China Visa-Free for German Citizens 2026

At a glance

• Duration: up to 30 days without a visa, counted from the day after entry.
• Valid until: 31 Dec 2026 (as of the latest extension, see sources).
• Purpose: business, tourism, visiting relatives/friends, exchanges, transit. Not for work, study, or journalism.
• Arrival card: fillable online in advance, or alternatively via QR-code scan or on paper on arrival.
• Registration: if staying at a hotel, the hotel handles registration automatically; for private accommodation you must register yourself within 24 hours.

Who can enter visa-free

The rule applies to holders of an ordinary German passport that remains valid for the duration of the planned stay. According to the embassy, the following entry purposes are covered: business, tourist travel, visiting relatives and friends, exchange visits, and transit.

Not covered are stays for the purpose of work, study, or journalistic activities – a regular visa is still required for those, regardless of the length of stay.

Germany is one of currently 50 countries covered by this unilateral visa-free entry (as of the embassy announcement dated 3 Nov 2025) – for most of these countries, including Germany, the rule runs until 31 Dec 2026.

Traveling with someone who holds a different passport (e.g. Swiss, Austrian, or US nationality)? Look up any nationality individually in the China Visa Checker.

How long you can stay

The 30-day period is counted in calendar days from the day after entry – according to the embassy, the day of entry itself doesn’t count. It doesn’t matter whether you enter as an individual or as part of a group; the rule applies equally.

Multiple entries within the validity period are possible – according to the embassy, there’s currently no limit on the number of entries. Each individual trip must not exceed 30 days.

The arrival card

Since 20 Nov 2025 you can fill in the arrival card online in advance: via the National Immigration Administration’s (NIA) portal, the “移民局12367” app, or a mini-program in WeChat or Alipay. This saves time at border control.

If you haven’t done that beforehand, that’s not a problem: at the airport or border crossing you can fill in the arrival card via QR-code scan with your smartphone, at a terminal on site, or the classic paper form. Some traveler groups (including holders of a Chinese permanent residence card for foreigners or certain group-visa arrangements) are exempt from the requirement entirely – but that doesn’t apply to most tourists traveling from Germany.

Overnight stays: the registration requirement

Under Chinese foreigner law (Exit and Entry Administration Law, Art. 39), every stay by a foreign guest must be reported to the local security authorities:

• Hotel/guesthouse: the accommodation handles registration automatically at check-in – you don’t need to do anything extra besides showing your passport.
• Private accommodation (e.g. with friends, relatives, or a private rental): you – or your host on your behalf – must register within 24 hours of arrival at the local police station (security bureau). Some regions have different deadlines for rural areas – if in doubt, ask locally.

If you want to stay longer

If the 30-day period isn’t enough, there are two paths:

1. Plan ahead: apply for a regular visa before the trip that matches your actual purpose and planned length of stay.
2. Extend on the ground: anyone who, for a valid and sufficient reason, only realizes after entering that they need to stay longer can apply for a residence permit at the relevant Exit-Entry Administration. This is not automatic – don’t plan on it as a fallback option, sort it out early instead.

240-hour transit: does it apply to you?

Alongside the 30-day visa-free entry, there’s a separate 240-hour transit rule (10 days) for nationals of other countries who are passing through to a third country. For German citizens this rule is usually not relevant in practice: the regular visa-free entry already includes “transit” as an entry purpose and, at up to 30 days, allows a significantly longer stay than the 240-hour rule.

Sources

All information on this page is based on the following official sources (accessed: 30 Jul 2026):

• Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Germany – Announcement on the extension of unilateral visa-free entry, 3 Nov 2025
• Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Germany – FAQ on visa-free entry, 13 Nov 2025
• China Visa Application Service Center – Announcement on the online arrival card, 20 Nov 2025
• National Immigration Administration (NIA) – Explanation of the 240-hour transit rule
• National Immigration Administration (NIA) – Explanation of the accommodation registration requirement

Policy rules can change at short notice. This page is checked monthly – the date of the last check is shown above next to the title.