China Releases Full List of 50 Countries Whose Citizens Can Visit Visa-Free for 30 Days

• China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs published an updated list of 50 countries whose nationals can enter China without a visa for up to 30 days
• The visa-free policy covers travel purposes, including business, tourism, family visits, exchange visits, and transit
• No African country made the list, which includes nations from Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Oceania

China has released an official list of 50 countries whose nationals are permitted to enter the country without a visa, with no African nation included among the eligible states.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China published the updated list as of February 17, 2026, confirming that ordinary passport holders from qualifying countries may stay in China for up to 30 days per visit.

Which countries made the visa-free list

The policy applies to arrivals for business, tourism, visits to relatives and friends, exchange visits, or transit purposes. Below are the 50 countries whose citizens qualify for a 30-day visa-free entry into China:

Read also

China releases full list of 55 countries eligible for 240-hour visa-free transit

1. Andorra
2. Austria
3. Belgium
4. Bulgaria
5. Croatia
6. Cyprus
7. Denmark
8. Estonia
9. Finland
10. France
11. Germany
12. Greece
13. Hungary
14. Iceland
15. Ireland
16. Italy
17. Latvia
18. Liechtenstein
19. Luxembourg
20. Malta
21. Monaco
22. Montenegro
23. Netherlands
24. North Macedonia
25. Norway
26. Poland
27. Portugal
28. Romania
29. Russian Federation
30. Slovakia
31. Slovenia
32. Spain
33. Sweden
34. Switzerland
35. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
36. Australia
37. New Zealand
38. Bahrain
39. Brunei Darussalam
40. Japan
41. Kuwait
42. Oman
43. Republic of Korea
44. Saudi Arabia
45. Argentina
46. Brazil
47. Canada
48. Chile
49. Peru
50. Uruguay

According to the published policy, the 30-day duration is calculated from midnight (00:00) on the day following a traveller's entry into China.

China visa-free entry: No African country qualifies

The complete list spans 50 countries across four regions, yet the African continent does not appear anywhere in the document. Travellers from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, and every other African nation are therefore not covered by China's unilateral visa exemption policy and must continue to apply for visas through standard embassy and consulate channels before travelling to China.

Read also

South Korea announces 18 countries whose citizens are eligible for Smart Entry Service

In a similar report, Legit.ng published that China released the full list of 55 countries whose citizens are eligible for a 240-hour visa-free transit to the country.

China: Countries with visa-free December 2026 deadline

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that China announced its decision to end visa-free entry arrangements with 48 countries on 31 December 2026. The list includes major travel partners such as the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada and several European nations.

For now, citizens of the affected countries can still enter China on ordinary passports without securing a visa in advance. But unless new deals are announced, travellers planning trips after the deadline may have to return to the standard visa application process.

Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng