC) add service fees on top. Check your local consulate's fee table for other nationalities.
- Do you need an agent? Usually not. If you live near a Chinese consulate or visa application center, applying yourself is straightforward: fill in the COVA form online, book an appointment, drop off your passport. Paid agents mostly earn their fee when you live far from a center and need mail-in logistics.
- What you'll need: passport (6+ months validity beyond return), photos, itinerary and hotel details — we provide trek confirmation documents for your application.
- Our pay-after-approval promise: families with any member needing a visa pay no deposit. Submit your application before the Early Bird deadline to lock the rate, apply for your visas, and pay one full family payment only after approval.
• National Immigration Administration: unilateral visa-free list — 50 countries, updated February 17, 2026
• National Immigration Administration: 240-hour transit policy — 57 countries, updated August 20, 2026
• China Consular Service: unilateral visa-free FAQ
• China Consular Service: bilateral visa-waiver agreements — updated May 29, 2026
• Your local Chinese embassy or visa application service center (CVASC)
Visa policy changes frequently. This page was last verified in August 2026 against the official sources above; always confirm your own passport's status before booking flights. Questions? [loading]