Common outdated claims about visiting China

China's travel rules have shifted a lot since 2023, and plenty of older posts haven't caught up. Here's how each rule used to work, and what the official pages say now.

Is China's visa-free transit still 72 or 144 hours?

Transit stay. Often said: Visa-free transit is 72 or 144 hours. Now: 240 hours (10 days), since 17 Dec 2024. For 57 countries, with an onward ticket to a third country (1 · 2).

Visa-free transit used to come in two sizes: 72 or 144 hours (2). Plenty of guides still quote them.

On 17 December 2024 the National Immigration Administration (NIA) swapped both for a single 240-hour stay. It also raised the number of ports from 39 to 60, and the provinces you can travel in from 19 to 24. At that point 54 countries were eligible (2).

On 20 August 2026 Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam joined, making 57 countries, with 65 ports in 24 provincial-level regions (3 · 1).

The "transit" part still matters: you need an onward ticket with a confirmed seat and date to a third country or region (1 · 3). And the clock starts at 00:00 on the day after you land (3).

Our Visa page has the full 57-country transit list and how the 240-hour clock is counted.

Photo: An overhead sign at Shanghai Pudong airport pointing foreigners left and Chinese nationals straight on, in Chinese and English. Pudong airport: foreign passports go left (2018). Credit: MNXANL · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons.

Is visa-free entry still 15 days?

Visa-free stay. Often said: Visa-free entry is 15 days. Now: 30 days, for listed countries, since 30 Nov 2024. US passports are not on the list (5 · 4).

The current wave of one-sided visa-free entry began as a trial on 1 December 2023: ordinary passport holders from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia could stay up to 15 days (16).

From 30 November 2024, stays went from 15 days to 30, and nine more countries, Japan among them, joined, making 38 (5). By 17 February 2026 the NIA's list named 50 (4). For 48 of them, the policy currently runs to 31 December 2026; Russia's runs to 31 December 2027, and Brunei's has no end date (6).

Not on it, like the US (4)? The 240-hour transit above may still work for you.

Our Visa page has the full 30-day list, the countries with mutual visa exemption, and your options if your passport is on neither.

Photo: Travellers queue in a wide hall under a blue 'China Immigration Inspection' sign, with a green 'Foreigner' lane sign in the middle. Foreigners' lanes at Beijing Capital Airport border control, departures side (2018). Credit: N509FZ · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons.

Can I buy Forbidden City tickets on the day?

Forbidden City. Often said: Buy a ticket at the gate on the day. Now: Officially, no tickets on the day. Book on the museum's website or mini program from 20:00 China time, 7 days ahead, with your passport (7 · 8).

The Palace Museum, better known as the Forbidden City, was completed in 1420 and was home to 24 Ming and Qing emperors. Today it holds more than 1.5 million items or sets of relics (17). If it's on your list, you're in good company. 🏯

The official rule: the museum does not sell tickets on the day of your visit (8). Booking opens at 20:00, 7 days before the date, and foreign visitors book with their passport. One ID gets one ticket per day (7). It's closed on Mondays, except public holidays (8).

Our Forbidden City page has opening hours, prices for each season, and the walk to the Meridian Gate entrance (Forbidden City).

From our own visits

We've tried it in person, and as foreigners at the ticket office there is some chance of getting a same-day ticket. But it has never been an official route, and the museum doesn't recognise it. We get it: you've come all this way. If you'd like to try, go for it — but keep your hopes low, know it can fail, and have another plan for the day.

You'll also see people online offering a ticket that "gets you in" on the day. We checked: they take you to the window and have you buy the ticket yourself with your own passport, because only a foreign visitor buying in person stands a chance. Those same-day offers are charging you for what you don't know yet. Take a careful look before you pay anyone.

Photo: Meridian Gate at the south entrance of the Palace Museum. (Forbidden City) Credit: Morio · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons.

Can foreigners buy Terracotta Army tickets at the gate?

Terracotta Army. Often said: Foreigners can walk up and buy. Now: Officially online only. Real-name booking; the original passport is accepted. Adult ¥120 (9).

The Terracotta Army belongs to the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the Qin dynasty. The figures were found in March 1974, and in 1987 the mausoleum and the pits joined UNESCO's World Heritage List (19). Its three pits hold over 7,000 life-size warriors and horses (18).

The museum's ticketing notice, dated 21 April 2023, says every visitor, foreigners included, books online under their real name, on the museum's website or the WeChat accounts 秦始皇帝陵博物院 or 兵马俑票务在线. You show your original passport at the gate, and an adult ticket is ¥120 (9). The notice does not mention on-site machines or a Chinese phone number (9).

Some travellers report buying at the office anyway, so treat that as a fallback, not a plan (Terracotta Army).

Our Terracotta Army page has the metro-and-bus route from Xi'an and check-in times by season.

Photo: Ranks of terracotta warriors standing in the earth trenches of Pit 1, with horses at lower right and the viewing walkway at the top. Terracotta warriors, Pit 1. Credit: shankar s. from Dubai, united arab emirates · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons.

Do I still have to reserve for the Shanghai Museum?

Shanghai Museum. Often said: Shanghai Museum needs no reservation (from 1 Sept 2025). Now: Depends on the building, since 9 Jul 2026. East: no reservation for individual visitors. People's Square: book ahead if you can (10 · 11 · 12).

This one was true for a while. From 1 September 2025, individual visitors could walk into the People's Square building, though the notice kept reservations for major exhibitions (12).

Then one arrived. Until 14 November 2027, People's Square shows only the Americas exhibition. Individual visitors may book ahead on the museum's WeChat mini program, or on trip.com from overseas, and the on-site office sells only what is left (10 · Shanghai Museum).

Shanghai Museum East needs no reservation for individual visitors, but its Curio-City and Digital Gallery still do (11). People's Square closes on Mondays, East on Tuesdays, except national holidays (Shanghai Museum · Museum East).

Our Shanghai Museum East page has the metro exit, what to see first, and the rooms you book separately.

Photo: The entrance area at Shanghai Museum East shortly after opening in September 2024, with a visitor queue. Shanghai Museum East entrance and queue, September 2024. (Museum East) Credit: 向史公哲曰 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons.

Do I need a Chinese bank account for Alipay or WeChat Pay?

Paying. Often said: You need a Chinese bank account. Now: No. Link a foreign card. Alipay also accepts an overseas phone number (13 · 14).

The apps feel very local, so it's easy to assume. But visitors can link an eligible card issued outside the Chinese mainland to Alipay or WeChat Pay without opening a Chinese bank account (13). You can also register Alipay with an overseas number before you arrive (14).

Payments of ¥200 or less are generally fee-free; above that, a 3% fee may apply (13). Beijing reports a similar waiver for WeChat Pay under ¥200 (15). Set it up at home, then just scan and go.

Our Paying page walks you through Alipay setup step by step, with fees, limits and when cash helps.

Photo: A counter sticker with two QR codes, one for WeChat and one for Alipay Wallet, with Chinese and English instructions. WeChat and Alipay QR codes at a shop counter: you scan with your own app (2017). Credit: Harald Groven · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons.

Rules checked against the official pages listed below on 2026-10-10; background sources read on 2026-10-11. "From our own visits" is our team's own experience, not an official rule. Spotted something out of date? Write to will@chinafootnotes.com.

Sources

Numbers in brackets point to these sources; place names point to our place pages, which carry their own sources and check dates. Published 2026-10-10, updated 2026-10-11. Checked 2026-10-10.

Cover picture: A needle repairs a frayed travel tapestry, turning faded airplane and paper-ticket stitching into a green thread linking a mobile ticket and bank card, in an embroidered landscape.