Do citizens of New Zealand need a visa for China?
Last verified 9 October 2026 against official Chinese government sources.
Visa-free
No — citizens of New Zealand can enter China visa-free for up to 30 days for business, tourism, visiting family or friends, exchange visits and transit, under China's unilateral visa-free policy, currently in force until 31 December 2026. Work, study and journalism still need a visa.
All visa-free routes for passports from New Zealand
| Route | Stay | |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 30-day visa-free entry (unilateral) | Up to 30 days Policy end: 31 December 2026 |
| Yes | 240-hour visa-free transit | Up to 10 days, onward ticket to a third country/region required |
| Yes | Hainan 30-day visa-free | Up to 30 days, Hainan Province only |
30-day visa-free entry: the conditions
- Ordinary passport from New Zealand (not diplomatic or service).
- Purpose: business, tourism, visiting family or friends, exchange visits and transit.
- No onward ticket to a third country is needed — round trips are fine.
- Stay is counted from 00:00 the day after you arrive. Example: arrive 1 November 2026 → leave by the end of 1 December 2026.
- Ordinary passport only; 30 days counted from 00:00 the day after entry; no limit on number of entries. Work, study and journalism require a visa.
Source: gb.china-embassy.gov.cn
What if my trip is after 31 December 2026?
The unilateral visa-free policy is a trial that China has extended several times. It is currently set to end on 31 December 2026. Extensions are usually announced a few weeks before the deadline — we update this page when that happens. If you are booking travel after that date, check this page again before you fly.
240-hour visa-free transit
You may not need it, since the 30-day rule is simpler — but it is useful if your trip goes on to a third country.
- Must hold an ordinary passport of one of the 57 eligible countries.
- Must be genuinely in transit: travelling from country/region A, through mainland China, onward to a different country/region C.
- Departure and destination country/region must differ; a round trip A -> China -> A does NOT qualify (e.g., US -> Shanghai -> US).
- Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR and Taiwan count as a third region (e.g., US -> Beijing -> Hong Kong qualifies).
- Must hold a confirmed onward ticket (air, sea or rail) with fixed date and seat, departing within 240 hours.
- Passport/travel document must be valid for at least 3 months; documents bearing a Chinese visa-refusal stamp are ineligible.
- Ineligible if the person has illegal entry/exit, illegal stay or illegal employment records in China within the past 5 years, or is otherwise inadmissible under Chinese law.
- Must enter through one of the 65 designated ports; other ports do not apply. Exit is via the designated ports (Shenzhen Port Office additionally states exit is allowed via any other open port in Guangdong).
- Permitted activities: tourism, business, visits, family visits. Work, study and journalism require a visa obtained in advance.
- Must stay within the permitted areas of the 24 provinces; register accommodation (hotels do it; otherwise register with local police within 24 hours).
- Apply for the policy at the border inspection on arrival (airline also checks eligibility at check-in).
- The 240 hours (10 days) are counted from 00:00 on the day after entry. Example: enter on 1 January at any time -> the clock starts 2 January 00:00 and you must leave by 24:00 on 11 January. Extensions are only possible for emergencies via the local public security exit-entry office.
- Since 17 Dec 2024, travellers may move freely across provincial borders within the permitted stay areas of all 24 eligible provinces/regions/municipalities (not only the province of the entry port), and may exit from a different designated port. They must not leave the permitted areas (e.g., Tibet, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and non-listed cities in Shanxi, Jiangxi, Heilongjiang, Guangxi, Sichuan and Yunnan are excluded).
Example: fly from New Zealand to Shanghai on 1 November 2026, then on to Tokyo by the end of 11 November 2026. Flying straight back to New Zealand instead does not qualify.
Hainan 30-day visa-free
- Ordinary passport of one of the 61 listed countries.
- Individual travel allowed; no travel agency or group required.
- Enter and exit via any open port in Hainan Province.
- Stay within Hainan's administrative area, up to 30 days (counted from 00:00 the day after entry).
- Purposes: tourism, business, visits, family visits, medical treatment, exhibitions, sports competitions; not work or study.
Not covered by any visa-free route
Working, studying and journalism always require the matching visa, whatever your passport. Diplomatic and service passports follow separate rules.
FAQ
Do citizens of New Zealand need a visa for China in 2026?
No — citizens of New Zealand can enter China visa-free for up to 30 days for business, tourism, visiting family or friends, exchange visits and transit, under China's unilateral visa-free policy, currently in force until 31 December 2026. Work, study and journalism still need a visa.
How long can I stay in China without a visa on a passport from New Zealand?
Up to 30 days per entry, counted from 00:00 the day after you arrive.
Can citizens of New Zealand use China's 240-hour visa-free transit?
Yes. You must fly on to a different country or region (Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan count) within 240 hours, with a confirmed onward ticket, and enter through one of the designated ports.
Can I work or study in China without a visa?
No. Every visa-free route covers short visits only — tourism, business meetings, family visits and similar. Work needs a Z visa and study an X1 or X2 visa, obtained before you travel.