Skip the visa application. Prepare for your trip.
Start with your passport and entry documents, then check the arrival formalities.
Before you travel
Check the passport and supporting documents listed below. Keep copies accessible during your journey.
When you arrive
Prepare China Arrival Card and keep your travel documents to hand.
During your visit
Check the permission you receive and leave before your authorised stay ends.
Check your trip dates
Count your travel days and compare your passport expiry with the entry rule.
What to prepare for your trip
Check each item as you prepare it. Labels show which documents are required, conditional, or recommended.
Your circumstances may require additional documents. Ticks track preparation, not eligibility or admission.
Arrival paperwork is a separate step
China Arrival Card
Complete it online before travel or at the border; paper forms remain available. Exemptions include permanent-resident ID or eligible mainland-permit holders, group visa or visa-free groups, direct airside transit within 24 hours, same-ship cruise visits, fast-lane entrants and transport crew.
Open China Arrival CardDetails that can change your plans
This visa waiver is time-limited
For these ordinary-passport nationalities, the current unilateral waiver runs through 31 December 2026, Beijing time. Longer visits require an appropriate visa in advance.
Official guidancePractical tips for China
Small preparation steps to keep your travel information within reach.
Arrange accommodation registration
Hotels register their guests. For a private home or other non-hotel stay, you or your host must register with local public security within 24 hours of arrival. The NIA website and NIA 12367 apps now offer nationwide online registration; local offices remain available.
China at a glance
- Capital
- Beijing
- Currency
- CNY
- Calling code
- +86
Questions for this route
Do travelers with an ordinary passport from Argentina need a visa for China?
Travelers visiting China for tourism with an ordinary passport from Argentina do not need a visa for up to 30 days per visit. Entry conditions still apply.
How long can I stay in China?
The short-visit limit is 30 days per visit. Day one is the day after arrival; the departure day counts. Your actual permission can be shorter; check the dates and conditions you receive.
How much passport validity do I need?
Valid for your entire stay.
Do I need to complete China Arrival Card?
Required only when the stated conditions apply. Complete it online before travel or at the border; paper forms remain available. Exemptions include permanent-resident ID or eligible mainland-permit holders, group visa or visa-free groups, direct airside transit within 24 hours, same-ship cruise visits, fast-lane entrants and transport crew. It does not replace a required visa or travel authorisation.
What if I’m going to work, study or stay longer?
This guide is for a short tourist visit on an ordinary passport. It does not establish eligibility for employment, study or residence. Use the destination’s official guidance for your actual purpose.
Does my country of residence change the answer?
Passport nationality and legal residence are different. This page starts with your passport. Residence can change where you apply and which application channel is available; an existing visa or residence permit may also create an exception. Check the official eligibility guidance for your circumstances.
Official websites
Use these government websites to confirm requirements and complete any application.
Open China Arrival Card
Check China’s visa-free entry guidance
Official questions and answers on visa-free entry and links to consular visa information.
China accommodation registration guidance
Check how you or your host can register a non-hotel stay.
About this guide
This guide covers short tourist visits on an ordinary passport. Your nationality, residence, travel document and purpose can affect the entry conditions. Check the linked official guidance before travel; the border authority decides admission and your permitted stay.
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