Pre-Entry
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China Visa-Free Entry: Rules for 30+ Countries
Complete guide to China's unilateral visa-free policy. Find out if your country qualifies, how long you can stay, what documents you need, and which activities are allowed under the 30-day visa-free entry.
How to Apply for a China Visa: Complete Step-by-Step
Step-by-step guide to applying for a Chinese visa. Covers visa types (L, M, F, Z, X), required documents, processing times, fees, and common rejection reasons — based on 2026 official procedures.
Required Documents for Entering China: Checklist
Complete checklist of documents needed to enter China in 2026. Covers visa-free entry, visa holders, transit passengers, and what border officers may ask for at immigration.
China Customs: Prohibited & Restricted Items
Complete list of items you cannot bring into China, including restricted goods and duty-free allowances for cigarettes, alcohol, and cash. Based on China Customs 2026 regulations.
Bringing Cash into China: Declaration Rules
How much cash you can bring into China legally. Covers RMB limits, foreign currency declaration thresholds, what happens if you fail to declare, and how to fill out the customs form.
China Transit Visa: 24/72/144-Hour Rules
Complete guide to China's transit visa-free policies: 24-hour, 144-hour, and 240-hour options. Which countries qualify, which ports participate, how long you can stay, and where you can go.
China Health Declaration Form: Online Guide
How to complete China's online Health Declaration Form before arrival. Step-by-step guide with screenshots, QR code requirements, and what happens if you forget to submit it.
Border Crossing
3
China Immigration Process: Step by Step at the Airport
What happens when you land in China: immigration check, fingerprint scanning, questions officers may ask, and how to move through the airport efficiently as a foreign traveler.
China Customs: Red and Green Channel Explained
How China's customs inspection works at the airport. Which items require the Red Channel (Goods to Declare), what happens in the Green Channel, and how baggage X-ray screening operates.
Can Foreigners Use E-Gate at China Airports?
Whether foreigners can use automated e-gates at Chinese airports for immigration. Requirements, eligibility, which airports have them, and what to do if the e-gate rejects you.
First 72 Hours
6
China Temporary Accommodation Registration: Complete Guide
How to register your accommodation in China as a foreigner within 24 hours of arrival. Covers hotel automatic registration, private residence registration at police stations, online registration in pilot provinces, and penalties for failing to register.
Buy a SIM Card at China Airports: Complete Guide
Step-by-step guide to buying a Chinese SIM card at major airports. Which carriers are available, what documents you need, typical prices, and how to avoid tourist-trap stalls.
Best eSIM for China Travel: Options and Setup
Compare the best eSIM options for China travel in 2026. Covers data-only vs. data+voice plans, how to activate, which providers work reliably, and common pitfalls to avoid.
How to Set Up Alipay with a Foreign Card
Step-by-step guide to linking a foreign Visa, Mastercard, or Amex card to Alipay for use in China. No Chinese bank account needed. Covers setup, common binding failures, TourCard backup, and 2026 transaction limits.
WeChat Pay for Foreigners: Setup Guide
How to set up WeChat Pay with a foreign Visa or Mastercard for use in China. Covers wallet region switching, passport verification, card binding, common error fixes, and transaction limits.
Is Cash Still Accepted in China?
Whether cash is still usable in China in 2026, where mobile payment dominates, where cash is required, and how much cash you should carry as a foreign visitor.
Daily Survival
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How to Book China Train Tickets with a Passport
Complete guide to booking high-speed train tickets in China using a foreign passport. Covers 12306 app registration, passport verification (online and at the station), payment, ticket collection, and boarding procedures.
China Metro Guide for Foreigners
How to use the metro/subway in Chinese cities as a foreigner. Covers three ways to pay (Alipay/WeChat transit code, city metro apps, single-journey ticket), navigating stations, and common mistakes to avoid.
How to Use Didi in China (Without Chinese Language)
Step-by-step guide to using Didi ride-hailing in China as a foreigner. Covers the Didi Rider international app, registration with a foreign phone number, payment with foreign cards, and communication with drivers.
China Temporary Driving Permit for Foreigners
How to apply for a temporary Chinese driving permit using a foreign driver's license. Covers eligibility, required documents, application locations, validity periods, and which countries have mutual recognition agreements with China.
How to Order Food in China Without Speaking Chinese
Practical strategies for ordering food in Chinese restaurants without speaking the language. Covers scan-to-order QR codes, translation apps, picture menus, pointing strategies, and food delivery apps in English.
Tipping in China: Complete Guide (You Probably Shouldn't)
Do you tip in China? The short answer is no. This guide explains tipping culture across restaurants, hotels, taxis, and tour guides — and the rare exceptions where a tip might be accepted.
China Tax Refund for Tourists: Step-by-Step Guide
How to claim a tax refund on shopping in China as a foreign tourist. Covers eligibility, minimum purchase amounts, refund rates (11% minus 2% handling fee = 9% actual), and the airport refund process.
Can Foreigners Open a Bank Account in China?
Whether short-term foreign visitors can open a Chinese bank account. Covers account types available to non-residents, required documents, which banks accept foreign passport holders, and account limitations.
Emergency
5
Can I Extend My 30-Day Visa-Free Stay?
Whether and how to extend a visa-free stay in China beyond 30 days. Covers application process, required documents, approval chances, and what happens if your extension is denied.
China Overstay Penalty: Fines and Consequences
What happens if you overstay your visa or visa-free period in China. Detailed breakdown of fines, detention risks, entry bans, and how to handle an overstay situation.
Lost Passport in China: Emergency Steps
Immediate action plan for foreigners who lose their passport in China. Covers police report, embassy procedures, temporary travel documents, and how to handle visa/entry stamp replacement.
China Emergency Phone Numbers: Complete Guide
All emergency and essential phone numbers in China for foreigners: police, ambulance, fire, traffic accident, and consular protection. Includes how to call without speaking Chinese.
Hospitals for Foreigners in Major Chinese Cities
Which hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, and other major cities have international departments, English-speaking staff, and accept foreign insurance.
Departure
3
China Airport Departure: Step-by-Step for Foreigners
Complete walkthrough of departing from a Chinese airport as a foreigner: check-in, tax refund, customs declaration, exit immigration, and security. How early to arrive, what documents you need, and what to expect at each checkpoint.
What Cannot You Take Out of China?
Complete list of items prohibited or restricted from leaving China. Covers antiques, cash limits, wildlife products, sensitive materials, and what customs checks for on departure.
China Tax Refund at Airport: Complete Guide
How to claim your departure tax refund at the airport step by step. Covers where the customs counter is, what documents you need, how to handle items in checked luggage, and your refund payment options.