China Entry Options for Medical Travelers

30-day visa-free entry

How long the policy runs

• Brunei: no end date.
• Russia: until December 31, 2027.
• The other 48 countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the listed EU states: until December 31, 2026.
• As of October 14, 2026, we found no official announcement extending the policy beyond December 31, 2026 for these 48 countries. If you plan to travel after 2026, check with your Chinese embassy or consulate.

Rules

• Passport: you need a valid ordinary passport. Travel documents, temporary passports, and emergency passports do not qualify, and the passport must be valid for the whole trip.
• Permitted purposes: business, tourism, visiting family or friends, exchange visits, and transit. Medical treatment is not one of the listed purposes. If treatment is the main reason for your trip, ask your Chinese embassy or consulate which visa you need.
• Length of stay: up to 30 days, counted from the day after you enter.
• Multiple entries: allowed. There is currently no limit on the number of entries or total days, as long as your activities match your stated purpose.
• What to carry: officials recommend bringing documents that match your purpose, such as invitation letters and flight and hotel bookings.
• Staying longer than 30 days: apply in advance for a visa that matches your purpose. If a good reason to stay longer comes up after you have entered, see the section on longer treatment below.

240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit

This route is available to ordinary US passports, and to the other passports listed here. It is a transit permission, not a medical visa.

Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan were added on August 20, 2026. The published list covers 57 countries.

Conditions

• An ordinary passport valid for at least 3 months.
• A confirmed onward ticket, with a fixed date and seat, from China to a third country or region, departing within 240 hours.
• You must meet the entry requirements of your onward destination.
• You must fill in an arrival card.
• You may stay up to 240 hours (10 days). For the exact way your stay is counted, check with the border officer or call +86-12367.

Where you can go

You may stay within the permitted areas, which include all of Guangdong Province (Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and other cities). Tourism, business, visits, and family visits are allowed. Work, study, and journalism require a visa.

Guangdong entry ports for 240-hour transit (10)

1. Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport
2. Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport
3. Jieyang Chaoshan International Airport
4. Nansha Port (passenger)
5. Shekou Port (passenger)
6. Guangzhou Pazhou Ferry Terminal
7. Zhongshan Port (passenger)
8. Hengqin Port
9. Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge Port (Zhuhai)
10. Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Express Rail Link, West Kowloon Station Port

Ports 6 to 10 were added on November 5, 2025.

Exits

You may leave from any open port in Guangdong. Shenzhen’s land crossings to Hong Kong, such as Luohu and Futian, are not on the 240-hour entry list.

Hong Kong and the “third country or region” rule

• Under Chinese law, Hong Kong and Macao are separate from the Chinese mainland for border purposes. Coming into the mainland from Hong Kong counts as an entry, and going from the mainland to Hong Kong counts as an exit (Exit and Entry Administration Law, Article 89).
• The 240-hour policy requires travel from China to a third country or region. Your onward destination therefore has to be different from the place you came from.
• Round trips do not qualify. Examples: Hong Kong → Shenzhen → Hong Kong, or United States → Guangzhou → United States.
• Before you book, confirm your exact itinerary with the National Immigration Administration hotline +86-12367 or your nearest Chinese embassy or consulate.

Applying for a visa (L or S2)

L (tourist) visa, applying in the United States

• Since January 1, 2024, Chinese diplomatic missions in the United States no longer require round-trip flight bookings, hotel bookings, an itinerary, or an invitation letter for L visas.
• Applications are still decided case by case, and the consulate may ask for more documents.

S2 (private affairs, up to 180 days)

The S2 visa is issued for visiting family members, or for other private matters. Chinese visa centers list medical-treatment documents under S2.

• A certificate or acceptance letter from the Chinese hospital, for example a hospitalization or pre-admission certificate.
• For accompanying family members: proof of relationship, plus a letter from the same hospital.
• Some centers ask for more. London also asks for a bank statement, and Tokyo limits companions to two.
• Requirements differ by country. Check with the Chinese embassy, consulate, or visa center that serves you.

Passport for visa applications

The London and Tokyo visa-center pages require at least 6 months of validity and 2 blank visa pages.

Accompanying family members

• Visa-free entry or transit: each companion must qualify on their own passport. Minors follow the same rules as adults (Canada embassy FAQ Q3; Sweden embassy FAQ Q3).
• S2 visa for treatment: ask the hospital for a letter for each companion. See the S2 section above.

If treatment takes longer than planned

• You entered visa-free and have a good reason to stay longer, such as medical treatment: apply for a stay permit (停留证件) at the exit-entry administration of the local public security bureau, for example in Shenzhen or Guangzhou.
• You hold a visa: apply for an extension at least 7 days before the stay permitted on your visa ends. The total extension cannot be longer than the stay originally granted on the visa.
• Documents: for both kinds of application, bring your passport, the application form, a photo, and proof of your reason for staying, such as a letter from the hospital. The local public security bureau will confirm the exact documents and how long processing takes.

Entering via Hong Kong

Hong Kong has its own entry rules. Visa-free visitor stays in Hong Kong for ordinary passports:

Crossing from Hong Kong into Shenzhen is an entry into the Chinese mainland. You need visa-free eligibility, a qualifying 240-hour transit itinerary, or a mainland visa.

Checklist: what to bring

• An ordinary passport valid for the whole trip. Check the extra validity rules: at least 3 months for 240-hour transit, and at least 6 months plus 2 blank pages if you are applying for a visa at the London or Tokyo centers.
• A visa, or proof that you qualify for visa-free entry or 240-hour transit.
• 240-hour transit only: a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region.
• Hotel bookings and flight bookings (recommended).
• Your hospital appointment confirmation or invitation letter. If you are travelling on an S2 visa, bring the hospital certificate.
• Arrival card: since November 20, 2025 you can fill it in online before you travel, through National Immigration Administration channels (the NIA website, the “移民局12367” app, or WeChat and Alipay mini-programs).
• Where you stay: hotels register foreign guests with the police. If you stay in a private home, you or your host must register with the local police within 24 hours of arrival (Exit and Entry Administration Law, Article 39).
• US citizens: the US State Department notes that China does not accept the US emergency passport for visa-free entry.

Need help?

• National Immigration Administration service hotline: +86-12367
• Your nearest Chinese embassy or consulate
• For anything this page does not cover, or if your situation is unusual, please consult your local Chinese embassy or consulate.